Virginia Men’s Basketball Prepares to Host Cal in ACC Showdown

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 23 Virginia (12-2, 1-1 ACC) welcomes California (13-2, 1-1 ACC) to John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday, January 7, for the first of two consecutive home contests. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on the ACC Network, with a simultaneous broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network.

Key Storylines

• Virginia boasts an remarkable 8-0 record at home and a nine-game winning streak at John Paul Jones Arena.
• The Cavaliers have surpassed 80 points in 12 games this season, their most as the 2006-07 campaign.
• UVA is averaging 86.2 points per game, the second-highest scoring average in program history (89.8 ppg in 1954-55).
• Currently ranked 19th in KenPom and 25th in the NET rankings, Virginia is a strong contender in the ACC.
• A familiar face will be on the cal sideline, as Isaiah Wilkins, a four-year standout (2015-18) and former assistant coach (2023-25) for virginia, is now with the Golden Bears.
• Cal’s leading scorer, Dai Dai Ames (17.6 ppg), previously played for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.7 points in 31 games during the 2024-25 season.

Broadcast details

• Television: ACC Network
• Streaming: ESPN.com/watch
• Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com, and the Virginia Sports app
• Live Stats: VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app

New Leadership in Charlottesville

Ryan Odom was appointed as the University of Virginia’s Dean and Markel Families Men’s Head Basketball coach on March 22nd. He arrives with a proven track record, having led VCU to a 52-21 record and an NCAA Tournament berth in his two seasons with the Rams. VCU also secured the 2025 Atlantic-10 Tournament title and a share of the A-10 regular-season championship under his guidance.

• Odom’s overall collegiate coaching record stands at 224-127 across five programs: VCU, Utah State, UMBC, Lenoir-Rhyne, and charlotte.
• He has led UMBC, Utah State, and VCU to the NCAA Tournament during his second season with each school.
• Notably, Odom coached UMBC to a historic upset victory over Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, marking the first time a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed.
• Odom became the first UVA coach to begin his tenure with a 5-0 record, surpassing henry Lannigan’s 4-0 start in 1905-06.

Series History

Virginia holds a 2-1 all-time record against California, with the series dating back to the 2015-16 season.

• Cal secured a 75-61 victory in the inaugural ACC meeting on January 8,2025.
• UVA previously defeated Cal 63-61 in overtime on December 22, 2015, at John Paul Jones Arena.
• The Cavaliers also claimed a 56-52 win at Cal on December 21, 2016.

Last Matchup

On January 8, 2025, Andrej Stojakovic led california to a 75-61 win over Virginia at Haas Pavilion, scoring 23 points. Cal capitalized on 27 points from the free-throw line and 30 points in the paint to secure their first ACC victory. Andrew Rohde added 14 points, Jacob Cofie contributed 12, and Elijah Saunders recorded a career-high 10 rebounds.

Last Time Out for the Cavaliers

Sam Lewis matched his career-high with 23 points, leading then-No. 21 Virginia to a 76-61 win at NC State on January 3. Lewis connected on five 3-pointers in the game.Thijs De ridder added 14 points and six rebounds, while Malik Thomas scored 13 points and grabbed a season-high seven boards. UVA shot 50% from the field and made 13 three-pointers.

The Virginia Standard

The Virginia Standard emphasizes pursuing excellence, built on the pillars of humility, passion, unity, servanthood, thankfulness, and accountability. The team aims to play with pace, share the basketball, and employ a defensive style focused on dictating and disrupting the opposition.

Roster Overview

The 2025-26 Virginia roster features 12 newcomers, including transfers 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). european imports Thijs De Ridder (Bilbao Basket) and Johann Grünloh (RASTA Vechta) join true freshmen silas Barksdale, Chance Mallory, and Owen Odom to complete the new additions.

• Redshirt sophomores Elijah gertrude,Carter Lang,and Desmond Roberts are the only returning players from last year’s team.
• UVA returned only four points from the 2024-25 season,all from Desmond Roberts.
• Thijs De Ridder currently leads UVA in scoring with 16.4 ppg, followed by Malik Thomas (12.3 ppg), Jacari White (10.9 ppg), and Chance Mallory (10.8 ppg).
• Johann Grünloh leads the team in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and blocks (2.6 bpg), while Dallin Hall averages a team-best 4.1 assists per game.

ACC Rankings

• UVA ranks first in the ACC in offensive rebounds (14.4), second in blocks (6.3 bpg) and 3-point percentage (37.6%),third in assist/turnover ratio (1.66), and fourth in scoring margin (+18.1).
• Jacari White leads the ACC in 3-point percentage (50%).
• Dallin Hall ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (3.1).

Looking Ahead

Following the game against Cal, No. 23 Virginia will host Stanford (12-3,1-1 ACC) on Saturday,January 10. Tip-off is set for 2:15 p.m. ET on the CW and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.