Locker Room Access - Virginia

Local product Chance Mallory is the first member of Virginia's 2025 recruiting class.  The St. Anne’s-Belfield point guard announced his decision to stay home and play for Tony Bennett, following an official visit the prior weekend.  Mallory is ranked as the 53rd overall player in his class, according to the On3 industry average. He chose Virginia from a final six that also included Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Villanova, and Tennessee.  

From 8th grade to now…

Chance Mallory will play his college ball less than a mile away from @STABHoops after committing to UVA. pic.twitter.com/hePXkJC52u

— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) September 20, 2024

Mallory’s Recruitment

Chance had early doubters who pointed to his size, listed at 5’9”, but he kept proving that he could produce and even dominate against top competition.  Eventually, high-major programs were forced to take notice.  Scholarship offers started to pour in last summer, including one from the hometown Hoos.  He immediately became the first real priority 2025 recruit for Tony Bennett and staff.  

The UVA coaches definitely had hopes that Chance might jump on their offer earlier.  He was a frequent guest at JPJ over the past year, and the coaches were often around to see him at STAB..  There was even talk for a while of him reclassifying up to 2024.  But Mallory made it clear that he would wait until this fall to take official visits then make his college choice, and he stayed with that plan.  

There were swings in confidence level along the way from the UVA side, certainly from fans.  And history gave fans reason for concern.  Bennett has typically avoided drawn out recruiting battles.  In fact, this is the longest recruitment he’s won at Virginia. With Mallory, the UVA staff never let up.  They pursued him hard from start to finish. 

Mallory named his finalists in June, following an ankle injury that kept him out of action for the remainder of the summer.   There was no lack of competition for his commitment.  Clemson in particular, where he took an early unofficial visit, seemed to be a serious threat if not the favorite for a time.  Villanova and Tennessee were both very active as well.  

In the end, he did cut his recruitment a bit shorter than planned.  Chance only took two official visits, to VA Tech and UVA, before deciding to go ahead and commit to the hometown program.  There were visits scheduled through late October to the other four finalists, now canceled.  By committing now, it helps the Virginia coaching staff focus attention on other recruits.  And I know Chance intends to assist in that effort. 

Today’s commitment from Chance Mallory breaks a long in-state drought for the Virginia program.  He’ll be the first true in-state high school scholarship recruit to sign with the Wahoos since BJ Stith back in the class of 2014.   

What Mallory Brings to Virginia

Mallory brings a great combination of playmaking ability and elite shooting.  He’s very competitive and plays with great confidence on the offensive end.   Although small, his skillset allows him to be used in different ways.  He can run the point or play off the ball as a shooting threat.  

At STAB last season, Chance posted video game numbers.  He averaged 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists on his way to being named VISAA State Player Of The Year.  Nine rebounds, not a typo.  It wasn’t that different on the AAU side.  He was one of top scorers in the Under Armour Association, averaging over 21 points and 4 assists for Team Thrill.  The summer before, he finished with the best offensive efficiency rating on the circuit.   

Mallory is one of the top shooters in the country.  He hit 38% from three-point range in AAU play., 40% for STAB.  And those percentages doesn’t do him justice because it's on very high volume. He takes and makes tough shots, not just the wide open ones.  His 90% from the foul line over the summer tells the story better.  

While I would consider him more of a score-first lead guard, Chance is a trustworthy floor general too.  He’s shown good decision-making and values possessions, with a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.  There will naturally be adjustments needed in college.  It won’t be nearly as easy for him to make plays in the lane.  And he’ll need to buy into being the pesky on-ball defender Bennett wants in a small guard.  

It’s a great addition for the Wahoos. I expect him to be a four-year contributor with the potential to develop into a real star for his hometown team. 

Virginia’s Recruiting Going Forward

With Chance Mallory now in the fold, Virginia has 12 projected scholarship players for the 2025-26 season.  They’ll try to add one more ahead of November’s early signing period.  

Tony Bennett has his guard, now he wants to finish his class with a forward.  There are three targets on the board.  The best possibility at the moment seems to be Cam Ward.  The Largo (MD) forward visited two weeks ago,  then Bennett paid him a visit earlier this week.  He’s probably headed for a mid-October decision after a couple more visits, but you never know.  UVA is battling with Marquette, Michigan State, and Kansas State. 

Jeffersonville (IN) forward Tre Singleton is another possibility. He has Virginia as a finalist  Bennett was up to see him this week too.  It's an uphill fight against Louisville and Purdue for his services. Then there’s five-star Highland School (VA) forward Nate Ament.  He’s planning to wait until next spring to make a decision. UVA will get a visit at some point this fall.  There’s a long line of teams in pursuit, headlined by Duke and Kentucky.  

Recruiting for the class of 2026 will really get going soon as well, as the page starts to turn over to a new cycle.  

Final Thoughts

Having Chance aboard is absolutely fantastic for the Virginia program.  Along with what he brings on the court, I think he’ll be a great boost to fan enthusiasm in the region.  It’s meaningful to a lot of people to see VA next to a player’s hometown, more so when he’s already known to the local community.. Maybe he’ll even inspire later recruits to follow in his steps. 

He’s another talented young piece added to the arsenal.  Bennett and staff have quietly recruited extremely well for the past few years.  Supplemented by the multi-year transfer additions this offseason, they’re building a team that could make another special run.  

Just quick updates…a lot of messages this morning.  

Point Guard Race

Recent visitor Keyshuan Tillery is down to a final three of Virginia, Wake Forest, and Cincinnati as was reported on Monday.  The New Hampton (NH) point guard is expected to make a decision at any time.  

A source close to Tillery said over the weekend that he believed UVA had the edge.  But since the final three dropped last night, all the speculation is centered around the other two finalists, Wake Forest or Cincinnati.  

The reason UVA isn’t coming up in relation to Tillery today is because there’s suddenly a lot of positive noise about St. Anne’s Belfield (VA) point guard Chance Mallory following his official visit this past weekend.  Definitely a shift in our favor, if not more.  There are multiple reports today of him canceling his other upcoming visits.  

Mallory has visited VA Tech along with UVA.  There's no decision date yet but all signs point that that coming.  Virginia only has one spot available for a guard.  First come first served between Mallory and Tillery.    

Gonzaga (DC) guard Derek Dixon has ruled out UVA.  I heard he recently called and let the staff know that Virginia wouldn’t be his choice, always a classy move.  He’s expected to announce his decision on September 27th.  Some sources believe Pittsburgh is the favorite, others are saying North Carolina.  

On The Road

Tony Bennett is out recruiting forwards today.  He’s headed for Largo High School in Maryland to see recent visitor Cam Ward.  The Hoos are making a strong push for him.  It’s safe to say he’s the top forward target at the moment.  I’ve heard the coaches really aren’t sure where they stand though.  He’s a tough read.  They’re just taking their best swing as long as he’s returning the interest.  

Later this evening, Bennett is scheduled to be at Jeffersonville High in Indiana to meet with forward Tre Singleton.  He's scheduled to be in Charlottesville for an official visit this weekend.  Virginia is in his final 8.   Louisville, very close to his home, is the team everybody believes is the favorite.  He just visited Purdue, also a contender.  UVA is obviously taking their shot.  He plays for Kyle Guy’s old Indiana Elite AAU program.  That relationship has been helpful in getting this far.  

Just the fact that forwards are the focus today is another great sign that UVA is feeling good about the guard situation.  

Team Notes

Senior guard Jalen Warley was spotted over the weekend wearing a cast on his arm.  I’m told it’s expected to be a short term injury with him likely back in action within 4 to 5 weeks.  Well before the season opener. 

Other injured Hoos are coming along on track.  Christian Bliss is back to full activities after his early August foot surgery.  And Blake Buchanan is already doing light work again, following his early September foot surgery.  The expectation was for Blake to be at full-go by somewhere around late Sept to early Oct. 

Fans also noticed Dante Harris in the posted practice video.  The senior point guard returned to team activities last week. I’m told the plan for now  is for him to only be a practice player.  He’s on schedule to graduate after the fall semester.  That leaves him with the option of transferring out and playing immediately elsewhere as long as he doesn’t suit up for games.  It’s still a fluid situation though.  

It’s been a busy first half of September for UVA Basketball on the recruiting front.  The Wahoos have hosted official visitors each of the last three weekends, with more likely ahead.  Key decisions loom on the horizon. 

Virginia is still searching for their first commitment in the class of 2025.  They have two spots available, one for a guard and one for a forward.  

Recent Visits

St. Anne’s Belfield (VA) point guard Chance Mallory made the short trip to UVA for his official visit this past weekend.  Bennett and company have been in full pursuit of the local standout since offering him a scholarship last summer.  His stock has soared the past year, now ranked as the 52nd overall recruit in the class.  If not for an ankle injury that kept him out all summer, there would likely have been even more competition for his services.   

Chance Mallory pics from his UVA official visit, he posted on IG. pic.twitter.com/D10OMiJXxi

— Hooz Got Next (@HoozGotNext) September 15, 2024

Mallory has taken two official visits now in consecutive weekends to VA Tech and UVA.  There are still four more upcoming visits scheduled to Clemson (9/20), Villanova (9/27), Tennessee (10/11), and Miami (10/25).  Bennett will certainly try to speed up the decision-making process, that’s what coaches do this time of year, but Chance seems intent so far on taking a deliberate approach.  

The previous weekend, Virginia hosted Largo (MD) forward Cam Ward on an official visit.  He was offered a scholarship last fall, but it was over the summer when UVA’s pursuit intensified.  This was his second time on Grounds, following an unofficial visit in June.  Ward is listed as the 50th overall player in the class.  All these rankings come from the 247Sports composite, if you care about that sort of thing.  

Thank you for the hospitality, energy, and love on my official visit to Virginia. Appreciate the staff and players for hosting me and my family pic.twitter.com/lFde281k8M

— Cam Ward (@camabucket) September 10, 2024

Ward’s visit went really well from what we’ve heard.  He had some interesting things to say about changes UVA is making, worth checking out in his interview with Cavs Corner.  Cam has upcoming visits scheduled to Maryland (9/20), Michigan State (10/04), and Alabama (10/11).  He’s also visited Marquette, Vanderbilt, and most recently Kansas State.  

Two weekends ago, New Hampton (NH) point guard Keyshuan Tillery was in town for his official visit.  UVA offered him a scholarship after Tony Bennett eyed him at Nike Peach Jam in July.  He was one of the summer’s biggest stock climbers, now ranked as the 66th player in the class. The Albany native hasn’t named finalists, but there seems to be just a handful of teams left. 

Keyshuan Tillery on his official visit at Virginia 🎓#CRFam 🟠 pic.twitter.com/7vbbOq1BUJ

— CityRocksBasketball (@TheCityRocks) September 2, 2024

Tillery has taken other recent visits to Wake Forest and Cincinnati.  He’ll head to Ohio State this weekend then Villanova in early October.  There might be a visit to Kansas squeezed in too.  UVA is making a strong push.  Tony Bennett was in New Hampshire recently to see him again.  

As things stand, those three recent visitors are the recruits that Virginia has the best odds of landing.  My opinion anyway.  

Impending Verdict 

Gonzaga (DC) guard Derek Dixon is finished with visits.  He plans to announce his college choice on his birthday, September 27th.  Finalists are Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse.  The 47th ranked recruit was in Charlottesville on an official visit back in April. 

Rivals recruiting analyst Houston Wilson placed a prediction in Pitt’s favor.  He’s really good at his job, but we’ll hope against the odds Houston is wrong for once.  UVA came on strong with Dixon this summer to put themselves in position to have a shot.  Pitt had long been seen as a bit of a favorite though. Tony Bennett did an in-home visit with Dixon a couple weeks ago to make the final case.  The decision may not be done yet.  We’ll find out his verdict soon enough.   

Off The Board

London Jemison won’t be coming to Virginia.  The St. Thomas More (CT) forward announced on Sunday night that he’s down to a final three of Alabama, Kansas, and Louisville with a decision coming soon.  He’s visited all three of those schools in recent weeks.  It looks like one of them managed to close the deal.  He had a visit to UVA scheduled for later this month, which will be canceled.  

It serves as a reminder that most of these recruitments do get wrapped up ahead of schedule.  This is the closing season. Being told no is the second best thing a coach can hear too though.  Allows the UVA staff to move ahead and adjust accordingly. 

Marathon Man

The recruitment of Nate Ament is turning into a true marathon.  He’s slowing down his process, with the plan of waiting until perhaps next spring to make a college choice.  The five-star Highland School (VA) forward originally planned to visit UVA this past weekend.  His visit will be rescheduled for a later date to be determined.   I expect we’ll see him in Charlottesville some time in October.  

Ament plans to take some visits this fall on football weekends, then more during basketball season.  There are a lot of teams after him and a long way to go.  Look for UVA to stay involved as long as there’s a spot open while obviously trying to get one of these other forwards in the meantime if they can.  

Upcoming Visits

Jeffersonville (IN) forward Tre Singleton has Virginia in his final 8.  He’s planning to visit soon, possibly this coming weekend.  Another big summer riser, ranked as the 72nd player in the class, UVA offered him a scholarship after Bennett watched him play in July.  Louisville, very close to home for Singleton, is seen as a favorite.   He just visited Purdue this past weekend.  They’re a serious contender too.  

And Utah Prep point guard JJ Mandaquit is scheduled to visit on the weekend of September 27th.  Ranked 51st in the class, Virginia offered him a scholarship in July too.  He’s taken recent visits to Cal and Louisville.  There are a bunch more scheduled, into late October, with BYU seen as the team to knock off.  

That’s all I have for now.  Let’s hope the next blog is a happy one.  

If you want all the latest UVA Basketball scoop before your Wahoo friends find out, consider becoming a Locker Room Access VIP member.  Detailed recruiting coverage year-round along with the extra team nuggets that the hardcore fan craves.  Best on the web, it’s not close.