3 Virginia basketball players who could shape the Cavaliers’ 2026/2027 season

The Virginia Cavaliers are heading into the 2026 season with quite a bit of roster turnover, and in order for them to be successful this year, a few players in particular will be extremely important.

With that being said, let’s take a look at what’s been going on with the team this offseason in terms of personnel first.

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OUT:

– G Malik Thomas (out of eligibility)
– G Jacari White (out of eligibility/signed a summer league deal with the Los Angeles Lakers)
– C Ugonna Onyenso (selected in the 2nd round of the 2026 NBA Draft)
– G Dallin Hall (out of eligibility)
– F Devin Tillis (out of eligibility)

IN:

– G Jurian Dixon (incoming transfer from UC-Irvine)
– G Christian Harmon (incoming transfer from Arkansas State)
– F/C Kalu Anya (incoming transfer from Saint Louis)
– G/F Jan Vide (incoming transfer from Loyola-Marymount)
– C Favour Ibe (4-star HS recruit)
– G Quincy Watson (walk-on)
– G Nick Rotter (walk-on)

As you can see, a lot of talent is on the way out, but some intriguing players are on the way in as well, especially in the backcourt. Guys like Jan Vide and Christian Harmon could end up playing big roles in 2026 when it’s all said and done, but three specific Cavaliers stand out as crucial pieces to the puzzle going forward.

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PG Chance Mallory

Mallory might honestly be the most important player on the roster heading into next season for UVA. The team’s offensive success may end up hinging on his ability to become an impactful full-time starter at point guard.

With Dallin Hall and Malik Thomas out of the picture now, Mallory will likely be tasked with carrying a large workload when it comes to facilitating Ryan Odom’s offense. If the sophomore point guard can continue to produce at a high level while bumping his minutes up in 2026, things should go smoothly for Virginia. If not, things could get really messy, really fast.

SG Jurian Dixon

Looking at the Cavaliers’ current roster, aside from someone like Sam Lewis, this team really doesn’t have any proven three-level…

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Publish date : 2026-06-26 14:00:00

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