One of the top stock risers in the entire 2025 class this spring and summer has been four-star guard Chance Mallory. The starting PG for Team Thrill on the Under Armour Circuit, Mallory is currently a rising junior at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville.

Given his proximity to UVa, it’s no wonder that UVa is among the schools to pay close attention to the No. 74 overall player in 2025.

That interest led to the recent offer, which understandably was a big one for the 5-foot-9 guard.

“It has been a crazy few weeks,” Mallory told CavsCorner. “It has been a blessing to go through this and I could not do it without God. It has been great for me and my family.”

After taking an unofficial visit to UVa at the end of June, Mallory announced an offer from Tony Bennett and the Hoos.

“I went to Virginia for a visit and watched practice,” Mallory recalled. “After practice we all went up to Coach Bennett’s office and that is where he offered me. It was Coach Bennett, Coach (Jason) Williford and Coach Orlando (Vandross), up there so it was really fun.”

Virginia might not have offered Mallory this early but the coaches saw everything they needed in June to pull the trigger.

“They were telling me that they were thinking about waiting until the end of the summer to offer me,” he explained, “but then they were saying how they just could not wait so that is why they offered me now and they made it clear how much of a priority I am for them.”

Growing up in Charlottesville, Mallory is obviously no stranger to the program.

“It is great to get an offer from Virginia,” he said. “It is something that I have dreamed of ever since I was a kid. I have been to so many UVa games so again it really is just a blessing to have this opportunity.”

Mallory knows the system is not for everyone but he thinks he could make the necessary adjustments if he were to go there.

“They play a different type of playing style than I play right now,” he explained, “so I would have to get used to Coach Bennett’s system. But he has been super successful with it. I would do whatever he needs me to do if I were to go there.”

Mallory also knows what the most important factor to him is going to be when picking a college.

“Just how well the program is family oriented and how close they are as a family,” he said. “I don’t want to go to a place where there is bad blood in the locker room. I want everybody to be close together because that really is how it is like at my high school right now. We are all buddies, best friends and hangout all the time. I want to go to a place that has that.”

Of course, UVa is not the only school in pursuit of Mallory as a few other local teams are highly involved too.

“VCU, Maryland and Virginia Tech have all shown very much interest in me and they have been calling me weekly,” he said. “Along with Virginia, I also visited VCU and Maryland. I also have a visit set up on August 2 to Virginia Tech.”