Ryan Odom isn’t ready to hand out permanent roles yet, and that hesitation says plenty about where Virginia stands as the season approaches. On media day, when asked how deep he expects his rotation to go, Odom kept it simple: “It’s still a work in progress, quite honestly,” Odom said.
“I like our bench. I like the options that we have there.
But I would say that nothing is completely set at this point.”
That uncertainty is going to matter for No. 9 Virginia.
The Cavaliers’ bench helped define last season’s team, giving the roster versatility and enough punch that multiple reserves could swing a game on their own. Odom believes this group can offer something similar, even if the lineup is still taking shape.
“Ultimately, the games are coming,” Odom said. “And they’re going to have to perform, each and every day.”
The biggest decisions are tied to two spots: point guard and center. Chance Mallory, who came off the bench as a true freshman and quickly established himself as a confident two-way playmaker, looks poised for a bigger leap. Odom said a disciplined offseason has left Mallory quicker, stronger, and lighter, setting him up for what could be a breakout sophomore year.
Behind him, Loyola Marymount transfer Jan Vide appears to be the early favorite as the backup playmaker. Vide brings passing ability and enough size to operate as a big guard, especially in half-court pick-and-roll situations and in transition.
The concern is efficiency around the rim, since he had a low free-throw rate as a junior and didn’t finish well in the paint. Elijah Gertrude is another option with the ball, though he logged only 109 minutes last season, so how much he can create and distribute remains an open question.
The center picture has its own uncertainty. Virginia brought back Johann Grünloh as a starter, but Ugonna Onyenso is gone after serving as a revelation off the bench last season. Onyenso gave the Cavaliers elite rim protection and a lob target, and having two dependable shot-blockers who never missed a game was a major piece of Virginia’s strong first season under Odom.
Now the bench bigs have to prove they can fill that void. Saint Louis transfer Kalu Anya and freshman Favour Ibe both saw action in Virginia’s three exhibition games, but neither stood out against high-major competition from Vanderbilt and Villanova.
Anya, who redshirted last season, is the more proven option. He rebounds at a high level, posted a 20.8% defensive rebounding rate in the 2024-25 season, and finished over 70% at the rim.
Ibe brings the size at 7-foot-1, but his role in his first season is still unclear.
Virginia won’t have long to sort it out. No.
12 Arkansas comes to town on Nov. 8, and an early road trip to face Buzz Williams’ Maryland figures to be a bruising test that could demand a deep rotation. The first few games should tell Odom plenty about who can handle those minutes.
There is still upside on the bench, though. One or both of Jurian Dixon and Christian Harmon should be in the mix as reserves, and both are described as dynamic scorers and creators who could start producing more as the season unfolds. There’s also expected growth from Elijah Gertrude, Martin Carrere, and Silas Barksdale, any of whom could be asked to take on a larger load if needed.
With Drexel and Northeastern coming to Charlottesville to open the season, Odom will get an early read on what this group can really be. For Virginia, the bench could end up being the difference between a good team and one with a much higher ceiling.
In Other News...
Virginia Keeps Running Into The Same Road Problem
Virginias latest road trip brought the same familiar frustrations, only louder. In Winston-Salem, N.C., the Cavaliers were overwhelmed in a 51-7 loss that pushed them below .500 and underscored how much trouble this team has had away from home. Even with Martin turning in a strong receiving day and Sparks flipping field position with his punts, Virginia never found enough rhythm on offense to keep pace.
The bigger concern was how little traction the Cavaliers found on either side of the ball after the opening stretch. Missed tackles piled up, Wake Forests defense kept Virginia from finding answers, and the adjustments never really came. Tony Elliott addressed the quarterbacks after the game, but the larger issue is hard to miss: Virginia has been getting badly outscored on the road, and the pattern is starting to feel bigger than one bad Saturday. [Read more 🡒]