Chance Mallory Commits To 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…
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) September 20, 2024
Chance Mallory will play his college ball less than a mile away from @STABHoops after committing to UVA. pic.twitter.com/hePXkJC52u
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.