After a summer of workouts and the start of fall classes approaching fast, the preseason for college basketball is rapidly approaching. Teams can begin practices approximately 6 weeks prior to their first game so the Virginia basketball team should dive into its work the week of Sept. 21.
Unlike last season, this year’s roster did not undergo as much turnover. The Cavaliers returned all 10 players with eligibility remaining from last year’s 30-win campaign. They brought in five players via the transfer portal or high school recruiting and picked a pair of additional players as ‘walk-ons’ this offseason.
Even with Ryan Odom in his second season and a more established roster, UVA unveiled the return of the Proving Grounds video series this week. Last year, the “Preseason With Virginia Men’s Basketball” series released episodes one, two, three, and four to give some behind the scenes looks at the program. The first video for this round debuted Friday with a spotlight on Sam Lewis.
Lewis started 35 games last season and scored 10.6 points per game on 40.3% shooting from 3-point range. He added 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists as well. The 6’7” Chicago native averaged 25.4 minutes per game to rank third on the team. He’s one of only 12 players in the ACC returning next season who played 25+ minutes per game. (Thijs De Ridder is another at 27.7.)
The “From Chi-Town To C-Ville” feature is highlighted below.
Earlier in the week, Virginia also released a question and answer article with newcomer Jurian Dixon. The UC Irvine transfer joined the team this summer. He earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 2024-2025 and then followed that up with First-Team All-Big West recognition in 2025-2026. Last season, he led the Anteaters by scoring 15.9 points per game.
The Sabre has produced articles on Lewis, De Ridder, Johann Grünloh, and Chance Mallory this summer as well. Make sure to join the EDGE and give those a read before checking out the weekly fan picks below.
Fan(s) Of The Week
Go Hoos!
Student Fan(s) Of The Week
Having a blast at Scott Stadium.
Feature Photo Of The Week
John Rogers and the Virginia football team open the season on Saturday, Aug. 29 against NC State at Scott Stadium.
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