CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. \u2013\u00a0Virginia hosts Rider in its 2025-26 season opener on Monday, Nov. 3. Tipoff for the non-conference game at John Paul Jones Arena is slated for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra and Virginia Sports Radio Network.<\/p>\n
For Openers
\u2022 Virginia begins its 121st season of men\u2019s basketball, sporting a 1,760-1,234 (.588) all-time record.
\u2022 UVA is 25-2 in its last 27 season-opening games.
\u2022 The Cavaliers are 97-23 all-time in 120 season-opening games.
\u2022 UVA is 104-11 at JPJ in non-conference play since 2009-10.
\u2022 Rider\u2019s Maurizio D\u2019Alessandro is a Charlottesville native. D\u2019Alessandro played youth basketball with and against UVA\u2019S Carter Lang, Desmond Roberts and Chance Mallory.
\u2022 D\u2019Alessandro\u2019s father, Ben, served as a graduate assistant coach at Virginia in 1998-99 under Head Coach Pete Gillen, his coach as a player at Providence.
\u2022 Ryan Odom is 5-5 all-time in season-opening games as a head coach (2-3 at UMBC, 1-1 at Utah State, 1-1 at VCU and 1-0 at Lenoir-Rhyne).<\/p>\n
Broadcast Information
\u2022 The Virginia-Rider game will be carried online at WatchESPN.com
\u2022 The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
\u2022 Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app.<\/p>\n
The New Head Coach
\u2022 Ryan Odom was named the University of Virginia\u2019s Dean and Markel Families Men\u2019s Head Basketball Coach on March 22.
\u2022 Odom became the 13th head coach in the program\u2019s history.
\u2022 He spent the last two seasons at VCU, leading the Rams to a 52-21 record and 2025 NCAA Tournament berth.
\u2022 VCU won the 2025 Atlantic-10 Tournament and shared the A-10 regular-season championship.
\u2022 UVA is Odom\u2019s fifth stint as a collegiate head coach. Over the past 11 seasons, he has compiled a career record of 222-127, including stops at Utah State (2021-23), UMBC (2017-2021), Lenoir-Rhyne (2016) and Charlotte (2015, interim head coach).
\u2022 Odom led UMBC, Utah State and VCU to the NCAA Tournament during his second season at those schools.
\u2022 He led Lenoir-Rhyne to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in 2016.
\u2022 Odom coached UMBC to a stunning upset against Virginia in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament in Charlotte, marking the first time a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in the event\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
The Virginia Standard
\u2022 The Virginia Standard is to pursue excellence and is built on the six pillars of humility, passion, unity, servanthood, thankfulness and accountability.
\u2022 We play with pace, share the basketball and our defensive style is to dictate and disrupt.<\/p>\n
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
\u2022 The 2025-26 roster is highlighted by 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).
\u2022 UVA added European imports Thijs De Ridder (Bilbao Basket), Johann Gr\u00fcnloh (RASTA Vechta) and true freshmen Silas Barksdale (Woodside High School), Chance Mallory (St. Anne\u2019s Belfield) and Owen Odom (Collegiate School).
Redshirt sophomores Elijah Gertrude, Carter Lang and Desmond Roberts are the lone returners from last year\u2019s team.
\u2022 UVA returns four points (all from Roberts) from 2024-25.<\/p>\n
All Time vs. Rider
\u2022 Virginia is 1-0 all-time vs. Rider, defeating the Broncs 76-49 at John Paul Jones Arena on Nov. 19, 2009.
\u2022 Mike Scott tallied 17 points on 8 of 9 shooting to lead Virginia.
\u2022 Sammy Zeglinski added 12 points, while Jeff Jones added 11 points and Sylven Landesberg chipped in 10.
\u2022 UVA shot 51.8 percent from the field, went 7 of 16 from 3-point range, and won the rebound battle, 42-27.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s No Place Like Home
\u2022 Virginia is 256-63 (.803), including a 10-7 mark in 2024-25, in 19 seasons at John Paul Jones Arena.
\u2022 UVA is 40-10 in its last 50 home contests.
\u2022 UVA is 104-11 in non-league action at JPJ since 2009-10.
\u2022 UVA has won 10+ home games for 16 straight seasons.<\/p>\n
On The Horizon
\u2022 Virginia hosts NC Central in non-conference action on Friday, Nov. 7. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.<\/p>\n
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