Across his previous head coaching stops, Coach Ryan Odom has toted a somewhat fluid play style, opting more often to adapt to his players than to enforce a rigid system. But one thing has always stuck out.
Odom stresses quick ball movement and scoring in transition. His Rams team was 58th in the country in fast-break points this season, and he relied on athletic players like graduate guard Zeb Jackson to push the pace and take advantage of open space when available. He often has his team swing the ball around the arc to find open three-point shots or lanes to drive through, especially in his last two years in the Atlantic 10.
“The ball moves along the players across the court so quickly,” Richmond Coach Chris Mooney said. “Odom has them do it as elite as anyone in the country. His teams are very aggressive but great at making crisp passes at the right time so their wings can attack.”
Odom, Virginia’s newly hired head coach from VCU, was introduced at a press conference Monday. In his last nine years, since starting in Division I at UMBC before moving to Utah State and then VCU, his coaching style, he said, has evolved. But it started with a simple principle.
“I fell in love with the fast game,” Odom said Monday in his introductory press conference. “You can see that at all my different stops.”
While Odom certainly does not play recklessly — his VCU team this season was 246th in the country in tempo — he still encourages efficient play at a much faster pace than the old era of Virginia basketball, under Tony Bennett. In six of Odom’s nine years as a Division I head coach, his teams have ranked in the top 250 in tempo, and in two of those they’ve ranked in the top 115. That means fans can expect more fast breaks, less 30-second possessions and a greater emphasis on finding quality shots faster.
Odom’s teams also focus on preventing opponents from scoring in the paint and daring them to shoot from a longer range. Odom’s players can be relentless in the post — VCU freshman Luke Bamgboye was 11th in the country in blocks this season, and junior Christian Fermin was also in the top 100 nationally. Their post presence allows for a better help system down low, which encourages his wings to go for steals and jump passes on the perimeter.
“[VCU] had great shot-blocking this year, and really just had great length at every position,” Mooney said. “It’s clear Odom prioritizes getting these types of guys. It allows perimeter defenders to be more aggressive knowing they have help behind them.”
Odom acknowledged in his introductory press conference that earlier in his career, he focused more on offense. But he has evolved over the years with help from his assistant coaches.
In terms of roster construction, Odom’s rosters over the years have not really had a unifying thread. In 2022-23, for example, at Utah State, Odom’s team revolved around junior guard Steven Ashworth, so it played to accommodate that, ranking 111 in tempo. But that was the only time in Odom’s four seasons before that or three years after where one of his team had ranked in the top 200 for tempo.
Then, at VCU, Odom had better shooters than he had had to that point, and so his teams’ three-point attempt percentage was higher in those two seasons than it had ever been.
However, the roster may change, but some things do not. Mooney identified that Odom will look to bring in swiss-army-knife-esque guys who are skilled in a variety of aspects of the game.
“Coach Odom likes versatility,” Mooney said. “He plays four on the perimeter, and so he wants all guys to be able to shoot, handle and play defense. He likes guys that can do everything because it opens up so many more opportunities than a structured role-based team.”
Things will look different than they ever have before. With the hiring of Odom, it is officially a new era for the program. Virginia will wear the same jerseys, but it will look completely different. Everything from the pace of play to the type of offense the Cavaliers run is set to change.
For the past decade and a half, Virginia basketball has been characterized by a strict identity. Onlookers could expect to see slow, methodical offensive possessions that often utilized every second of the shot clock, as well as staunch packline defense that topped the nation in 2018 and 2020.
That is not the case anymore. The new era of Virginia basketball is here, and despite the pressure regarding his new position and the scrutiny accompanying the change, Odom has high hopes for the program.
“I am not afraid of the pressure,” Odom said. “As a coach and a competitor, that’s where you want to be. You want to be right in it. You want to be able to stand toe-to-toe with whoever you’re going against and, and do your best and there’s no question we’re going to, we’re going to do that here.”
Read More
No. 13 women’s golf, led by record-setting Propeck, finishes second at Chattanooga Classic
By Ben McNiff | 10 hours agoPropeck set a course record in her third-round stampede.
No. 5 men’s tennis completes road sweep with wins over Notre Dame and Louisville
By Margaret Piatos | 11 hours agoEven without its star freshman, Virginia picked up the victories against the conference's bottom-feeders.
No. 22 Virginia suffers upset after upset in ACC series loss to Notre Dame
By Cierra Lyles | 13 hours agoAlthough the weekend ended on a high, Virginia lost its composure against unranked Notre Dame and suffered two major losses.
