Virginia Basketball’s State of the Program: Can Odom’s Returning Core Build on 30 Wins?

Odom’s first season reset

Virginia won 30 games in Ryan Odom’s first season as coach, its first time reaching that total in eight years. The team went 11–1 outside conference play and 15–3 in the ACC.

Odom took over after Tony Bennett left days before the 2024–25 season began. Ron Sanchez, a longtime assistant and friend of Bennett, was left with a roster the account describes as depleted.

A fast roster rebuild

After Odom’s arrival, Isaac McKneely, Andrew Rohde and Jacob Cofie entered the transfer portal on three consecutive days. Odom retained Chance Mallory’s commitment and added six transfers, two recruits from his former school and two international newcomers.

Only Elijah Gertrude remained from the Bennett-era roster. Several transfers who had joined for one season—including Malik Thomas, Dallin Hall, Ugonna Onyenso, Jacari White and Devis Tillis—departed after the season.

Mallory, De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, Gertrude, Sam Lewis, Martin Carrere and Silas Barksdale are returning. The account says Virginia is the only Power 4 program with 100% roster retention.

Mallory takes a bigger role

Chance Mallory is expected to move from a key reserve role into the starting lineup. The account calls him the team’s best player and says his impact was evident within about three games last season.

At 5 feet 8 inches, Mallory is described as a strong defender who can challenge opponents in the paint. He made 35% of his three-point attempts and had the ACC’s best assist-to-turnover ratio, as well as the team’s fourth-best offensive rebounding total.

De Ridder and Grunloh’s goals

Thijs De Ridder has been named preseason ACC Player of the Year and is expected to lead the offense. The Belgian forward can attack the basket in multiple ways, while improving his three-point shooting is a stated focus.

De Ridder’s three-point efficiency declined as ACC play began, according to the account. It says he has identified shooting as an area to improve and that approaching 40% from beyond the arc could make him especially difficult to defend.

Like De Ridder, Johann Grunloh arrived with an evaluation as a late second-round pick and stayed. The account says Onyenso outperformed him at center late in the season, and that Grunloh worked to add weight and strength in the offseason.