It took freshman center Johann Grünloh one minute and 23 seconds to knock down a three-pointer for No. 16 Virginia. The squad never looked back. That three-point make blossomed into a 14-0 run featuring three more buckets from beyond the arc, forcing a Louisville timeout. The Cavaliers (15-2, 4-1 ACC) held the Cardinals (12-5, 2-3 ACC) at arms length for the entire game, never surrendering the lead en route to a 79-70 victory and their first ranked win since 2023, the first under Coach Ryan Odom.
“We got off to a good start on both sides of the ball,” Odom said. “Obviously, you can’t win a game 14-0.”
Riding a 70-55 victory over Stanford and a 3-1 ACC record, Virginia saddled up for its first game against a ranked opponent Tuesday night at the KFC YUM! Center in Louisville, Ky. No. 20 Louisville presented challenges in speed, matchups and former star Cavalier guard Isaac McKneely, now a senior.
“They put so much pressure on you in transition,” Odom said. “We were completely worried about getting our defense set and getting back against them.”
Sixth-year guard J’vonne Hadley matched up on Virginia's leading scorer, freshman forward Thijs De Ridder. He held the Belgian to just nine points, including a three-point second half — a far cry from his 16.4-point average per game.
McKneely, a former three-year player and 2025 All-ACC Honorable Mention for the Cavaliers, led Louisville in scoring with 23 points and five three-pointers.
Facing the trials of a well-coached, talented Cardinals team, the formula remained the same for the Cavaliers. The first priority — and a clear source of strength — was three-point shooting. Virginia hit 14 of 34 field goals from three-point range, marking the ninth time this season where the Cavaliers recorded 11 made three-pointers in a game, and the seventh game in which they attempted at least 30.
Additionally, cleaning the glass remained a Cavalier priority. Virginia outrebounded Louisville 44-36, including a career-high 12 boards from graduate guard Dallin Hall.
Virginia received an additional boost as graduate guard Jacari White made his return to the Cavalier rotation. White received surgery after a ferocious dunk in Virginia's 80-72 win over Maryland brought him down hard on his wrist. Returning after just five missed games and donning a wrist brace, White posted five points and a rebound in 14 minutes of playing time.
Though Louisville would narrow the Cavalier lead, drawing within 5 points at the half, nine blocks as a team and a career shooting night from graduate guard Malik Thomas proved enough to stifle any Cardinal comebacks.
Thomas, leading Virginia with 19 points, hit a career high six three-pointers. Grünloh and graduate center Ugonna Oyenso had four and three blocks respectively, anchoring the defense in the paint.
“When you have guys back there who can protect the rim and understand how to do that without fouling, certainly can be a weapon for the defense,” Odom said.
Virginia continues a tough stretch of ACC play Jan. 17 with a 12 p.m. road matchup in Dallas, TX, versus SMU, which will be streamed on ESPN. Then, the Cavaliers get a Jan. 24 home date with old rival No. 17 North Carolina.
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