Virginia basketball’s starting five already has a pretty clear shape to it.
Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory look locked in as four of the five starters, and that group brings something every coach wants before the season even tips: familiarity. They know each other, and that matters.
The real question is what happens at the other wing spot. A lot of projections have that job going to Jurian Dixon, the junior transfer who averaged 15.9 points per game at UC Irvine. Others have Christian Harmon in the mix, the senior transfer who put up 12.8 points last season at Arkansas State.
But there’s another path, and it might fit Ryan Odom’s setup even better: Nolan Adekunle.
Starting Adekunle at small forward would let Lewis slide over to shooting guard, and on paper that arrangement has real appeal. Adekunle brings a defender’s edge, especially around the paint, and he shot 42.3 percent from three in the top German league last season.
He’s also not some raw newcomer trying to figure out the game at this level. He’s 24 and has been playing in European leagues since 2018.
That experience matters because Virginia doesn’t need a guard who’s going to pound the ball. With Mallory handling plenty of the offense, De Ridder working inside, and Lewis operating on the perimeter, the Cavaliers need someone who can fit in cleanly without needing touches. Adekunle’s profile points in that direction: a catch-and-shoot threat who can spot up in the corner and defend his spot.
At 6-foot-6, he also brings the kind of size Virginia could use on the wing. In Germany, he played power forward, so the move to small forward should be manageable. If he can handle that assignment, it gives the Cavaliers a lineup with four starters listed at 6-foot-6 or taller.
That kind of size could come in handy if opponents try to force Mallory into bad matchups against much bigger players.
There’s also a clear precedent for Odom leaning on a lineup where not every starter has to be a primary scorer. Last season, Grunloh’s biggest value came on defense and the glass, while Dallin Hall did a little of everything. Malik Thomas took the most shots, and De Ridder and Lewis were the efficient finishers.
The bench, meanwhile, supplied the punch with Mallory and Jacari White. Dixon and Harmon could end up in similar roles if you’re looking at possession usage and minutes rather than pure talent. Odom has shown he likes to spread the work around, and having scoring off the bench is part of that formula for Virginia.
Adekunle’s defense could be what gets him into the starting five. Still, there’s a real adjustment ahead as he moves into ACC basketball from the German BBL, and Dixon or Harmon may have the edge simply because they’ve already played college basketball in the NCAA.
Even if Adekunle comes off the bench, though, he looks like the kind of player who can slide in beside Virginia’s core four and give them valuable minutes right away.
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