Virginia’s first two games have offered a few clues about how Ryan Odom is sorting out his rotation, even if it’s far too early to treat any of it as settled.
The Cavaliers have opened against Drexel and Northeastern, two opponents that don’t exactly force the issue, but there are still some patterns worth watching. Odom has plenty of depth to work with, and he has already leaned on it. The trick, as always, is that rotations tend to tighten once the schedule turns serious and the margin for experimentation disappears.
One spot was clearly the biggest question entering preseason practice: small forward, left open when Malik Thomas used up his eligibility. Nolan Adekunle, who came over after playing in Germany’s pro league, moved quickly into that role and has been described by Odom as a “3 and D” specialist.
Sam Lewis has also made a noticeable jump. He has scored 20 points in each of Virginia’s first two games, carrying over the momentum from his strong ACC tournament showing last season and giving the Cavaliers another real scoring threat. The one blemish so far: six turnovers against Northeastern.
A few other returning pieces look sharper, too. Johan Grunloh appears stronger, Chance Mallory has been more assertive now that he’s the starting point guard, and Thijs De Ridder has been especially efficient while handling the double teams that are coming his way. Against Northeastern, he finished with four assists and went 7-for-9 from the floor.
Then there’s Elijah Gertrude, whose return has already mattered. It wasn’t even certain he would remain with the program after barely playing in Odom’s first season, and he could have transferred and started somewhere else.
Instead, he stayed, and Virginia has benefited from it. Through two games, he has 18 points and four steals, and he’s bringing the kind of energy off the bench that Mallory provided last season.
He looks healthy again, and that burst will matter when the Cavaliers face nonconference opponents like Arkansas on Sunday, plus Maryland, Kentucky and UConn.
Virginia has also mixed in some younger and newer faces, though the early returns are still uneven. Heralded freshman Favour Ibe was the first sub against Northeastern, but he only played two minutes. Anyah, a fifth-year transfer from Saint Louis, played 15 minutes against Drexel and 12 against Northeastern.
Anyah’s appeal is pretty clear: he’s older, stronger and a reliable defender. With Virginia appearing to have more scoring options than it did a year ago, Odom can use him to back up De Ridder and Grunloh without needing much offense from him.
The Cavaliers were also hoping for immediate help from Jurian Dixon, who came from UC Irvine, Christian Harmon from Arkansas State, and Jan Vide from Loyola Marymount. The idea was that Dixon and Harmon could help replace the scoring Thomas and Jakari White supplied last season, while Vide could be a workable backup for Mallory at point guard.
That hasn’t fully taken shape yet. None of the newcomers has made an instant splash, and Harmon has been slowed by an ankle injury. The same goes for returning frontcourt reserves Marti Carrere and Silas Barksdale, who have yet to seize a bigger role.
There’s still plenty of time for that to change. For now, Virginia has a few early answers, a few open questions, and a long season ahead to sort out the rest.
In Other News...
Virginia Showed Off A New Strength In Another Fast Start Win
Virginias second win of the season came with a different kind of statement, one that went beyond the final margin. After a slow start and even a halftime deficit against Northeastern, the ninth-ranked Cavaliers flipped the game in the second half and rolled to a 97-72 victory, showing a burst of pace and physicality that has not always been the calling card for this program in recent years. Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis and Elijah Gertrude helped fuel the turnaround as Virginias energy began to snowball.
The numbers from the final 20 minutes told the story, with the Cavaliers shooting 61.3% after the break and repeatedly turning hustle plays into momentum. Coach Ryan Odom praised the teams effort and energy afterward, and it was the kind of win that can matter in November because it hints at a broader offensive gear without asking Virginia to abandon what it already does well. The part that stood out most, though, was how quickly the Cavaliers found another strength when the game started to slip away. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces A Revealing Early Test Against Caliparis New-Look Arkansas
A neutral-site meeting in Washington, D.C., gives Virginia an early chance to see where it stands against a completely different kind of challenge. No. 12 Arkansas arrives with the kind of defensive pressure that can turn a game choppy in a hurry, while No. 9 Virginia brings the steadier, veteran style that has long defined its best teams. It is the sort of matchup that can tell a lot about both programs before the schedule really starts to tighten.
John Calipari has rebuilt Arkansas around a young roster, and Ryan Odoms Cavaliers will have to handle that energy without getting dragged into mistakes. Both coaches have already pointed to the strengths and the growing pains in front of them, which is what makes this one so intriguing: Virginia gets a revealing test against a team that is still taking shape, but one that already looks capable of making life uncomfortable for anyone. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces An Early Test That Could Define This Team
Virginias early-season schedule is about to offer a much clearer read on where this group stands. A non-conference meeting with Arkansas in Washington, D.C., brings together two teams that have opened well, with Virginia leaning on its usual defensive identity and an experienced starting five while Arkansas brings the kind of offensive punch that can stress a game in a hurry under John Calipari.
For Virginia, the matchup is less about the familiar all-time edge in the series and more about whether the Cavaliers can sustain their level when the game gets stretched and the rotations get tested. The starters give Tony Bennetts team a solid foundation, but this is the sort of game that can expose whether the supporting cast is ready to hold up when the pace and pressure rise. [Read more 🡒]