We are officially 10 days away from the start of Virginia's 2026-27 campaign. The Cavaliers, ranked No. 9 to start the season, have concluded preseason play and are now preparing for the home opener against Drexel Nov. 3.
But before the season tips off at John Paul Jones Arena, here are some final thoughts after the exhibition slate:
This could be a special year for the Cavaliers
Virginia has its megastar — Thijs De Ridder, the Preseason ACC Player of the Year. He looks even sharper than last year. The Cavaliers also feature a core that fits him well, with Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Nolan Adekunle and Johann Grunloh. In two games with that core healthy, Virginia topped 90 points and looked surgical throughout the offensive frenzies.
Exhibition games have zero significance in terms of a team's resume, but the Cavaliers certainly passed the eye test.
The frontcourt was thin, more than initially expected
At Villanova, Johann Grunloh made less than 25% of his shots and also got into foul trouble. Off the bench, Favour Ibe made little to no impact. These are major problems. The Cavaliers only have two true centers — without them, De Ridder might have to slide over. Alternatively, Kalu Anya could fill that spot. Both options lead to a vacancy at power forward. This will be a situation to monitor over the first month of play.
Elijah Gertrude will help this basketball team
Gertrude was among Virginia's best scorers throught the preseason. Most importantly, he was electric from three-point range. Gertrude also brings high-quality athleticism, so if he can hold his own on defense, Gertrude could very well end up being the sixth man for this basketball team.
Gertrude has long been a fan favorite despite playing sparingly. Gertrude has stuck around for four years, from Tony Bennett's final season to the Ron Sanchez interlude and the early goings of the Ryan Odom era.
Silas Barksdale and Martin Carrere will likely not be part of the rotation
Virginia has a loaded roster, plus exceptional depth. Odom likes to run a nine-man rotation. He might use 11. Even with a larger number, that does not account for Barksdale and Carrere. They have talent, but unless they suddenly become elite defenders or high-end corner shooters, playing time will be sparse.
Both players were coveted talents entering college. However, they have yet to break into Virginia's rotation in year two with the program.
Chance Mallory has First Team All-ACC potential
Mallory is expected to blossom into stardom this season, at least on offense. Checking in well under 5-foot-11, his defense was an unknown — but he might be elite there as well. Mallory had a few steals against Villanova and Vanderbilt, along with holding his own as an aggressive perimeter defender.
If Mallory ends up averaging around 17 points per game (and contributes high-end defense), he could be one of the best point guards in all of college basketball.
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