True freshman Chance Mallory put on a show in his debut for his hometown Virginia Cavaliers on Monday night. The Charlottesville native and St. Anne’s-Belfield graduate notched 11 points, shooting 3-for-4 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep. His shot looked pure and his decision making was crisp.
Mallory only coughed the ball up once compared to his one assist, an improvement on his four turnovers in the exhibition game versus Villanova over a week ago. He looked the part of a consistent contributor
to this veteran team, playing 24 minutes and showcasing the moxie required to be a 5-foot-10 lead guard.
That extended beyond his playmaking as a shooter and a facilitator. He grabbed two offensive rebounds and had two second chance points as he played physically in the paint and crashed the glass like head coach Ryan Odom has emphasized to his team all offseason.
Mallory was also an absolute pest as an on-ball defender, recording three steals and showcasing his effectiveness as a point-of-attack defender. He heated up the ball in the Wahoos’ full court press and didn’t back down when his opponents tried to muscle through him to get into the paint.
Mallory was one of three Wahoo guards to score in double figures, joining Sam Lewis and Jacari White with 11 points apiece. The fact that Virginia managed to dominate offensively – scoring 1.4 points per possession – and still get production from the backcourt despite Malik Thomas (seven points) and Dallin Hall (five points) shooting a combined 3-for-16 from the field is an encouraging sign.
Notably, Mallory and Hall played 12 minutes together against Rider as the ‘Hoos used their two point guard lineup for meaningful minutes in the season opener. Some of that is surely a result of Devin Tillis’ injury since Virginia had to play more guards. But it’s still a positive sign for Mallory’s role on this team and his long-term development as the greatest young building block for Odom.
