Virginia’s current team has already made a splash with a win over No. 12 Arkansas, and the program’s former standouts are turning heads across the NBA, too. With most teams around the 10-game mark, the early-season picture for the ’Hoos in the league is starting to take shape.
Ty Jerome is leading the way, and he’s doing it in a big way for Memphis. The 6-foot-5 guard from New Rochelle, New York, has become one of the season’s early feel-good stories, averaging 26.6 points and 5.3 assists while helping the Grizzlies to a surprising 6-3 start.
Jerome has already produced two 40+ point games and a pile of clutch buckets, and his floater has turned into one of the league’s nastiest weapons. He’s also averaging a league-best 14 points per game on drives.
Trey Murphy III is still bringing the shot-making and highlight-reel athleticism to New Orleans. After back-to-back seasons above 20 points per game, Murphy’s scoring is down a bit at 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, but his three-point touch remains elite at 37.7%. His name keeps surfacing in trade chatter as the Pelicans look to rebuild, and if he lands with a contender, his value as a 3-and-D weapon could get even more obvious over the back half of the 2026-27 campaign.
De’Andre Hunter has settled into his third team in three seasons and has given Sacramento some scoring punch despite the Kings’ rough start. He’s made nine starts and is averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 35.3% from deep after a down year from beyond the arc in 2025-26. Hunter has had four double-digit scoring nights, including back-to-back 24-point outings on Oct. 27 and 29, but the Kings are still stuck at 1-9.
Jay Huff is back in Indiana and back to doing what he does best: finishing around the rim and making the most of his minutes. The 7-footer, now in his sixth NBA season, has appeared in nine games with five starts and is averaging 7.1 points per game on 49% shooting. His best night so far came last Monday against the Atlanta Hawks, when he posted 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds.
Sam Hauser keeps carving out value as one of Boston’s most reliable long-range threats. Mostly coming off the bench, though he did start once last week against the Milwaukee Bucks, Hauser is playing 21 minutes per game and averaging 7.7 points while shooting 40.4% from three.
Ryan Dunn’s role in Phoenix is limited, but his efficiency has been a bright spot. The 2024 first-round pick is averaging 5.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 stocks in 16 minutes per game for the 3-5 Suns.
He’s coming off his strongest stretch of the season, with 11 points in Thursday night’s win over the Orlando Magic and 8 more in a weekend victory against the Houston Rockets. The bigger question remains his three-point shot, and early on he’s made 7-of-13 from deep.
Dunn has never shot better than 33.1% from three in a season, but Virginia fans know the athleticism that made him such an intriguing pro prospect.
Reece Beekman’s season has hit a snag in Washington. The third-year pro, who signed a two-way deal with the Wizards after spending 2025-26 in the G-League, is dealing with an acromioclavicular joint injury that will sideline him for at least three weeks.
Anthony Gill remains the steady veteran in the same locker room. The longest-tenured player on the Wizards’ roster, the seventh-year NBA vet has appeared in only two games this season, but his role as a locker-room presence and player-coach matters for a young Washington team trying to move from rebuilding toward contention in the Eastern Conference.
In Other News...
Virginia Just Sent A Message Hoos Fans Will Love
Virginias showing in the Skyscanner Capital Showcase was the kind that turns heads beyond Charlottesville. The Cavaliers handled No. 12 Arkansas 91-72, controlled the game for long stretches and got major contributions from several players in a win that looked less like an early-season upset and more like a statement about how quickly Ryan Odoms group is taking shape.
Johann Grnloh was at the center of it, giving Virginia a steady inside presence and a disruptive defensive edge while the Cavaliers kept stretching the margin in the second half. Odom and Arkansas coach John Calipari both had plenty to say afterward, and for Hoos fans, the bigger takeaway is simple: this was the sort of performance that suggests Virginia may be ahead of schedule, even if there is still more to learn about just how high this ceiling can go. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Just Sent An Early Message Against A Ranked Opponent
Virginias season-opening statement at Capital One Arena came with the kind of edge and maturity that can travel. In the Capital Showcase, the Cavaliers handled Arkansas 91-72 by leaning on experience and physicality, with Thijs De Ridder posting 16 points and 10 rebounds and Nolan Adekunle adding 13 points. Ryan Odom liked the way his team moved the ball and tightened up defensively, while John Calipari came away viewing it as a useful lesson for a young Razorbacks group.
For Virginia, the encouraging part is not just the result but the shape of it. The Cavaliers looked organized, connected and comfortable against a ranked opponent, which is exactly the sort of early benchmark Odom wanted his group to hit. There was also a clear sense that several pieces fit neatly into place, even if one of the nights more intriguing individual developments still leaves a little room for more to come. [Read more 🡒]