To say that Virginia second-year forward Thijs De Ridder was amped to get the 2026-27 season underway would be putting it very mildly.

The Atlantic Coast Conference doesn’t need defending when it comes time to reflect on its glorious basketball history.

For 20 minutes on Thursday night, Virginia struggled to find its rhythm against Davidson. After spending much of the first half trading baskets with the Wildcats, the Cavaliers came out of halftime with a renewed sense of urgency, stringing together 15 unanswered points to pull away for a 72-57 victory.

No. 9 Virginia hosts its second straight CAA opponent on Friday in a rare 5 p.m. tipoff at John Paul Jones when Northeastern comes to town (ACC Network Extra).

One of Ryan Odom’s goals with his No. 9 ranked Virginia basketball team going into the season was to become more disruptive defensively.

Only 140 seconds had ticked off the game clock when Drexel coach Zach Spiker looked up and wondered what had poleaxed his basketball team.

No. 9 Virginia eventually cruised in its season opener against underdog Drexel on Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena, 89-60.

Kymora Johnson scored 21 points, Breona Hurd and Adeang Ring each had a double-double, and the Virginia Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0) started the Aaron Roussell era with a convincing 87-45 win over UMES at John Paul Jones Arena on Monday night.

A quietness often follows a major sports injury.

For an athlete whose identity has been forever tied to explosiveness and a lockdown defensive mentality, the stillness of rehab can be deafening.

Virginia opens its 122nd basketball season tonight (7:30 p.m., ACC Network Extra) against visiting Drexel, the first of three games in six days, capped by a neutral court battle with nationally-ranked Arkansas on Sunday in Washington, D.C.

Ryan Odom can’t help but get excited during practice drills when he observes the speed of his basketball team.

Head coach Aaron Roussell inherits a squad with five returning players, including guard Kymora Johnson and a host of incoming players.

Chance Mallory was named to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, while Kymora Johnson was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list.

After rolling to a 93-71 exhibition win at Villanova, Virginia coach Ryan Odom declared that his team is ready to start the season.

How cool was it for Virginia fans to see one of their all-time favorites, Ty Jerome, light up the scoreboard in Wednesday night’s Memphis Grizzlies NBA opener.

Virginia’s men’s basketball team has been voted into the preseason top 10 in both major national polls.

Thijs De Ridder was named Preseason ACC Player of the Year, and the Cavaliers are predicted to finish second in the ACC standings.

Richmond went almost 8 1/2 minutes without scoring a point, as Virginia coasted to a 38-20 lead en route to a 96-53 win.

Ryan Odom believes there is unfinished business with his Virginia basketball team and that fueled so many of his players to return to the program for another run at success.

Virginia women’s basketball lost one of its most popular players last night when Heidi Burge Horton passed away in Houston at the age of 54.