UVA Basketball Opens Season Against Drexel

Virginia begins its campaign Tuesday with a rotation still taking shape, including a freshman seven-footer expected to see early minutes.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball

UVA Basketball Opens Season Against Drexel

UVA Basketball opens its season against Drexel on Tuesday, with the rotation still a work in progress. The Cavaliers face Arkansas on Sunday in Washington, D.C., in a heavyweight matchup before hosting Northeastern on Friday.

Why it matters

The early schedule puts Virginia against a tough nonconference slate just as its lineup is being settled. How the new pieces fit will shape expectations for the team's first stretch.

Gertrude's 3-of-29 three-point shooting across his first two seasons contrasts with his 16-point, 18-minute showing at Villanova on October 22. Freshman Favour Ibe, a seven-foot newcomer, is expected to play 8-10 minutes in the opening games.

The players

Elijah Gertrude

A Virginia guard whose return from a scooter accident that cost him his sophomore season has him in a larger role this year.

Favour Ibe

A seven-foot freshman whom Virginia secured through a connection with former Cavalier Ugonna Onyenso.

The details

Sam Lewis and Nolan Adekunle start alongside Chance Mallory as the team begins its season. Gertrude, set back by a scooter accident that cost him his sophomore season, is expected to be an 18- to 22-minute-a-game player at least early on.

Tuesday: season opener against Drexel
Friday: home game against Northeastern at 5 p.m.
Sunday: matchup against Arkansas in Washington, D.C.

Season Trajectory

Gertrude's prior 10.3 percent three-point mark makes his early-season shooting a key test of whether a returning player can reshape his role. Virginia's ninth-ranked position entering the matchup places these early games as a measure of the team's ceiling.

Fantasy managers tracking Gertrude should weigh his 18- to 22-minute expected role against his limited shooting history. Fans planning to attend the home game can note the Friday 5 p.m. tipoff against Northeastern.

The takeaway

Early minutes and shooting numbers will show whether Virginia's rotation holds up against a demanding opening schedule. Watch how Gertrude's role develops over the first few games.