2026-27 Virginia basketball: Three reasons for optimism, three reasons for concern

Basketball season might be far away – save for the ongoing NBA Finals – but piece by piece, more developments are falling into place. Virginia has made its last few roster additions, new non-conference games are being revealed and the occasional offseason news morsel has helped maintain the excitement for the 2026-27 campaign.

In the midst of offseason change, there are some budding reasons for both optimism and concern regarding the Cavaliers.

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Optimism

1: Rare and invaluable continuity

Virginia returns every notable player from last season with eligibility. On-court chemistry should be exceptional in 2026-27. Hundreds of other teams lost at least one eligible starter and will have to tinker and toil over various lineups. The Cavaliers, at least, can trot out a package of Chance Mallory, Elijah Gertrude, Sam Lewis, Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh and have an understanding of what that would look like.

2: The frontcourt could be one of the nation’s best

Speaking of De Ridder and Grunloh, they could have both been potential NBA Draft picks this year – and if they put together stellar seasons this year, they could skyrocket up draft boards. These European stars are no ordinary sophomores. Behind them, there is senior transfer Kalu Anya and talented, promising underclassmen in Favour Ibe and Silas Barksdale. These big men should be capable of dominating both offensively and defensively in the paint for an ACC contender.

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3: Don’t forget – Ryan Odom is one of the ACC’s best coaches

In his first year, Odom led a team almost entirely composed of transfers to the Round of 32. His emphasis on team-building and analytics could complete a winning formula. Also consider his talented staff led by Adrian Autry, Matt Henry, Bryce Crawford, Darius Theus and others. The 2026-27 Cavaliers should be a well-coached team. Factor in an abundance of experience, and the immediate future looks rather promising.

Concern

1: Schedule will be more difficult this season

Virginia plays…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-27-virginia-basketball-three-190004368.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-10 19:00:00

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