It was decision day for 2026 forward Billy White and he was choosing from his list of ten schools. While Virginia was among the ten schools being considered, the Cavaliers were not the final choice with White opting for ACC rival SMU instead.
According to 247Sports, White is the No. 33 player in the country, the No. 14 small forward in the country, and the No. 5 player in the state of Texas.
Despite this, there could be some better news on the horizon for Virginia.
The top center prospect in the nation is down to 12 schools, and one of them is Virginia. Ryan Odom and UVA made the cut for Arafan Diane, who is the No. 1-ranked center prospect at 247Sports. The 7'1 260 LBS prospect plays at Iowa United Prep and is the No. 15 overall player in the country. The other schools that made the cut included Houston, Kansas, Oregon, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, UConn, Indiana, Purdue, Arkansas, and Washington.
NEWS: 2026 Top-25 overall recruit Arafan Diane is down to 12 schools, he tells @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 4, 2025
The 7-0 big man is the No. 1 ranked center in the country. https://t.co/faxMrmK9ye pic.twitter.com/sEWPKaYaXm
This would be a home run for Odom in his first full recruiting class with the program. The Cavaliers are in the mix for a number of the top prospects in the country, but can they land them? Odom and his staff will have to beat out some of the top programs in the country, but don't count them out.
So far, the Cavaliers do not have any prospects committed for the 2026 class.
Today, Virginia officially announced that they will be playing Ohio State in a big-time non-conference game in February.
Virginia and Ohio State will meet for the seventh all-time meeting, with the series currently tied 3-3. Ohio State captured the first three games in the series, including matchups in 1931, 1932, and 1980, while Virginia’s victories came in 1981, 2015 and 2016. In the most recent meeting, Virginia rallied from a 16-point deficit to defeat the Buckeyes 63–61 in Charlottesville. That win followed a 64-58 Virginia road victory in 2015. Both matchups were part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
“We are excited for the challenge of playing a highly-competitive nonconference game against a program like Ohio State,” UVA Dean and Markel Families Men’s Head Basketball Coach Ryan Odom said. “The matchup will test us in the midst of our conference schedule and help prepare us for the postseason. Playing in a premier venue, in a vibrant city, also creates an exciting experience for our fans.”
The Nashville Hoops Showdown is part of Intersport’s expanding lineup of neutral-site college basketball showcases hosted in destination cities. The event highlights Nashville’s growing reputation as a premier sports and entertainment hub, offering fans the opportunity to experience high-level college basketball in one of the country’s most vibrant settings.
Game time and broadcast details will be released in the coming weeks.
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