13. Virginia Cavaliers
After a down season under former interim head coach Ron Sanchez, newly-minted Cavalier head coach Ryan Odom, who infamously knocked out Virginia in the first-ever 16-over-1 upset in the NCAA Tournament, takes over, making an immediate impact in the 2025 transfer portal cycle.
There are plenty of new faces on the 2025-2026 Virginia squad. San Francisco transfer Malik Thomas is a name to immediately circle. He has all the makings to be a star in the ACC after averaging nearly 20 PPG for the 25-win Dons last season. Dallin Hall (BYU), Sam Lewis (Toledo) and Jacari White (North Dakota State) also enter the mix, immediately making Virginia’s backcourt into its biggest strength next season: depth.
In addition, Odom & Co. landed former Kentucky/Kansas State big Ugonna Onyenso. While the former four-star recruit has only scratched the surface regarding his potential throughout his three-year collegiate career, the Cavaliers are betting on his upside on a team that will be relatively undersized in the frontcourt in 2025-26.