Virginia and Duke are set up to be the ACC’s heavyweight act again in 2026-27, and the first thing that jumps out is how close the Cavaliers and Blue Devils look on paper. Virginia still has to settle its full starting five, but four names already feel locked in: Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh.
That leaves one opening, and one of the more useful ways to size up the Cavaliers against Duke is to break the matchup into individual battles. Virginia and Duke split the regular-season home-and-home next season, and they’ll always have the ACC Tournament looming as a possible third meeting. With that in mind, here’s where the edge appears to lie right now.
At point guard, Mallory’s 2025-26 numbers - 0 GS, 36 GP, 24.1 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 3.4 APG, 3.7 RPG, 42.2% FG, 34.5% 3PT - stack up well against Duke’s Isaiah Boozer, who posted 11 GS, 38 GP, 22.9 MPG, 7.7 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.3 RPG, 50.0% FG, 30.3% 3PT. Duke could go with senior Caleb Foster instead, but if the idea is to have a true facilitator at the point, Boozer makes more sense.
Even so, Mallory showed major upside last season and should have a slight edge over either option. The one thing that tilts the picture toward Duke is size, and that could ripple through the whole game.
Virginia’s final starting spot is still up for grabs, and one possible answer is former UC Irvine guard Bent Leuchten Dixon, who put up 35 GS, 35 GP, 30.4 MPG, 15.9 PPG, 2.5 APG, 3.6 RPG, 43.0% FG, 38.5% 3PT in 2025-26. Dixon was First Team All-Big West and, before that, Big West Freshman of the Year.
But Duke’s edge here looks much clearer with Cameron Blackwell, who transferred in after a huge season at Wisconsin: 34 GS, 34 GP, 33.7 MPG, 19.1 PPG, 2.3 APG, 5.1 RPG, 43.0% FG, 38.9% 3PT. Blackwell’s resume comes loaded with All-Big Ten recognition, and he profiles as a legitimate No. 1 scoring option who competes on defense and doesn’t mind getting on the floor for loose balls.
On the wing, Lewis and Duke’s Maliq Sarr make for a more balanced fight than the raw scoring numbers might suggest. Lewis finished at 35 GS, 36 GP, 25.4 MPG, 10.6 PPG, 1.4 APG, 3.6 RPG, 45.5% FG, 40.3% 3PT.
Sarr’s line was 30 GS, 38 GP, 23.5 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 1.1 APG, 3.8 RPG, 40.4% FG, 32.2% 3PT, but his 2025-26 ACC All-Defensive Team selection matters here. Lewis probably still gives Virginia a slight advantage, yet this looks close to even.
The biggest mismatch may come with De Ridder, whose 2025-26 production - 36 GS, 36 GP, 27.7 MPG, 15.6 PPG, 1.6 APG, 6.2 RPG, 50.8% FG, 35.7% 3PT - puts him in a different tier from Duke’s Khaman Williams. Williams is one of the top recruits in the country and has superstar potential, but he still has to prove it at the college level. De Ridder already has, earning First Team All-ACC honors and bringing the kind of experience, strength and scoring punch that should give Virginia a significant advantage.
The center matchup might be the most intriguing of all. Grunloh’s 2025-26 line - 36 GS, 36 GP, 21.0 MPG, 7.1 PPG, 0.6 APG, 5.2 RPG, 53.3% FG, 35.0% 3PT - goes against Duke’s Patrick Ngongba, who posted 28 GS, 32 GP, 21.9 MPG, 10.1 PPG, 2.0 APG, 5.8 RPG, 60.6% FG, 25.8% 3PT.
Both big men bring some versatility, just in different forms, but Ngongba’s physical edge stands out. He’s 12 pounds heavier than Grunloh and won the previous meeting between the two centers.
If Grunloh adds muscle and picks up more minutes with Ugo Onyenso gone, Virginia could flip that spot. For now, though, Duke gets the nod there by a small margin.
The broader picture is simple enough: both teams should open the season in the top 10, and the difference may come down to home-court advantage, bench depth and health. Virginia and Duke look like the top two teams in the ACC heading into 2026-27, and both meetings should have prime-time written all over them.
In Other News...
Virginia Special Teams Have One Big Chance To Change Games
Special teams may end up carrying an outsized share of Virginias identity this fall, and there is a real reason to keep an eye on the return game. The Cavaliers bring back kicker Will Bettridge and punter Daniel Sparks, both of whom landed on preseason watch lists, while the search continues for a new kickoff returner after Cam Ross. In that mix sits Solomon Beebe, the junior transfer from UAB who is on the Paul Hornung Award preseason watch list and arrives with the kind of versatility that usually gives a staff options it has not had before.
Coach Keith Gaither has made it clear Virginia wants to spread the load across several players, especially with newer NCAA rules opening the door for freshmen to help in those roles. Beebe is expected to be part of that rotation in more than one way, and the staffs willingness to mix and match could turn a routine hidden-yardage phase into one of the more interesting parts of the season. The challenge, as always, is turning preseason promise into a return unit that actually changes games when the margins get thin. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Defense Is Entering A Conversation Fans Rarely Get To Have
Virginias defense gave the program something it does not often get to enjoy: a legitimate place near the top of the ACC discussion. Even with star linebacker Kam Robinson missing six games, the Cavaliers finished as the leagues No. 2 scoring defense in 2025, allowing 19.6 points per game. That kind of steady work changes the tone around a team, especially when it comes with plenty of familiar pieces set to return for 2026.
There is also reason to think the group can keep rising. Virginia brings back many of its key defensive players and has added new contributors Jacob Holmes and Cazeem Moore, both of whom were responsible for a significant share of last seasons sack production elsewhere. And with a schedule that looks friendlier than what some of the other top ACC defenses will face, the Cavaliers have a real chance to turn last years breakthrough into something even more durable. [Read more 🡒]