“[Last year] was a great season,” Virginia Cavaliers center Johann Grunloh told teammate Elijah Gertrude in a Corner Media interview last month. “[It was] unfortunate at the end … but I think that was a big reason for everyone to come back. The job’s not finished yet. People came here … to win something, and I think that’s what this second year is for.”
Grunloh, along with eight teammates from last season’s roster, made Virginia the only power-conference program to return all its eligible players
this offseason. But if the returning ’Hoos are going to avenge last season’s disappointing postseason and accomplish their lofty 2026-27 goals, the towering 7-foot German will almost certainly have to deliver a stellar sequel campaign.
This is the eighth installment of Streaking the Lawn’s preseason profile series. Our season previews of Chance Mallory, Christian Harmon, Jurian Dixon, Kalu Anya, Sam Lewis, Elijah Gertrude, and Martin Carrere can be found here.
Last season: Grunloh leads Virginia’s two-headed shot-blocking monster
Heralded as a potential second-round pick had he declared for the NBA Draft, Grunloh chose the college basketball route, much to the delight of Ryan Odom and the ’Hoos. The Loningen, Germany, native started all 36 games in his 2025-26 debut season, averaging 7.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game as one-half of Virginia’s shot-blocking center platoon (alongside now-Detroit Pistons center Ugonna Onyenso).
Onyenso’s excellence off the bench kept Grunloh from taking on an excessive load, despite his status as the game-in, game-out starter. Grunloh averaged just 21 minutes per game, the fewest by a fair margin of any regular Virginia starter, flashing his sky-high potential in spurts while also dealing with frequent foul trouble and occasionally getting overpowered in the paint by older, stronger centers.
The center rotation worked perfectly for Odom, as Grunloh thrived on the strategic playing time. His efficiency — 52.3% from the field, 35% from three-point range — was just what the ’Hoos needed to complement a plethora of seasoned scoring options, and his flashes — a season-high 16 points against Louisville (1/13/26), 15 points at Texas (12/3/25), 12 points against Miami (2/21/26) — provided Virginia with timely sparks.
No more Ugo in year two
Heading into year two, however, Onyenso is off to the NBA, and there’s no clear replacement for the backup center role. An unexpected impact from freshman Favour Ibe would be a welcome surprise, and small-ball options like Kalu Anya or Thijs De Ridder at the five could do the trick in spurts. But largely, Odom is betting on Grunloh to ascend to stardom to offset the lack of depth.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic Grunloh can do the job. He just has to check off a few boxes for Odom’s gamble to pay off:
Be bigger, stronger, and more physical: Grunloh swatted 2.2 shots per game last season, good for third-most in the ACC and 16th nationally, but foul trouble and a lack of overall strength kept him from reaching the ceiling of defensive greatness he’s certainly capable of. Fortunately, Grunloh seems to have made getting stronger a priority this offseason.
“[The goal after the season was] putting on some muscle, putting on some weight,” Grunloh said about his focus between year one and year two. “The goal was to hit 250 [pounds] — I’m at 252 right now.”
Put last season’s wrist injury in the rearview: Grunloh broke his shooting wrist in NC State’s ACC Tournament-opening win over NC State. Though he played through it, the injury severely limited his offensive game throughout the rest of the postseason. After the injury, Grunloh averaged just 3.5 PPG and didn’t attempt a single three-pointer, hindering a Virginia offense that was at its best when he could space the floor.
Grunloh has reportedly made a full recovery this offseason, but he recently admitted it took him a bit to get comfortable shooting again. Virginia will need a healthy, confident outside stroke from its German x-factor from day one.
Adjust to life without Onyenso: Virginia’s backup center last season was a revelation and a built-in insurance policy for Grunloh, who frequently dealt with foul trouble, especially in the postseason. With Onyenso waiting in the wings, the ’Hoos rarely missed a beat. But Onyenso is no longer in the picture, and the ’Hoos did little to replace his production, meaning Grunloh is quickly going to have to get used to life as an indispensable piece.
Step up as a playmaker: Though distributing isn’t his primary role, Grunloh had just 23 assists in 36 games last season. The 7-footer has said over the offseason that playmaking improvement was an area of emphasis, and it would be great to see that come to fruition. As a versatile floor-stretcher, Grunloh naturally opens up passing lanes, and with an emphasis on distributing, he could take the Virginia offense up a notch.
Crystal ball
The floor: 25-28 minutes per game, 7-9 points per game, 6-8 rebounds per game, 30-33% from deep. These are essentially BartTorvik’s projections for him, but it’s hard to see any world where Grunloh dips below these marks. Even if he struggles — and this projection accounts for a dip in three-point percentage, perhaps due to increased volume or a slow start as he re-finds his rhythm post-wrist injury — Virginia doesn’t have another reliable option to take major minutes at center. The ’Hoos are going to ride or die with Grunloh no matter what.
The ceiling: 28-33 minutes per game, 12-15 points per game, 8-10 rebounds per game, >35% from deep. If I had to guess, Grunloh’s numbers this season will land somewhere between these two scenarios, but there’s certainly a world where the 7-foot German soars as the leading man down low. Grunloh has long been regarded as a player with NBA potential, and with added muscle and improved playmaking, he could shoot up draft boards with a ceiling season. The best-case scenario for Virginia this season would be if Grunloh’s play — rather than struggles from Ibe, Anya, and company behind him — makes it impossible for Odom to take him off the floor.
