Virginia Plays Wisconsin at Fort Myers Tip-Off Monday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (4-0) plays Wisconsin (2-2) at the Fort Myers Tio-Off on Monday (Nov. 20). Tipoff at Suncoast Credit Union Arena is set for 6 p.m. on FS1.
For Openers
• The Cavaliers seek their ninth November tournament championship in the last 10 years (Emerald Coast Classic, Charleston Classic, Barclays Center Classic, Corpus Christi Challenge, NIT Season Tip-Off, Battle 4 Atlantis, Legends Classic and Continental Main Event).
• UVA head coach Tony Bennett (Green Bay) is a Wisconsin native, who starred at Green Bay (1988-92) and coached at Wisconsin for four seasons (1999-2003) under his father, Dick Bennett, current UVA director of scouting Brad Soderberg and former Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan.
• UVA is 169-50 (.772) in non-conference action under Bennett.
• The Cavaliers have started 4-0 for the second straight season.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Wisconsin game will be televised on FS1 and streamed online at foxsports.com
• The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
• Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app.
The Head Coach
• Dean and Markel Families Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tony Bennett has a 345-125 (.734) mark in 15 seasons at UVA and 414-158 (.724) career mark in 18 seasons as a head coach.
• Bennett passed Terry Holland (326-173, 16 seasons) as UVA’s all-time winningest coach with the win over Syracuse (1/7/23).
• Bennett recorded his 400th career win at Wake Forest (1/21/23).
• Bennett has guided the Cavaliers to six ACC regular-season titles (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023), two ACC Tournament titles (2014 and 2018) and one NCAA national championship (2019).
• The three-time National (2007, 2015 and 2018) and four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) guided UVA to its 11th consecutive postseason berth in 2022-23.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• We play defense, take quality shots, pass the basketball, limit turnovers and transition points, rebound and play more defense.
• UVA returns one starter – Reece Beekman (10.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.5 rpg & 2.8 spg) – from last season’s ACC regular-season champion and NCAA tournament team that finished 25-8.
• Beekman, who earned All-ACC third-team honors last season, needs 52 steals to pass Othell Wilson (222 steals from 1981-84) for first all-time at UVA.
• Ryan Dunn leads UVA in scoring (10.8 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg), steals (3.3 spg) and blocked shots (2.3 bpg).
• Isaac McKneely (10.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 57.1% 3FG) missed the Texas Southern game due to an ankle injury.
• McKneely averaged 6.7 points and shot a team-best 39.2 percent from 3-point range last year, while Dunn tallied 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game.
• Transfers Andrew Rohde (6.3 ppg), Jake Groves (9.8 ppg) and Jordan Minor (2.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg), and redshirts Leon Bond III (9.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 68% FG) and Dante Harris (5.3 ppg, 2.0 apg) and newcomer Blake Buchanan (7.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and veteran Taine Murray (5.3 ppg, 50% #FG) are main contributors.
• Elijah Gertrude, Anthony Robinson and Christian Bliss will redshirt the season, while recruited walk-ons Desmond Roberts and Tristan How round out the roster.
• UVA is shooting 48.1 percent from the field, 40.6 percent from 3-point range and 65 percent from the free throw line.
• UVA has committed just 33 turnovers and has 1.97 assist/turnover ratio.
All-Time vs. Wisconsin
• UVA is 4-2 all-time vs. Wisconsin.
• Tony Bennett holds a 3-1 record against the Badgers.
• UVA was 2-1 against the Badgers in the ACC/B1G Challenge.
• Virginia defeated Wisconsin 53-46 during the 2018 Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas.
• Virginia defeated Wisconsin 49-37 during the 2017 Challenge, avenging a 48-38 loss to the Badgers during the 2013 Challenge.
• Virginia beat Wisconsin 60-54 at the 2012 Challenge in Madison.
• Wisconsin defeated Virginia 66-56 at the 1999 Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.
• Virginia defeated Wisconsin, 86-78, at the Milwaukee Classic during the 1974-75 season in Milwaukee, Wis.
Last Time Out
• Ryan Dunn had 15 points, five rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals to lead Virginia (4-0) to a 62-33 win over Texas Southern on Nov. 16.
• UVA registered 10 or more blocks (10) and steals (13) in the same game for the first time in school history.
• UVA held Texas Southern (0-3) to fewer than 20 points in each half, and its 33 points were fewest vs. UVA since 32 by St. Francis Brooklyn in 2016.
• UVA shot 43.8 percent from the field and forced 20 turnovers.
More Wisconsin Connections
• Tony Bennett and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard served as assistant coaches under Ryan at Wisconsin from 2001-03.
• Wisconsin Special Assistant to the Head Coach Kirk Penney served as director of player development/coaching staff consultant at Virginia during the 2019-20 season.
• Penney starred at the University of Wisconsin from 1999-2003 before enjoying a 15-year professional career. He helped the Badgers to the 2000 NCAA Final Four under the direction of Tony Bennett’s father, Dick Bennett.
• Tony Bennett was on staff during each of Penney’s four seasons at Wisconsin, including three seasons as an assistant coach from 2001-03.
Hoos in the National Rankings
• UVA ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (51 ppg), ninth in field goal percentage defense (33.5), 11th in turnovers per game (8.2), 14th in blocks per game (6.8), 17th in assist/turnover ratio (1.97), 21st in turnover margin (7.5) and 22nd in steals per game (11).
On The Horizon
• Virginia plays West Virginia or SMU in the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Tipoff at Suncoast Credit Union Arena is set for 6 or 8:30 p.m. on FS1.