Virginia’s men’s basketball team will get a real read on itself right away.
Sunday’s outdoor exhibition against Vanderbilt at Credit One Stadium in Charleston, S.C. - set for noon on ESPN+ - is the first chance to see the 2026-27 Cavaliers in action, and it comes with plenty of intrigue. Virginia enters the season off a 30-6 run in Ryan Odom’s first year, and the preseason buzz has followed.
That buzz shows up in ESPN’s latest Way Too Early rankings, where Virginia sits 12th and Vanderbilt is right behind at 24th. The matchup is especially useful because the Cavaliers return more than 60 percent of their scoring, while the Commodores are piecing together a mostly new starting group after Mark Byington spent heavily in the transfer portal.
Still, Vanderbilt does bring back one major piece in junior guard Tyler Tanner, who was first-team All-Southeastern Conference after averaging 19 points and five assists per game. He’ll be a major test for Virginia sophomore Chance Mallory, who steps into the starting point guard job after proving effective off the bench last season. Mallory led the Cavaliers in steals with 57 and had just 41 turnovers, but he’ll be giving up a couple of inches to Tanner and will need to battle him at both ends.
There’s plenty of attention on Virginia’s frontcourt, too, starting with Johann Grunloh. The 7-foot German flashed athleticism, rim protection and even some touch from 3-point range as a freshman, though a broken wrist slowed him late and opened the door for Ugonna Onyenso to emerge as an NBA draft pick.
Odom has praised Grunloh’s added strength and skill, and Sunday should offer the first real look at that progress. Vanderbilt, though, has size ready to answer with 6-11 Bangot Dak, who averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds at Colorado, and 6-10 Berke Buyuktuncel, who started 33 games at Nebraska.
Thijs de Ridder, who bullied younger and slimmer power forwards on his way to first-team All-ACC honors last season, also gets a strong early test in Sebastian Williams-Adams. The 6-9, 251-pound forward averaged 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds at Auburn a year ago.
On the perimeter, Sam Lewis will be challenged by Vanderbilt’s Ace Glass, who scored 16.3 points per game as a freshman at Washington State last season. Lewis has the size edge at 6-7, but Glass brings the quickness that can make life difficult on the wing.
Virginia’s transfer class will be in the spotlight as well, since Odom’s roster overhaul gives the Cavaliers plenty of new faces to evaluate against high-level competition. After Virginia’s second-round NCAA tournament exit last season, Odom deliberately loaded up the nonconference schedule, and he has no shortage of tough tests ahead. Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland and UConn are all on the regular-season slate.
In Other News...
Virginia Basketball Is Back And Both Programs Are Taking Shape
The first real signs of basketball season are back in Charlottesville, with both Virginia programs officially into practice mode and the calendar now starting to tighten around meaningful games. The mens team is set to work through three preseason exhibitions, while the womens side is building toward an opener on Nov. 2 against Maryland Eastern Shore, giving the program plenty of time to sort out roles and rhythm before the games count.
There has also been some movement around the womens staff, with Aaron Roussell adding Damin Altizer as director of player development, another indication that the roster-building and development work is happening well before tipoff. And around the broader Virginia basketball scene, former mens coach Tony Bennett has been making recent public speaking appearances, a reminder that even as the next chapter begins, the programs recent past is still very much part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has Two Big Problems To Fix Before ACC Play
Virginia comes home to Scott Stadium this week at 2-1, and the timing of the Delaware game makes it more than a routine nonconference stop. After a loss that exposed some of the teams issues, the Cavaliers are looking for cleaner play on both sides of the ball before ACC action begins, with next weekends trip to Florida State looming as the real marker for where they stand.
Delaware offers a useful tune-up, but it also brings a challenge that should stress Virginias secondary and force some answers in the back end. With this matchup landing between the setback against West Virginia and the start of conference play, the Cavaliers have a narrow window to settle the offense, tighten the defense and make sure the trip to Tallahassee does not arrive with more questions than confidence. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Needs A Sharper Showing Before ACC Play Begins
Virginia closes out its non-conference slate Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Scott Stadium against a Delaware team that has made a smooth jump from FCS to FBS and comes in at 2-1. For the Cavaliers, this is less about the opponents pedigree than about finding a cleaner rhythm before ACC play begins, with the offense and defense both still carrying some uneven stretches from the first part of the schedule.
The spotlight is on Virginias offensive line, passing game and overall defensive sharpness, because those areas will shape whether the Cavaliers head into conference action with confidence or more questions. There is at least a possibility of help up front, with left guard Noah Josey potentially nearing a return from an ankle issue, but Virginia still needs a more polished all-around showing against a Delaware team that has already shown it can handle the step up in competition. [Read more 🡒]