The Cavaliers, playing without injured point guard Chance Mallory, got 10 points from Elijah Gertrude in the preseason loss.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia’s unusual exhibition opener – played outdoors Sunday in Charleston, S.C. – gave the 2026-27 Cavaliers their first chance to compete together and gave Coach Ryan Odom an early glimpse of what he has to work with this season.
“Any time you’re playing a game this early, there’s going to be some rust for both teams,” Odom said. “Vanderbilt is going to be an excellent squad. I think we’re going to be pretty good too. Just looking forward to having our guys learn from this.”
Wing Elijah Gertrude scored 10 points, forward Thijs DeRidder had 8 points and 3 rebounds, and guard Jan Vide – playing for the injured Chance Mallory – added 8 points and 3 assists in an 82-73 loss to Vanderbilt.
Center Johann Grunloh also scored 8 points, going 2 for 2 from 3-point range. As a team, UVA took more than half of its shots from beyond the arc, going 10 for 33. DeRidder also knocked down a pair. Sam Lewis scored 7 points but went 0 for 4 from 3-point range. Virginia didn’t use its starters much after halftime.
Jayden Leverett led the Commodores, coached by former James Madison coach Mark Byington, with 15 points and 7 rebounds. They got 13 points from Tyler Tanner and 10 points from Ace Glass.
UVA led 55-54 with 8:53 left but Vanderbilt used a 17-3 run to take control of the game.
“It’s strange right now, playing a college basketball game in September,” Gertrude said. “Been playing against each other all summer. Having a chance to go out there and just play against somebody else for sometime and see where we’re at, see what we have to work on and what we have to learn and grow and improve on.”
That list included a number of defensive items, Odom said, including the team’s pick-and-roll coverage and defensive rebounding. He said the Cavaliers gave up too much in transition and committed too many fouls. UVA was whistled 24 times Sunday, with Kalu Anya, Silas Barksdale and Nolan Adekunle each picking up four.
Vanderbilt had 14 offensive rebounds leading to 12 points and scored 20 fast-break points.
Virginia used 18 players in the exhibition, the first of three preseason games it will play. UVA hosts Richmond on Oct. 9 at JPJ and then travels to Philadelphia to face Villanova on Oct. 22.
Only Mallory, the team’s starting point guard and former St. Anne’s-Belfield star, didn’t see time Sunday. Odom said Mallory suffered an ankle injury “several weeks ago.” He has returned to practice in a limited capacity and is expected to be full-go in “a matter of days.”
Vide, a 6-foot-6 transfer from Loyola Marymount, played in Mallory’s place.
“Jan’s been one of our more consistent players,” Odom said. “We’re confident in him and what he’s done. He understands the game.”
Odom, heading into his second season with the Cavaliers, called playing outdoors Sunday at Credit One Stadium in the LinkU Invitational “a unique experience.”
Gertrude said it reminded him of summer league games back home in Jersey City, N.J.
The only issue the team had was its bench was in the sun for most of the game, prompting Odom to joke that if they do the outdoor exhibition again in future years, they may have to switch benches at halftime.
Mike Barber is the editor-in-chief at Cville Right Now. Reach him by email at [email protected].
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The Cavaliers, playing without injured point guard Chance Mallory, got 10 points from Elijah Gertrude in the preseason loss.
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