Le Journal

Plus, Fiona Dourif explains why McKay's in a more settled place this season.

A tough game goes to the wire.

Guthrie was married to Mark Orchard from 2005 to 2009.

After an all-conference season at San Francisco, Malik Thomas transferred to Virginia with similar expectations on head coach Ryan Odom’s brand new roster. In non-conference play, Thomas’ numbers were not quite at that level — averaging 11.1 points, 1.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game. In the six ACC games since, those numbers have spiked to 18.7 points, 2.0 assists, and 6.3 boards, with an uptick in minutes as a result. Ultimately, the Cavaliers guard has undergone a complete transformation from someone who was struggling to find his identity on a good-not-great team, to arguably the most important piece on the 14th ranked group in the nation. So, what exactly has changed? For starters, everything seems to be going a lot better when the shot is simply falling — every hooper that has ever touched the hardwood will tell you that exact same thing. Thomas’ three-point percentage in conference play is 43.8% compared to just 28.8% beforehand. "The hottest hand in the ACC" 🔥📺 @espn #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/1YnqJeVAeE— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 17, 2026 Because Thomas has the hot hand, the rest of the team has made it a priority to feed him whenever possible. He ended up nailing six triples in both contests during UVA’s recent road trip and those shots have come in a variety of different ways — catch and shoot, off-balance, in transition, off the dribble, deep in the shot clock, you name it. In Ryan Odom’s system, three-point shooting is the most important trait for a primary scoring option. However, unlike a Pat Kelsey Louisville or a Nate Oats Alabama, the presence of an interior threat is equally important in keeping defenses honest. And that is where Thomas has been able to make his most significant adjustment in transferring across leagues. In the WCC, Thomas had enough of a physical advantage to will his way into buckets at the rim consistently. He is still talented relative to the rest of the ACC, but not quite to the same extent, and he has begun to understand that. One of the most noticeable differences between non-conference Malik Thomas and the ACC Malik Thomas is how he attacks with the ball, particularly in transition. Originally, he felt like he could overcompensate for his shooting struggles by slashing his way into 20-point nights. In reality, Thomas would often end up driving into heavy traffic, resulting in a turnover or a poor shot. The contrast to now is stark. As the defense has likely seen on film, they ought to collapse onto Thomas as he forcefully drives towards the basket. Now, instead of going for the tough finish, he comes to a stop, and kicks it out to the open shooter trailing the play. Thomas has made this type of play several times amidst his hot stretch, particularly in the Louisville game. As the team has undergone a defensive revelation, Thomas has made considerable strides from a personal standpoint as well. Virginia’s defense has become increasingly known for their back end rim protection, with Johann Gruenloh and Ugonna Onyenso propelling the ‘Hoos to the third highest block rate in the nation at 17.3%. That allows UVA’s guards and wings to be tasked with aggressively pursuing perimeter ball-handlers and funneling shooters off the line into the teeth of the defense. They do not even need to be great for that to work, just good enough. Good enough is exactly what Thomas brings to the table defensively. At 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Thomas is physical enough to hold his own in the high post against another forward. While he will not force an abundance of turnovers — nobody besides Chance Mallory really has those steals numbers this year — he is light enough on his feet to switch onto a quicker guard and stay in front of him. Most notably, Thomas has stepped up on the glass, helping minimize Virginia’s kryptonite of defensive rebounding. As a unit, the Cavaliers are now towards the middle of the pack, allowing second chances on 30.4% of opponents’ misses, which is a…

When I wrote my transfer portal to-do list, the ask for Virginia was pretty simple: use the final days of the window to plug the last holes in the roster in order to build on the success of the 2025 season. Add another receiver or two (in particular someone to play the slot), add to a secondary that had lost significant pieces, shore up the interior of the defensive line, and find a legitimate plan at center. UVA closed the window by doing exactly that. Before we get into names, the roster-building context matters. Tony Elliott said after the season that this high school class would be small, and that what UVA did in 2025 was already paying dividends for the 2027 class. That’s the long view: win now, then use that momentum to recruit better later. This offseason kept the short-term trend rolling. UVA signed 15 high school recruits, ranking last in the ACC per both 247 sports and ON3. Meanwhile, the portal haul did the heavy lifting: 28 transfers, ranking 29th in the country per ON3’s adjusted portal ranking and 5th in the ACC behind Louisville, Virginia Tech, Clemson, and SMU. So what did the closing kick look like? Receiver This was the loudest late-week focus, and it needed to be due to the number of snaps leaving from the 2025 roster. Virginia doubled down on this position adding a trio of receivers while also convincing Kameron Courtney to withdraw from the portal and return to UVA. Late adds: Da’Shawn Martin: 6’2” / 170 (Kent State – 87) Jacquon Gibson: 5’11” / 185 (UMass – 87) Tyson Davis 5’10” / 175 (Central Michigan – 86) Earlier add who still matters: Rico Flores Jr.: 6’1” / 195 (UCLA – 86) And the quietly important win: Kameron Courtney pulled out of the portal Three incoming receivers plus a returning piece changes the feel of the room. There are outside options. There’s a true slot profile. And there’s enough depth to withstand the inevitable injuries over the course of a long season. Secondary Virginia made a big push to solidify the secondary, bringing in a cornerback and two safeties. If one position group can change a defense quickly, it’s the back end. Two of them are two of the top transfers of the portal for UVA. Both Brandyn Hillman and Omillio Agard hail from the Big 10, from Michigan and Wisconsin, respectively. Virginia’s late additions here were the clearest sign that the staff wasn’t going to leave the roster half-finished. The headliners were: S – Brandyn Hillman 6’1” / 190 (Michigan – 90) CB – Omillio Agard: 5’10.5 / 160 (Wisconsin – 88) S – Jalen McNair: 5’9” / 165 (Buffalo – 86) And earlier additions that round out the room: CB – Jacobie Henderson: 6’0” / 183 (Rutgers – 88) S – Christian Ellis: 6’0” / 183 (Virginia Tech – 87) CB – Jaylen Jones: 6’2” / 185 (Georgia State – 87) CB – Justin Ross: 6’2” / 185 (Navy – 85) Maybe not all of them start. That’s fine. Either way, depth becomes a real thing again, and there’s real competition for snaps instead of hoping a thin group holds up for 12 games. Lines of Scrimmage The theme of the 2025 season has been dominance in the trenches. This was the case for Virginia and fellow ACC member Miami who made it all the way to the CFP National Championship Game. After attacking the EDGE position at the beginning of the portal, UVA shifted their attention to the interior. Like I identified in my last article, there was space for another defensive tackle or two. Defensive interior additions: Jonathan Allen: 6’3” / 230 (UAB – 86) Darrion Henry-Young 6’4” / 264 (Coastal Carolina – 85) These are in addition to adding Zion Wilson earlier in the portal. Zion Wilson: 6’3” / 318 (East Carolina – 88) On the offensive line, UVA had already made a splash by adding former 4-star USC tackle Alex Payne to compete. When looking at what should be one of Virginia’s strongest units for 2026 the big lingering question from my to-do list was center. Virginia filled this need by adding redshirt junior Ryan Brubaker from South…