No. 13 Virginia Set For Clash Against Virginia Tech Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 13 Virginia (26-4, 14-3 ACC) concludes its regular season with a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash against Virginia Tech (19-11, 8-9 ACC) on Saturday, March 7. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for Noon on The CW and Virginia Sports Radio Network.

For Openers

• No. 13 Virginia (26-4) is second in the ACC at 14-3, while Virginia Tech (19-11) is tied for 10th at 8-9.
• UVA clinched the No. 2 seed and a double bye at the ACC Tournament.
• UVA will celebrate Senior Day, honoring Dallin Hall, Malik Thomas, Devin Tillis, Ugonna Onyenso and Jacari White and managers Maren Council and Artie Humphreys.
• UVA has scored 80 or more points in 18 games (most since 21 in 2000-01).
• UVA is 15-1 at home, including a 7-1 mark in ACC action.
• UVA is averaging 81.0 points, most since 85 ppg in 2000-01.
• UVA ranks 13th in the NET rankings and 19th in the kenpom.com rankings.
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game is part of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, which is a head-to-head, points-based athletics competition between the schools.
• Head coach Ryan Odom served as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech from 2003-10.

Tickets

• Tickets for the Virginia Tech game are on sale at uvatix.com. Tickets can be purchased online, or by contacting the UVA Ticket Sales Team at (434) 924-8821 (Ext. 1). 

Broadcast Information

• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game will be televised on The CW 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.
• Odom’s 26 wins are the most wins for a UVA first-year head coach, surpassing Jeff Jones’ 21 wins in 1990-91.

All-Time vs. Virginia Tech

• Virginia is 99-62 all-time vs. Virginia Tech, including a 43-14 mark in Charlottesville, in a series that dates to 1914-15.
• Virginia Tech defeated Virginia 85-85 in triple overtime in the ACC opener on Dec. 31 in Blacksburg.
• UVA and VT have split the two-game series between the teams in each of the last four seasons.
• The Cavaliers are 2-3 in the last five games against the Hokies and 4-6 in the last 10.

Last Time vs. The Hokies

• Ben Hammond scored 30 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 95-85 triple overtime home win over Virginia on Dec. 31.
• Malik Thomas scored a season-high 26 points and Thijs De Ridder tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for UVA.
• Christian Gurdak (17 points, 19 rebounds) and Amani Hansberry (17 points, 15 rebounds) added double-doubles for Tech.
• The Hokies outscored the Cavaliers 40-30 in the three overtimes to secure the half point in the Commonwealth Clash.
• UVA attempted a school-record 45 3-pointers in the loss.
• Virginia Tech out-rebounded UVA 60-54 and went 28 of 41 from the free throw line.

Last Time Out

• Thijs De Ridder scored 16 as No. 13 Virginia held off Wake Forest 75-70 on March 3 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• Jacari White (14 points), Johann Grünloh (12 points), Malik Thomas (11 points) and Dallin Hall (10 points) joined De Ridder in double figures for the Cavaliers.
• Hall iced the win for Virginia by going 4 of 4 from the free throw line down the streak.
• Mekhi Mason scored a game-high 26 points for Wake Forest (15-15, 6-11 ACC) and Juke Harris added 21.

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.
• De Ridder leads UVA in scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg), while Thomas (11.9 ppg), Lewis (10.2 ppg) and Mallory (10.0 ppg) are UVA’s other leading scorers.
• Onyenso leads the team in blocks (2.6 bpg) and Hall leads in assists (4.2 apg).
• UVA is averaging 81.0 points and holding foes to 68.1 ppg.
• UVA’s +12.9 scoring margin is its largest since the 2018-19 NCAA championship squad’s +15.3 margin.
• Seven different Cavaliers have led the team in scoring (Thijs De Ridder, Dallin Hall, Sam Lewis, Chance Mallory, Ugonna Onyenso, Malik Thomas, Jacari White).
• UVA averages 77.4 ppg and holds foes to 69.4 ppg in ACC play.

Hoos Among ACC Leaders

• Virginia ranks first in the ACC in blocks (6.2 bpg), rebounding (40.9) and offensive rebounding (13.5), second in field goal percentage defense (39.6%), third in scoring defense (68.1 ppg), scoring margin (+12.9), 3-pointers (10.1), rebounding margin (+8.2) and defensive rebounds (27.4 rpg), fourth in assists (16.7 apg), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.308) and assist/turnover ratio (1.55).
• Thijs De Ridder ranks 15th in scoring (16.0 ppg), eighth in field goal percentage (51.8%) and 19th in rebounding (6.2 rpg).
• Dallin Hall ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (3.2) and 12th in assists (4.2 apg).
• Ugonna Onyenso leads the ACC in blocks at 2.6 bpg, while Johann Grünloh ranks third in blocks at 2.4 bpg.
• Chance Mallory ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (2.9), seventh in steals (1.7 spg), 15th in assists (3.5 apg) and 20th in free throw percentage (76.7%).
• Jacari White ranks 13th in 3-pointers made per game (2.2).

On The Horizon

• No. 2 seed Virginia will play in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Tip time is set for Noon on ESPN/2.