The road to the NCAA Tournament has officially begun.
Virginia's 2026-27 campaign begins as the Cavaliers host Drexel at 7:30 on ACC Network . Here is a full game preview and final score prediction:
Virginia is projected to win by at least 20 points. That is primarily due to the strength of this Cavaliers team, but it also has quite a bit to do with what should be an underwhelming Drexel team.
Graduate guard Amaree Abram is one of just a handful of Dragons to have faced a Power Four opponent. Abram played at Ole Miss as a freshman, then Georgia Tech and eventually Tennessee as a senior. Most of his action game against mid-majors - but he did see a few minutes in conference play sparingly.
Junior guard Josh Reed is a rare returner. He played in every game for Drexel last year, contributing 7.9 points per game.
Freshman forward David Simonovic could also make a play or two. The 6-foot-11 Frenchman was an elite rebounder and interior scorer in the top youth French league.
A majority of this team is composed of freshmen. None of them were coveted recruits on the national scale. Their first regular season game will be inside the raucous pillars of John Paul Jones Arena. That's not exactly ideal for an 18-year old unheralded recruit.
Dec 6, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; La Salle Explorers guard Rob Dockery (99) grabs the wrist of Drexel Dragons guard Shane Blakeney (4) during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This program hasn't won 20 games since the 2023-24 season. That campaign was also the last time the Dragons beat a Power Four opponent, when they upset Villanova that December.
Virginia, on the other hand, could be one of the best teams in the country.
Virginia is expected to roll out this lineup tonight:
PG Chance Mallory
SG Sam Lewis
SF Nolan Adekunle
PF Thijs De Ridder
C Johann Grunloh
If Mallory is considered a pseudo-starter from last year, this is the first time in a few years that the Cavaliers will have four of the same five starters from the previous season. The continuity Virginia boasts has become increasingly rare. But while the core four are reprising their roles, the bench features some new faces.
Off the bench , these six players should see ample playing time:
PG Jan Vide
G Jurian Dixon
G Elijah Gertrude
G Christian Harmon
F Kalu Anya
However, given the blowout-bound nature of this game, expect to see F Silas Barksdale, F Martin Carrere receive some real minutes as well. And by the end of the game, the bench should be completely emptied with Owen Odom, Desmond Roberts, Nick Rotter, Quincy Watson and Carter Lang cleaning up the final minutes.
Final score prediction: Virginia 102, Drexel 61
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginia as UVA Men's Basketball vs Drexel: Game Preview and Final Score Prediction .
