What do we know about Virginia’s lineup rotation after two games?

Two games — especially against overmatched rivals like Drexel and Northeastern — are clearly not enough to make any concrete assessments about Virginia’s basketball team.

And there are plenty of games ahead, many of them against top-notch competition, where playing time may be scarce for backups. Injuries and inconsistent play could change things, of course, and coach Ryan Odom has plenty of options with a deep bench. He’s used it liberally so far, but rotations often get smaller as the stakes get higher later in the season.

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It’s fair to say that a few trends have emerged through the Cavaliers’ first two victories.

1. The starters are clear and (mostly) improved

Only one job was really up for grabs during preseason practice: the small forward position vacated when Malik Thomas exhausted his eligibility. Nolan Adekunle, a veteran of Germany’s pro league, quickly established himself to earn the spot as a “3 and D” specialist, as Odom put it just before the season opened.

Sam Lewis seems to have taken the biggest step forward, netting 20 points in each of Virginia’s first two games. Building on his strong performance in last season’s ACC tournament, he has given the Cavaliers another scoring option (although his six turnovers against Northeastern need to be addressed).

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Johan Grunloh looks stronger, Chance Mallory is more assertive now that he’s the starting point guard, and Thijs De Ridder has been even more efficient and patient with the double teams he’s sure to see this season. He had four assists on Friday and went 7-for-9 from the field.

2. Elijah Gertrude is first off the bench

It wasn’t clear whether Gertrude would even be on the team this season after seeing scant playing time in Odom’s first season. The last remnant of the Tony Bennett era could have transferred and started elsewhere.

He chose to stay, and the Cavaliers are glad he did. In Virginia’s first two games, he has scored 18 total points and made four steals, bringing the kind of energy…

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Publish date : 2026-11-07 19:00:00

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