CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 14 Virginia (16-2, 5-1 ACC) hosts No. 22 North Carolina (15-4, 3-3 ACC) on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tipoff for the ACC contest John Paul Jones Arena is set for noon ET on ESPN2, ESPN Radio and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.
For Openers
- No. 14 Virginia (16-2) is third in the ACC at 5-1, while No. 22 North Carolina (15-4) is tied for seventh at 3-3.
- The Cavaliers are 10-0 at home this season and have an 11-game win streak at John Paul Jones Arena.
- UVA has a five-game win streak and meets its second ranked opponent (79-70 over then-No. 20 Louisville).
- UVA has scored 80 or more points in 13 games, most since 13 in 2001-02.
- The Cavaliers are averaging 84 points, third-most in school history and most since 85 ppg in 2000-01.
- UVA is 13th in the kenpom.com and NET rankings.
Broadcast Information
- The Virginia-North Carolina game will be televised on ESPN2, streamed on ESPN.com/watch and broadcast on ESPN Radio, Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
- Live statistics are available on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app.
The New Head Coach
• Ryan Odom was named the University of Virginia’s Dean and Markel Families Men’s Head Basketball Coach on March 22.
- He spent the last two seasons at VCU, leading the Rams to a 52-21 record and 2025 NCAA Tournament berth.
- VCU won the 2025 Atlantic-10 Tournament and shared the A-10 regular-season championship.
- UVA is Odom’s fifth stint as a collegiate head coach. In 12 seasons, he has compiled a record of 224-127, including stops at Utah State (2021-23), UMBC (2017-2021), Lenoir-Rhyne (2016), Charlotte (2015, interim).
- Odom led UMBC, Utah State and VCU to the NCAA Tournament during his second season at those schools.
- Odom coached UMBC to an upset against Virginia in 2018 NCAA Tournament, marking the first time a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in the event’s history.
- Odom is the first UVA coach to start his tenure 5-0, surpassing the Cavaliers’ first coach Henry Lannigan who started 4-0 in 1905-06.
All-Time vs. North Carolina
- Virginia is 62-136 all-time vs. North Carolina in the series that dates to 1910-11.
- UNC has a two-game win streak in the series, including an 81-66 win last season in Chapel Hill.
- Virginia is 38-45 all-time vs. the Tar Heels in Charlottesville, including an 8-5 mark at John Paul Jones Arena.
- UVA is 8-1 in its last nine home games vs. the Tar Heels.
- UVA is 2-3 in its last five games and 5-5 in its last 10 games.
Last Time vs. The Tar Heels
- Jae’lyn Withers tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead North Carolina to an 81-66 win on Feb. 25, 2025, at Smith Center.
- Ian Jackson added 16 points off the bench as five Tar Heels landed in double figures.
- UNC jumped to a 21-2 lead and never trailed.
- Isaac McKneely led UVA with 17 points and Dai Dai Ames chipped in 12.
- The Tar Heels shot 48.2 percent from the field and made 9 of 16 3-pointers.
- UNC out-rebounded UVA 35-21 and scored 36 points in the paint.
Last Time Out
- Malik Thomas scored 23 points to lead then-No. 16 Virginia past SMU 72-68 on Jan. 17 at Moody Coliseum.
- Thomas added a career-high 11 rebounds for his second career double-double as UVA improved to 16-2, 5-1 ACC.
- Thijs De Ridder added 17 points and six rebounds, and iced the win with a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining.
- UVA drilled 12 3-points and netted 22 second chance points and 26 bench points.
- Jaron Pierre Jr. led SMU with 16 points.
Virginia Standard
- The Virginia Standard is to pursue excellence and is built on the six pillars of humility, passion, unity, servanthood, thankfulness and accountability,
• We play with pace, share the basketball and our defensive style is to dictate and disrupt.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
- The 2025-26 roster is highlighted by 12 newcomers, including Dallin Hall (BYU), Malik Thomas (San Francisco), Devin Tillis (UC Irvine), Jacari White (North Dakota State), Ugonna Onyenso (Kansas State), Sam Lewis (Toledo) and Martin Carrere (VCU).
- UVA added European imports Thijs De Ridder (Bilbao Basket), Johann Grünloh (RASTA Vechta) and true freshmen Silas Barksdale, Chance Mallory and Owen Odom.
- Redshirt sophomores Elijah Gertrude, Carter Lang and Desmond Roberts are the lone returners from last year’s team.
- UVA returned four points (all from Roberts) from 2024-25.
- De Ridder leads UVA in scoring at 16.1 ppg, followed by Thomas (13.6 ppg) and Mallory (10.1 ppg).
- Grünloh leads the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and shares the team lead in blocks with Onyenso at 2.5 bpg.
- Hall has a team-best 4.4 assists per game.
- UVA is averaging 84 points and holding foes to 67.1 ppg.
- Seven different Cavaliers have led the team in scoring (Thijs De Ridder, Dallin Hall, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Ugonna Onyenso, Malik Thomas, Jacari White).
- In ACC play, the Cavaliers are averaging 77.7 points and opponents are netting 68.2 ppg.
Hoos Among ACC Leaders
- UVA ranks first in the ACC in rebounds (41.9), offensive rebounds (14.2), field goal percentage defense (.381), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.289) and blocks (6.4 bpg), second in rebound margin (+9.0) and 3-point percentage (.371), third in scoring defense (67.1 ppg) scoring margin (+16.9)assist/turnover ratio (1.61), fourth in 3-pointers (10.6) and fifth in assists (17.4) and defensive rebounds (27.7 rpg).
- Thijs De Ridder ranks 12th in scoring (16.1 ppg), seventh in field goal percentage (53.3%) and 20th in rebounds (6.2 rpg).
- Dallin Hall ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (3.2) and 10th in assists (4.4 apg).
- Ugonna Onyenso and Johann Grünloh are tied for second in blocks (2.5 bpg) and Grünloh is 15th in rebounds (6.8 rpg).
- Chance Mallory ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (3.0), third in steals (2.0 spg) and eighth in free throw percentage (82.2%).
On The Horizon
- No. 14 Virginia travels to Notre Dame on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Tipoff at Purcell Pavilion is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and Virginia Sports Radio Network.