Putting together an entirely new college basketball roster is like assembling a thousand-piece puzzle. When Virginia basketball coach Ryan Odom last met with the media in early July, he was still laying his pieces out on the table. Now, less than two months away from the start of the 2025-2026 season, the pieces are starting to fit together, and a coherent picture is emerging.
During an impromptu press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Odom spoke with media members for 30 minutes and answered a variety of questions about his players, the coaching staff, and the upcoming season. Odom called the experience of building a roster from scratch in Charlottesville “a lot different” than his previous jobs at Utah State and VCU.
While some coaches like to carve out specific roles for their players early in the process, Odom used summer practices to evaluate everything his athletes could bring to the table.
“We wanted to allow them to play free of fear of failure,” Odom said. “Show us what you can do in a lot of ways and not really dictate exactly what we want you to do each and every day. Because I think if you begin to put them in roles right away, initially, you've come in with these preconceived notions of how you think they should play, you might miss something.”
One player that was able to showcase more range than previously thought was center Ugonna Onyenso. Known primarily as a rim protector, the 7-foot big man had never attempted a 3-pointer during his three years of collegiate basketball at Kentucky and Kansas State.
Odom was surprised that Onyenso had more range than previously thought during his recruitment, though he also acknowledged he was unlikely to become a “high-volume 3-point shooter.” Still, if Onyenso can become an occasional threat to shoot outside of the paint, it will make Virginia even harder to guard.
“When your 5’s can knock down 3’s, it makes you just a little bit more versatile overall,” Odom asserted.
Fall workouts have also given the Virginia coaching staff an opportunity to learn more about highly touted European prospects, Johann Grünloh and Thijs De Ridder. While Grünloh was able to join the team in June, De Ridder was not granted eligibility by the NCAA until mid-July. Both athletes figure to be crucial pieces for the Cavaliers this season.
Grünloh, a 7-foot center from Loningen, Germany, has shown the coaching staff his versatility in summer and fall practices.
“He can block shots; he can make 3’s,” Odom said. “He could put the ball on the deck. He can defend his position. He’s proven now he can rebound and is tough enough and competitive enough to go after tough balls.”
Playing with former Virginia forward Jayden Gardner on RASTA Vechta in the German Bundesliga, Grünloh averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 35% from 3-point range. Though he was viewed by some analysts as a second-round prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, Grünloh opted to play at least one year of college ball.
De Ridder, a 6’9” forward from Brasschaat, Belgium, has also impressed the coaching staff in his short time on Grounds.
“I love the way that he plays,” Odom said. “He plays with passion and emotion. He’s a tough guy. And it’s going to be an interesting transition for him because we’re pushing him to be more assertive and not selfish.”
Describing his forward as “kind of a bully” on the court, Odom suggested that De Ridder will need to continue to elevate his game for the good of the team. While playing for Surne Bilbao Basket during the 2024-25 season, De Ridder averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, shooting 50.2% overall and 39.1% from behind the arc.
“He is a good player, and we need him to be that for us,” Odom stated. “He’s used to with his last team where he was more of the role guy and everybody to a certain extent has to play a specific role, but we certainly need him and expect him to step forward at Virginia.”
Several players also have emerged as vocal leaders in the Virginia locker room and on the court. Along with De Ridder, Odom specifically named point guard Dallin Hall, forward Devin Tillis, and shooting guard Malik Thomas as the players who have demonstrated leadership in their interactions with the team thus far. However, Odom also emphasized that everyone will need to show initiative in different ways for the team to be successful.
“Everybody has to be a leader,” Odom said. “Leaders create leaders, and certainly that’s something that that we want to try to foster. ... We all have a role to play. Whether I’m playing 30 minutes or I don’t get in the game, I still matter if I’m not getting in the game, and I can help this team with whatever that might be.”
Odom praised his coaching staff for its assistance in building the roster and navigating a fast-moving offseason. Three assistant coaches, Bryce Crawford, Darius Theus, and Matt Henry, followed Odom to Charlottesville from VCU. Additionally, associate head coach Griff Aldrich, who recently coached at Longwood, was on Odom’s staff at UMBC.
When speaking about the importance of continuity on his coaching staff, Odom said, “It’s huge. If you’re having to coach, call it, 13 new players that are all new to this place and you’re having to coach your coaches, that’s a daunting task. So, for me personally, I’m so thankful for the staff we have here at UVA and the folks that have been together.”
The Virginia coaching staff now faces the challenge of fitting the roster pieces together in a way that wins basketball games. While a couple of scrimmage peaks are on deck in October against Vanderbilt and Villanova, fans won’t be able to see a complete picture until the season opener on Nov. 3. They can take comfort in knowing a lot of hard work has already been done, though.
Other Notes From Ryan Odom’s Press Conference
Chance Mallory. Odom also sang the praises of Charlottesville native and incoming freshman, Chance Mallory. Mallory, a consensus top 100 recruit in the 2025 class, has been versatile in practices based on the needs of the team.
“If you need him to score, he can get it done,” Odom said. “If you need him to facilitate, he could do that. He’s a good, good defender and physical on defense and it’s amazing how many rebounds he gets ... like he just chases balls down. He’s going to be a really good, good player, you and have a great career here at UVA.”
After initially committing to play for Tony Bennett, Mallory recommitted to UVA in March after Ryan Odom was named the head coach.
Press defense. Odom’s most animated answer to a question at the press conference came when asked about when he started working on press defense at practice. Before the question could be fully articulated, Odom interrupted, “Right away!” He went on to credit assistant coach Darius Theus for helping instill an attacking defensive philosophy based on his history at VCU. “That’s a big part of what we do,” Odom declared.
More exhibition scrimmages? In discussing the upcoming schedule, Odom seemed excited by the prospect of playing two exhibition games before the start of the season. With a road exhibition scheduled in Nashville against Vanderbilt on Oct. 16 and a home contest against Villanova on Oct. 24, Odom advocated for giving college basketball teams more games and a shorter preseason.
“I’m for adding more games, more like the NBA in terms of preseason games, to give our guys a chance,” Odom said. “I think the preseason is too long, especially because of the age of a lot of these kids. Now, they’re a little bit older, and so they’re a little bit more experienced, so they’re more ready, you can advance it a little bit more.”
Alternate jerseys. The comment that caused the most social media excitement following the press conference had nothing to do with Virginia’s roster construction. Rather, it’s the announcement that UVA will have three alternate jerseys this season in addition to the two base uniforms from Nike Elite. While Odom was unable to share specific details about the new fits, he did report that he was a self-avowed “gear guy.”
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