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Recapping UVA basketball’s 2026-27 roster acquisitions and jersey numbers
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 22: Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom reacts during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball program has officially announced jersey numbers for the 2026-2027 season this week – reminding fans of a roster that is nothing short of promising.
While head coach Ryan Odom earned some recruiting wins, the returners (and the sheer number of them!) are both familiar and confidence-inducing for the WaHoo fanbase. As Jon Rothstein has noted , Virginia has the highest percentage of returning scoring (57.4%) in the ACC – over 17 percentage points higher than Duke (40.4%), the second-highest returning scoring team. That’s something to write home about.
Odom impressively retained all eligible returning players this season, including Thijs De Ridder (No. 28) and Johann Grünloh (No. 17) in the frontcourt, as well as Chance Mallory (No. 1) and Sam Lewis (No. 5) in the backcourt (not to mention No. 12 redshirt Junior Elijah Gertrude, the last Tony Bennett player still in orange and blue).
Got our guys. #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/y7HShWoogE
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) July 28, 2026
De Ridder and Grünloh had an average field goal percentage above 50%, with Lewis and Mallory close behind with 45% and 42%, respectively. Mallory’s numbers are particularly impressive considering he only averaged 24 minutes a game (and was a true freshman, at that). His performance last season suggests he’ll produce at a high level as he’ll likely take on a leading role for the ‘Hoos. After all, he’s been “promoted” to repping No. 1 this season – filling big shoes after Malik Thomas wore the number last year (the team’s second leading scorer with 12.4 points per game, mind you).
Odom’s recruiting also bids fair for Virginia’s shooting this year. Nolan Adekunle is coming in shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three and, like De Ridder, is joining Virginia from a European professional league – adding not only shooting, but experience.
Among the incoming players is four-star center Favour Ibe, the 7-foot-1, 235-pound high school recruit out of Maryland. He averaged an impressive 16.5 points per game and, perhaps even more importantly, 13.5 rebounds in high school. (And since we’re tracking jersey numbers – he’s repping No. 34 this season – close enough to Ugonna Onyenso’s 33, to whom he’ll hopefully compare in rebound dominance).
Among others, Virginia has also gained:
Loyola Marymount transfer guard Jan Vide (No. 37) who had an average 12.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds last season
University of California, Irvine transfer guard Jurian Dixon (No. 4) who averaged 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals last season
Arkansas State transfer guard Christian Harmon (No. 2) coming off an average 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Saint Louis transfer forward Kalu Anya (No. 6) who tallied 6.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals
While we could say the mix of returners and new faces feels more “old school” – Odom is still breaking the mold with his number of nontraditional (coming with semi-professional experience) and international recruits. In terms of roster development, he seems to have a business-like strategy. And, in theory, Odom has hit the jackpot: reliable Charlottesville vets with plenty of incoming support for added depth.
Recapping UVAVirginiaVirginia CavaliersRyan OdomNCAA MenBasketball TournamentXfinity Mobile ArenaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaPhotoEmilee ChinnGetty Images
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