CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 17 Virginia (16-3, 5-2 ACC) travels to Notre Dame (11-9, 2-5 ACC) on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Tipoff for the ACC contest at Purcell Pavilion is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.
For Openers
- No. 17 Virginia (16-3) is tied for third in the ACC at 5-2, while Notre Dame (11-9) is tied for 13th at 2-5.
- The Cavaliers are 6-2 away from home this season, including a 4-1 mark in true road contests.
- UVA has scored 80 or more points in 14 games, most since 21 in 2000-01.
- The Cavaliers are averaging 84 points, third-most in school history and most since 85 ppg in 2000-01.
- UVA is 14th in the NET and 17th in the kenpom.com rankings.
- Notre Dame associate head coach Kyle Getter spent five years at UVA from 2018-23, serving three seasons as director of recruiting/player development and two seasons as an assistant coach.
Broadcast Information
- The Virginia-Notre Dame game will be televised on ESPN2, streamed on ESPN.com/watch and broadcast on the 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. Notre Dame
- Virginia is 18-5 all-time vs. Notre Dame, including a 13-3 ACC regular-season record, in a series that dates back to 1981.
- UVA is 6-2 against the Irish in Notre Dame, including a 76-54 loss in its last trip to Purcell Pavilion on Dec. 30, 2023.
- UVA is 2-3 in its last five meetings vs. Notre Dame and 7-3 in the last 10.
Last Time vs. The Fighting Irish
- Markus Burton scored 21 points and Tae Davis added 16 points to lead Notre Dame to a 74-59 win at Virginia on Jan. 25, 2025.
- The Fighting Irish shot 48.2 percent from the field, burying 12 of 23 3-pointers to improve to 9-10 overall, 3-5 ACC.
- Jacob Cofie led the Cavaliers with a season-high 17 points along with six rebounds.
- Isaac McKneely chipped in 14 points for UVA.
- Notre Dame out-rebounded UVA 39-27.
Last Time Out
- No. 22 North Carolina overcame a 16-point deficit to rally past No. 14 Virginia 85-80 on Jan. 24 at John Paul Jones Arena.
- Caleb Wilson led four Tar Heels (16-4, 4-3 ACC) in double figures with 20 points.
- Thijs De Ridder led Virginia (16-3, 5-2 ACC) with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Malik Thomas, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory each scored 11 points.
- UVA led 43-34 at the half, but UNC shot 63.3 percent and scored 51 points in the second half to gain the road win.
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 16.3 ppg, followed by Thomas (13.5 ppg) and Mallory (10.2 ppg).
- Grünloh leads the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and shares the team lead in blocks with Onyenso at 2.4 bpg.
- Hall has a team-best 4.4 assists per game.
- UVA is averaging 83.8 points and holding foes to 68 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 78 points and opponents are netting 70.6 ppg.
Hoos Among ACC Leaders
- UVA ranks first in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.387), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.298), rebounds (42.1), offensive rebounds (14.3) and blocks (6.2 bpg), second in 3-point percentage (.371), rebound margin (+9.4) and
third in scoring defense (68 ppg), scoring margin (+15.8), assist/turnover ratio (1.59), fourth in 3-pointers (10.4) and fifth in assists (17.3) and defensive rebounds (27.7 rpg).
- Thijs De Ridder ranks 12th in scoring (16.3 ppg), seventh in field goal percentage (53.8%) and 18th in rebounds (6.3 rpg).
- Dallin Hall ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (3.3) and 10th in assists (4.4 apg).
- Ugonna Onyenso and Johann Grünloh are tied for second in blocks (2.4 bpg) and Grünloh is 16th in rebounds (6.8 rpg).
- Chance Mallory ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.9), third in steals (1.9 spg) and seventh in free throw percentage (83.1%).
On The Horizon
- No. 17 Virginia travels to Boston College on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tipoff at Conte Forum is set for 1:30 p.m. on The CW and Virginia Sports Radio Network.