When Virginia coach Tony Bennett retired Oct. 18, 2024, it sent shockwaves through the college basketball landscape.
Bennett went 364-136 overall and 189-82 in the ACC since getting hired at UVA in 2009-10. He went to the NCAA Tournament nine times, and the Cavaliers would have gone during the COVID year. The crown jewel was winning the national title in 2018-19.
Virginia under interim coach Ron Sanchez is off to a 7-5 start and 0-1 in the ACC with a 63-51 loss at SMU on Dec. 7. The Cavaliers lone “key” win has been against Villanova on Nov. 15.
Virginia hosts NC State at 12 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN2.
Overview
Virginia returns quality wing Isaac McKneely and junior small forward Andrew Rohde started 27 of 33 games last year.
The duo are joined by freshman center Jacob Cofie, Kansas State sophomore point guard Dai Dai Ames transfer and San Diego State junior power forward Elijah Saunders.
Rankings
Virginia is No. 102 in the NET rankings this season, and NC State is No. 103.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Cavaliers ranked No. 96 overall, and the Wolfpack are No. 60.
KenPom.com has Virginia at No. 101, and NCSU checks in at No. 84.
Shooting
The Cavaliers are averaging 61.6 points per game, and are shooting 43.6 percent from the field, 37.9 percent on three-pointers and 72.7 percent at the free-throw line.
Ames is shooting 47.8 percent on three-pointers, McKneely is at 44.7 percent and Rohde is at 44.8 percent. Four players have made at least 11 three-pointers.
Rebounding
UVA is averaging 32.4 rebounds per game and have a plus-0.3 rebounding margin, and has 87 offensive rebounds.
Cofie leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game, and sophomore reserve center Blake Buchanan chips in 5.1 boards a contest, with a team-high 27 offensive rebounds.
Defense
Virginia is allowing 60.3 points per game, and opponents are shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 32.0 percent on three-pointer’s.
Buchanan leads the team with 16 blocks, and Cofie has 12 blocks. Both McKneely and Rohde have 11 steals apiece.
Depth
Buchanan has started in the past, and senior wing Taine Murray is a long-time reserve.
Buchanan is averaging 5.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and Murray is chipping in 4.5 points a contest, and shooting 37.5 percent on three-pointers.
Former Duke forwards T.J. Power provides depth in the frontcourt, and freshman guard Ishan Sharma is one of five newcomers in the rotation.
Star Watch
Junior wing Isaac McKneely will aways a have a spot in NC State lore.
McKneely, who shot 84.7 percent from the free-throw line last year, missed the free throw with six seconds left, setting up senior point guard Michael O’Connell making his legendary three-point at the buzzer to force overtime in the ACC semifinals. NC State went on to win 73-65.
If it wasn’t for McKneely’s elite shot-making that day, the Cavaliers would have struggled on offense. He went 5 of 9 on three-pointers for 23 points in the loss.
The 6-foot-4, 188-pounder is averaging 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. He had a season-high 23 points and shot 6 of 6 on three-pointers in the 70-60 win over Villanova on Nov. 15. McKneely has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games this season.
McKneely, who played for the Poca Dots in Poca, W.Va., was ranked No. 78 overall in the class of 2022 by Rivals.com. He became a key reserve as a freshman and averaged 6.7 points per game.
McKneely blossomed as a starter last year, and averaged 12.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He shot 44.5 percent from three-point land and is a career 42.8 shooter from behind the arc.
Likely starters
NC State
PG — 12 Michael O’Connell (6-2, 195, Sr., 6.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.3 spg)
SG — 8 Jayden Taylor (6-4, 195, Sr., 12.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 spg)
G — 10 Marcus Hill (6-4, 185, Sr., 12.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.1 apg)
F — 3 Dontrez Styles (6-6, 212, Sr., 9.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.1 bpg)
C — 34 Ben Middlebrooks (6-10, 240, Sr., 9.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Virginia
PG — 7 Dai Dai Ames (6-1, 185, Soph., 7.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
SG — 11 Isaac McKneely (6-4, 188, Jr., 12.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.0 apg)
SF — 4 Andrew Rohde (6-6, 202, Jr., 8.3 jpg, 1.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.0 spg)
PF — 2 Elijah Saunders (6-8, 225, Jr., 11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.8 apg)
C — 5 Jacob Cofie (6-10, 230, Fr., 8.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 bpg)
Numbers Of Note
26 NCAA Tournament appearances for the Cavaliers, with seven trips to Elite Eight, three to the Final Four and winning the title in 2019.
79 Career coaching wins for Virginia interim coach Ron Sanchez, who was the head coach at Charlotte from 2018-23.
232 UVA is 232-54 at John Paul Jones Arena, which opened up in 2006.
Game within the game: UVA's Elijah Saunders vs. NC State's Dontrez Styles
Junior power forward Elijah Saunders has found an increased role at Virginia.
The 6-8, 225-pounder averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game last year at San Diego State.
Saunders has jumped up to 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season, and is shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 38.7 percent on three-pointers.
Saunders is coming off scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a 63-58 win over American on Dec. 22. He has 51 points and grabbed 20 rebounds over his last three games.
Saunders also had 19 points and five rebounds, and shot 3 of 5 on three-pointers in a 87-69 loss at Florida on Dec. 4.
Saunders will likely match up against NC State senior forward Dontrez Styles. The 6-6, 210-pounder played at North Carolina and Georgetown, and is averaging 9.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season. Styles had 21 points, five rebounds and three three-pointers in the 84-74 overtime win vs. Florida State.
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