Virginia has not trailed through three games this season heading into Saturday afternoon’s contest against unbeaten Marshall in Charlottesville, Va.
The Cavaliers (3-0) are looking to finish their four-game homestand unblemished, while the Thundering Herd (3-0) are seeking their first 4-0 start since 2020-21. Both teams are averaging exactly 86.3 points per game.
Virginia’s latest wire-to-wire win was a 91-53 victory against Hampton on Tuesday night, its most points since beating Marshall 100-64 in the schools’ most recent meeting on Dec. 31, 2018.
Six Cavaliers are scoring in double figures in the early going for first-year coach Ryan Odom, led by freshmen Thijs De Ridder (15.3 points per game) and Chance Mallory (12.0).
Senior 7-footer Ugonna Onyenso, who played at Kentucky (2022-24) and Kansas State (2024-25), fueled the victory against Hampton with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in just 18 minutes off the bench. He was 8 of 10 from the field, including the first two 3-pointers of his career.
“Once we began to work with him and we got in the gym with him, then it became apparent that he’s more than just a shot-blocker,” Odom said after the game. “And I think certainly that was evidenced tonight. He really played big for us.”
Marshall also is coming off an electric offensive performance with its 96-89 victory against Elon on Wednesday night in Huntington, W.Va.
“That was fun,” second-year Thundering Herd coach Cornelius Jackson said. “That was a fun one to be a part of, fun game to coach, fun game to watch.”
Wyatt Fricks had 34 points on 13-of-14 shooting with seven 3-pointers and nine rebounds against Elon, and the forward is one of four players averaging double-digit points (21.7). Noah Otshudi (12.3), 7-foot-4 Matt Van Komen (12.0) and Jalen Speer (12.0) also are off to strong starts.
Van Komen leads the Herd in rebounding (7.0) and blocked shots (3.7), Speer tops the team in assists (7.3) and steals (1.7).
