Editor’s Note: This article was first published April 13 and will be updated throughout the men’s basketball offseason.
After a 27-4 regular season, a trip to the ACC Tournament final and a win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Virginia men’s basketball enters the offseason looking to retool ahead of Coach Ryan Odom’s second season in Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers will need a productive offseason — five members of the rotation are out of eligibility, including two starters. After such an impressive first year, expectations will be high for Odom and his staff to make strong additions and build off of his success.
This tracker will follow all major news — additions, departures and important updates — and will be updated regularly as the offseason progresses.
May 9: Favour Ibe — addition
The four-star center joins Virginia as Odom’s first commit from the Class of 2026. Ibe, who attended Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland but hails originally from Nigeria, stands 7-foot-1 and 235 pounds. He is the 22nd-ranked center in the class, per 247Sports.
Ibe arrived in Charlottesville for his official visit earlier this week — now, he will join a Cavalier squad in need of frontcourt help. The success of fellow seven-foot Nigerian center Ugonna Onyenso may lay the blueprint for Ibe’s time with Virginia. Assuming he plays immediately, he will likely split time with Johann Grünloh, recreating the formidable frontcourt that powered the Cavaliers into the championship game of the ACC Tournament.
May 5: Christian Harmon — addition
The 6-foot-6 guard will spend his senior season in Charlottesville as Odom’s second guard commit of the cycle. Harmon spent his first two seasons at the JUCO level with Gulf Coast State College before playing at Arkansas State in 2025-26. With the Red Wolves, Harmon averaged 12.8 points per game and shot 34.6 percent from three — he led the team in attempted three pointers by a wide margin.
The departure of several key guards from last year’s team opens the door for Harmon to take on a significant scoring role for the 2026-27 squad. Harmon represents another step towards a complete roster for a Virginia squad that returned most of last season’s production. He earned All-Sun Belt Third Team Honors in 2025-26.
April 27: Jurian Dixon — addition
After over two weeks without roster news, Virginia landed a commitment from UC Irvine guard Jurian Dixon, a rising junior who was named the Big West Freshman of the Year in 2025 and an all-conference player this past season. Dixon led the Anteaters (23-12, 15-5 Big West) in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game on decent efficiency. He shot 38.5 percent from three and 45.9 percent from two.
Listed at 6-foot-4, Dixon is a productive, high-volume offensive guard. Shouldering a large offensive burden at UC Irvine, the San Diego, Calif. native has nine 20-plus point games in his two seasons of college basketball. He has a tight handle that helps limit turnovers and makes just under 80 percent of his free throw attempts. Dixon should excel in a lower-volume role that capitalizes off his strong outside shooting without making him take as many tough two-pointers.
Notably, Dixon is Odom’s second Anteater addition — departing graduate forward Devin Tillis played three years there before making the jump to ACC basketball.
April 12: Sam Lewis — returner
Sam Lewis will return for Virginia, per Jon Rothstein. The junior wing from Chicago is the final scholarship player from 2025-26 that will return next season — remarkably, Virginia retained all of its scholarship players with remaining eligibility. Lewis was an important cog in the offense last season, averaging 10.6 points per game and shooting 40.3 percent from three-point range.
Lewis started 35 of 36 games for the Cavaliers and was named to the ACC All-Tournament First Team. He is currently the only rising senior on the roster. His return sets the stage for Odom to add on the margins through the transfer portal with the starting core of Lewis, De Ridder and Grünloh now locked down.
April 7-8: Cavaliers return depth players
Sophomore guard Elijah Gertrude, freshman forward Silas Barksdale and redshirt freshman wing Martin Carrere all announced their intention to return to the Cavaliers next season. None of these players were regular members of the rotation this past season, but could work their way into more minutes next season.
Gertrude — who redshirted the 2024-25 season due to a leg injury — appeared in 17 games this season, scoring a combined 29 points. He is a wiry and explosive slasher who likes to attack the rim, and could work his way to more minutes as a junior.
Barksdale, a first-year power forward out of Newport News, redshirted his freshman campaign after switching his commitment from VCU when Odom took the job at Virginia. He has yet to play for the Cavaliers, but is a big-bodied interior player who could see the floor more in his second year.
Carrere, who is the lone player on the roster who played under Odom in the 2024-25 season, played in 16 games as a sophomore. The 6-foot-9 Frenchman is a promising shooter with some chops as a handler, who could be a valuable depth piece as he grows as a player.
April 6: Johann Grünloh — returner
The seven-foot freshman center from Germany was a defensive stalwart and critical piece of the offense for Virginia in 2025-26. Grünloh started all 36 games for Virginia despite suffering a wrist injury in the ACC Tournament. He averaged 7.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, good for third in the ACC in blocks per game.
Grünloh’s return gives the Cavaliers half of their dominant center duo, with senior Ugonna Onyenso out of eligibility. Grünloh gives Virginia versatility on both ends of the court, providing elite rim protection and presenting a legitimate threat from beyond the arc — he shot 35 percent from three last season. The European contingent of freshman forward Thijs De Ridder and Grünloh will likely comprise the core of Odom’s starting lineup once again in 2026-27.
April 6: Thijs De Ridder — returner
The Cavaliers’ leading scorer last season, Belgian freshman Thijs De Ridder announced his intent to return to Charlottesville for the 2026-27 season. The All-ACC First Team member averaged 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in his first season of college basketball, having previously played professionally in Spain.
A burly power forward with a strong back-to-the-basket game, De Ridder is a physical rebounder and efficient scorer inside the arc who did well as the focal point of Odom’s offense. He scored 20 or more points 12 times on the season, and will be a vital starter for Virginia next season.
April 6: Chance Mallory — returner
The first announcement pertaining to next season’s roster, freshman guard Chance Mallory confirmed his intention to return to Virginia for his sophomore campaign April 6. The Charlottesville native and St. Anne’s-Belfield School alumnus played 24 minutes per game in his first year at the University, averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals off the bench.
A two-way playmaker and energetic creator, Mallory could work his way into the starting lineup next season, considering that he was among the ACC’s best bench players. He is a high-impact and productive guard who plays well above his height, and only stands to improve as he grows more comfortable at the collegiate level.
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