‘The Environment Was Wild’: 4-Star G Chance Mallory on WVU Visit During Backyard Brawl

Chance Mallory, a four-star guard out of the 2025 class, visited West Virginia’s basketball program last weekend. Mallory was in town for the football victory against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl as he recapped his trip with WV Sports Now.

“We went tailgating for the game, which was crazy. The environment was wild. I saw people tailgating as soon as I drove to town at 10 a.m. for a [night] game,” Mallory said.

“The fans were wild all day. They were loud and had a ton of spirit and hype for their team,” he added.

Mallory just began his junior year at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Virginia as the 5-foot-9 prospect continues to receive Power-5 interest. West Virginia’s staff has been in contact with Mallory since May and scheduled this recent unofficial visit. WVU’s staff chose the perfect weekend to host Mallory and top 2024 recruit Naas Cunningham.

“The facilities were nice, they were all high end and the coliseum had a lot more history in it. It seemed like a great place for the game day atmosphere,” Mallory said. “The players were all just being themselves even around the coaches. They didn’t have to change their personalities when they were around the coaches. They all got along very well.”

WVU assistant DerMarr Johnson extended the offer to Mallory and made direct contact with the junior prospect during the first day allowed in June. Mallory also spoke with WVU’s director of recruiting Jay Kuntz, and that conversation stuck out to him.

“Talking to Jay [Kuntz] was great because he told me how honest the coaching staff was and how they would put me in the right place in order for my game to elevate,” Mallory said.

At STAB, Mallory averaged 17.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.2 steals during his sophomore year. Mallory is a multi-sport athlete, playing football for the Saints. Just days before his West Virginia visit, Mallory recorded 134 yards on five receptions with two touchdowns. On the court, Mallory is a true floor general at the point guard position.

“I try to get my teammates involved the best I can with the ability to score at a high level and shoot from anywhere,” Mallory said. “I’m working on my off-the-dribble game a lot more and my play at the mid-range and the rim as well.”

Mallory has received offers from Butler, Liberty, Maryland, NJIT, Radford, Seton Hall, UCF, Virginia, VCU, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and others. The high school guard will take upcoming visits to Virginia Tech on Sept. 30 and Clemson on Oct. 7.

WVSN will keep you up to date with Mallory’s recruitment.