Chance Mallory, a consensus four-star guard recruit from neighboring St. Anne’s Belfield High School, announced his commitment to Virginia Friday, posting the news to his Instagram account.
A 5-foot-9, 160-pound point guard, Mallory is the No. 57 overall recruit and the No. 7 point guard in the Class of 2025, according to recruiting site 247Sports. He is a considerable pickup for Virginia, a traditional true point guard whose intangibles have garnered gushing praise.
The announcement arrived five days after Mallory wrapped up an official visit to Virginia. The rest of his final six comprised Virginia Tech, Villanova, Clemson, Miami and Tennessee.
“I’m just excited to have the opportunity to stay home and to be able to play the game I love in front of the city I love,” Mallory said on Instagram.
Mallory became the first member of the program’s 2025 class. He will join a point guard corps that, on its present track, will include sophomore Elijah Gertrude, redshirt freshman Christian Bliss and sophomore Dai Dai Ames, a Kansas State transfer.
His stature evokes memories of Kihei Clark, the program’s obstinate point guard of five years, who was also listed at 5-foot-9 coming out of high school. Clark, though, puttered through high school unheralded, a three-star who initially committed to UC Davis.
Mallory has drawn far more attention. 247Sports’s Crystal Ball, an ever-dependable predictor, picked him early this week to commit to Virginia. Momentum gathered after other insiders made the same prediction, but now it is official.
The commitment provides a stir with the upcoming season just six weeks away. The Blue-White Scrimmage, the annual first chance to watch the team play, is slated for Oct. 5.
The conference schedule will be announced on ACC Network at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and the season begins Nov. 6 with a home game against Campbell.