Three Non-Conference Opponents UVA Basketball Should Schedule In the Future

No one can accuse Virginia’s men’s basketball coach Ryan Odom of dodging anyone this season.

He’ll test his veteran squad with nonconference games against Arkansas, Maryland, Kentucky, UConn, Marquette and Xavier in addition to the gauntlet of ACC opponents. Those voluntary out-of-league matchups should prepare the Cavaliers well for the NCAA tournament, where they haven’t advanced past the second round since winning the 2019 national championship.

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With the tournament expanding to 76 teams, strong programs shouldn’t be afraid of absorbing a few nonconference losses. And after the ACC trimmed its league slate from 20 to 18 games last year, teams have two more opportunities per season to seek challenging competition.

In that vein, here are three nonconference schools the Cavaliers should try to schedule in the near future:

1. Vanderbilt

Yes, the Cavaliers will scrimmage the Commodores for the second straight season on Sept. 27 on an outdoor court in Charleston, S.C. that should give both teams an early line on their prospects. But why not make it official?

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These are two like-minded programs with strong academic reputations which have invested heavily in athletics in recent years, as if to prove you don’t have to sacrifice one to excel in the other. It’s a relatively short trip for either team (550 miles, certainly less than a flight to Stanford, Cal, SMU or even Miiami).

Both teams are coming off strong seasons, with each earning a spot in ESPN.com’s Way-Too-Early preseason rankings: Virginia (30-6 a year ago) at No. 12 and Vandy (27-9) at No. 24.

And Commodores coach Mark Byington has connections to Virginia. He served as a graduate assistant (1999-2001) under Pete Gillen and director of operations (2004-05) under Dave Leitao.

Believe it or not, these teams have met just seven times in all, and only once since 1995 (in 2017). It’s past time to reconvene.

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2. Georgetown

John Thompson, the Hoyas’ late Hall of Fame coach, was notorious for loading…

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Publish date : 2026-09-04 22:00:00

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