UVA Basketball opens its 2025-2026 season tonight with Rider, picked 10th in the MAAC preseason media poll.
The game is being broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Our views on the ‘Hoos
- Live Coverage: New-look UVA Basketball defeats Villanova, 75-72, in exhibition
- UVA Basketball: ‘Hoos hold off Villanova, 75-72, in final dress rehearsal
- UVA Basketball: What do we know about this team after the ‘Nova exhibition win?
- UVA Basketball: The more things change, the more they stay the same
- UVA Basketball: What the algorithms say about the 2025-2026 season
- UVA Basketball: Roster, style of play primer for fans on eve of season opener
Game Coverage
First media timeout: UVA 9-4, 15:37/1st
Virginia is 0-of-4 at the line.
Shooting 4-of-7: 1-of-2 on threes, 3-of-5 at the rim.
As should be the case.
The question with this team will be on the defensive end.
Second media timeout: UVA 18-10, 11:31/1st
Rider’s kids already look exhausted, and I don’t imagine there’s much depth there.
Virginia officially has one midrange attempt now.
Ryan Odom has played 10 guys.
The missing guy: Devin Tillis. Must be out with an injury/illness issue.
Highlight: Devin Hall to Johann Grunloh for the flush
Court vision on 💯
🔹⚔️🔸#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/x3VqQC0tg0
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 4, 2025
Third media timeout: UVA 26-16, 7:55/1st
Feels like it’s faster, right?
UVA has had 18 possessions.
Quick math: 59.5 pace.
Not faster.
Fourth media timeout: UVA 36-25, 3:31/1st
Seems that one of two things is going on here: the head of NCAA officials sent out a directive to everybody over the weekend saying, call ticky-tack fouls; or, these three guys bet the over on the over/under for total team fouls.
Highlight: Thijs de Ridder with the nice footwork
Chef De Ridder COOKING em tonight 👨🍳
📺@accnetwork
🔹⚔️🔸#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/oGEIHz3ds0— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 4, 2025
Highlight: Johann Grunloh with the stickback dunk
If at first you don’t succeed, DUNK ON EM 🤷♂️
🔹⚔️🔸#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/P27czNjauS
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 4, 2025
Half: UVA 42, Rider 32
That was, without question, the most aesthetically unpleasing half of basketball I have seen in many, many years.
Twenty-four fouls combined whistled in the first 20 minutes.
Thirty-three free-throw attempts.
The half ended at 8:04 p.m. ET.
Never thought I’d see a Virginia team score 42 points in a half while shooting 2-of-19 (!!!) from three.
The ‘Hoos were 9-of-12 at the rim, and 12-of-19 at the line.
Thijs de Ridder had 12 points (6-of-7 FG) and five boards, but also picked up three fouls – two of them awful ticky-tack calls.
Flash Burton (Rider) has 15 points: 5-of-9 FG, 1-of-2 3FG, 4-of-6 FT.
Burton is making himself some money somewhere.
Rider timeout: UVA 50-32, 17:18/2nd
UVA opens the second half on an 8-0 run, prompting the Rider timeout.
Rider has three fouls and three turnovers in the opening 3:42 of the half.
Second media timeout: UVA 60-35, 11:59/2nd
Rider is 1-of-9 from the floor with five turnovers in the second half.
Message sent at the half by Odom about the need to D up.
Failed to mention: just two turnovers to this point for the ‘Hoos, who had 18 in the exhibition win over Villanova.
The bad: 4-of-24 on threes, 14-of-25 at the line.
Highlight: Elijah Gertrude muscles up
🎴TUFF BUCKET ALERT🎴
🔹⚔️🔸#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/Ntqd77DEPi
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 4, 2025
Third media timeout: UVA 70-35, 7:22/2nd
Virginia has outscored Rider 28-3 in the second half.
Shooting 5-of-9 from three in the second half.
Rider is 1-of-15 from the floor with seven turnovers in the second half.
Love what we’re seeing from Chance Mallory. He is a pest on defense, and has 10 points (3-of-4 FG, 2-of-2 3FG, 2-of-2 FT) and four boards.
Final media timeout: UVA 79-43, 3:30/2nd
The flow of this early-season game is so different than early-season games in the Bennett Ball Era.
The other side would score in the 30s or 40s, but the UVA side would let them hang around because the style of play.
This Virginia team attacks, attacks, attacks.
Thirty-eight points in the paint: 14-of-19 at the rim, five other makes on short jumpers in the lane.
The free-throw shooting has been atrocious – 19-of-34 – but it will get better.
Tony’s teams, except for the 2015-2016- and 2018-2019 teams, couldn’t score consistently in the paint or get to the line.
What you’re seeing tonight is a UVA team at 80 points with 3:13 to go despite shooting 7-of-29 from three and 19-of-34 at the line.
On 58 possessions, by the way.
Final: UVA 87, Rider 53
Final tallies:
- Shooting: UVA 30-of-64 (46.9%) FG, 8-of-30 (26.7%) 3FG, Rider 16-of-49 (32.7%) FG, 3-of-12 (25%) 3FG
- Rebounds: UVA 49-32 (53.7% offensive rebound percentage, 67.5% defensive rebound percentage)
- Points in paint: UVA 42-16
- Blocks: UVA 9-2
- Steals: UVA 8-3
- Points off turnovers: UVA 22-6
Thijs de Ridder led five guys in double-figures with 21 points (10-of-14 FG), and he had a game-best 10 boards.
Johann Grunloh had 12, and Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis and Jacari White each had 11.
Dallin Hall had five points and five assists in a team-high 28 minutes.
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Chris Graham
