No. 9 Virginia opens season against Drexel with rotation still in flux

The No. 9 Virginia Cavaliers begin their 122nd season of men's basketball on Tuesday night at home against the Drexel Dragons in Charlottesville, with a 7:30 p.m. EST tip-off on the ACC Network. Coach Ryan Odom is using the game as an opportunity to finalize his rotation ahead of a high-stakes matchup against No. 12 Arkansas scheduled for Sunday in Washington, D.C. Odom stated that the rotation remains "a work in progress," with the team balancing depth and experience across the roster.

Virginia enters the season off a strong 30-6 record in 2025-26, finishing 16-1 at home and averaging 80.4 points per game. The Cavaliers retained 10 of 11 players from last season, including three starters—Thijs De Ridder (15.6 ppg), Sam Lewis (10.6 ppg), and Johann Grünloh (7.1 ppg)—plus sixth man Chance Mallory (9.3 ppg). De Ridder earned All-ACC first-team honors. The team added eight newcomers, including transfers Jurian Dixon, Kalu Anya, Jan Vide, and Christian Harmon, as well as European import Nolan Adekunle from the Euroleague. First-year center Favour Ibe, a 7-foot freshman, is expected to see limited minutes early in the season.

Elijah Gertrude, a four-star guard who missed his sophomore season due to injury, has emerged as a key offensive contributor in preseason action. After shooting just 3-of-29 from three-point range in his first two seasons at Virginia (10.3%), Gertrude shot 7-of-11 from three in two preseason games, scoring 11 and 16 points respectively. His improved three-point shooting addresses a requirement in Odom's system, where guards must be capable from beyond the arc.

Drexel, which compiled a 17-16 record last season while going 4-9 on the road, averaged 68.1 points per game with 43.8% field goal shooting and 35.0% three-point shooting. Virginia holds a 2-0 all-time record against the Dragons, with the most recent meeting a 49-35 victory at the 2011 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. The oddsmakers favor Virginia heavily, with the Cavaliers favored by 31.5 points. Odom, in his second year at Virginia, is 6-5 all-time in season-opening games as a head coach and led the Cavaliers to a 30-6 record in his debut season—the most wins by a first-year Virginia head coach.