Virginia Meets Villanova in Baltimore on Friday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (2-0) meets Villanova (2-2) in a Hall of Fame Series event on Friday, Nov. 15 in Baltimore, Md. Tipoff at CFG Bank Arena is set for 5 p.m. on TNT.
For Openers
• UVA meets Villanova for the first time since 2016-17.
• Rookie Jacob Cofie’s (11 points, 11 rebounds) double-double against Coppin State was the first double-double for a Virginia true freshman since Mike Scott had 10 points and 13 rebounds against Penn on Nov. 23, 2007.
• Ron Sanchez is 2-0 as interim head coach at UVA.
• UVA is 177-54 (.766) in non-conference play since 2009-10.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Villanova game will be televised on TNT and streamed online at max.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 Interim Head Coach
• Ron Sanchez was named Dean and Markel Families Men’s Interim Head Basketball Coach on Oct. 18 after three-time National Coach of the Year Tony Bennett retired.
• Sanchez is 2-0 as interim head coach at Virginia.
• Sanchez, who spent 10 seasons on Bennett’s staff at UVA in two different stints (2009-19 & 2023-24), posted a 72-78 record as head coach at Charlotte from 2018-23.
• He served nine seasons on Bennett’s staff from 2009-18, the last three as associate head coach. During his time on Grounds, the Cavaliers won 212 games, three ACC regular-season titles and two ACC Tournament titles while making six appearances in the NCAA Tournament and one NIT appearance. The Cavaliers earned three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament and won 29 or more games four times. UVA won 31 games and reached No. 1 in the AP rankings for the first time since 1982-83 during Sanchez’ last season at UVA in 2017-18.
• He returned to UVA as associate head coach in 2023-24 as the Cavaliers posted a 23-11 record and 13-7 mark in the ACC.
• Under Sanchez’ leadership at Charlotte, the 49ers won 16 or more games in three seasons, including a 22-14 record in 2022-23. His last season at Charlotte was highlighted by the 49ers’ first-ever postseason tournament title when they won four games in five days in Daytona Beach, Fla., at the 2023 Discount Tire College Basketball Invitational.
• Sanchez also served as an assistant coach on Tony Bennett’s staff for three seasons at Washington State from 2006-09, helping the Cougars to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT berth. Washington State reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and Sweet 16 in 2008. The Cougars tied the school record with 26 wins in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
The Virginia Way
• The Virginia Way is built on former head coach Tony Bennett’s five pillars of humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness.
• The Virginia Way is playing defense, taking quality shots, sharing and taking care of the basketball, stopping transition, rebounding and playing more defense.
• UVA has finished in the top six nationally in scoring defense in each of the past 13 seasons and led the nation in the category six times.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• Virginia returns two starters (Isaac McKneely and Andrew Rohde) along with Blake Buchanan and Taine Murray from last season’s team that finished third in the ACC (13-7) and advanced to the NCAA First Four.
• In 2023-24, McKneely started 33 games and averaged 12.3 points and shot 44.5 percent from 3-point range, while Rohde started 27 games and averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 assists.
• Buchanan averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15 minutes per game, while Murray netted 3.3 points in 13.6 minutes per game.
• Jacob Cofie (13.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg) leads the team in scoring and rebounding, coming off the bench in both contests.
Elijah Saunders (13 ppg, 5 rpg), McKneely (12.5 ppg, 45.5% 3FG), Buchanan (7 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.5 bpg) and TJ Power (3 ppg, 4.5 rpg) have started both games.
• Andrew Rohde (5 apg) and Dai Dai Ames (7.5 ppg, 2 apg) have each started one contest.
• Ishan Sharma, Taine Murray and Anthony Robinson have seen action off the bench, while Christian Bliss awaits his UVA debut after redshirting last season.
• Promising sophomore Elijah Gertrude will miss the 2024-25 after suffering an offseason knee injury.
• Point guard Jalen Warley (Florida State) transferred out of the program on Oct. 29.
All-Time vs. Villanova
• The Cavaliers own a 5-3 advantage over the Wildcats in the all-time series that dates back to 1981.
• Then-No. 1 Villanova defeated then-No. 12 Virginia 61-59 in the last meeting between the teams at Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 29, 2017, in Philadelphia, Pa.
• UVA is 2-0 against Villanova on neutral courts, including a 54-50 win in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 in Charlotte, N.C.
• The Cavaliers also topped the Wildcats 73-65 on Dec. 7, 1989, in East Rutherford, N.J.
• UVA defeated the eventual national champion Wildcats, 86-75, during the 2015-16 season in Charlottesville.
• The Cavaliers are 2-2 against the Wildcats in Pennsylvania, including a 73-63 loss in the 2004 NIT at The Pavilion in Villanova, Pa.
• UVA posted its lone win (83-80) against Villanova on the road in the first round of the 1992 NIT at The Pavilion.
Last Time Against the Wildcats
• Donte DiVincenzo’s tip-in at the buzzer gave then-No. 1 Villanova a 61-59 win over then-No. 12 Virginia at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Jan. 29.
• Ty Jerome led the Cavaliers with a career-high 15 points, including a game-tying runner with 15 seconds left before DiVincenzo’s tip-in of a Josh Hart missed layup.
• Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 15 points for the Wildcats.
• UVA held Villanova stars Hart and Kris Jenkins to 12 and eight points, respectively.
• Marial Shayok tallied 14 points and Isaiah Wilkins added 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
• Villanova out-rebounded Virginia 25-24 and made 20 of 24 free throws compared to 3 of 3 for the Cavaliers.
Last Time Out
• Elijah Saunders led four players in double figures with 15 points as Virginia (2-0) knocked off Coppin State 62-45 on Nov. 11 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• Isaac McKneely added 14 points and Dai Dai Ames scored 13 in his first start at UVA.
• Jacob Cofie tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots in his second collegiate game.
• UVA led 32-16 at the half as McKneely scored 12 points on four 3-pointers.
• UVA shot 40.4 percent in the win and out-rebounded Coppin State 39-30.
• Derrius Ward led the Eagles with 12 points.
More Than a Cup of Cofie
• Freshman Jacob Cofie has enjoyed a hot start to his collegiate career.
Cofie leads UVA in scoring (13.5 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg) and steals (2.5 spg).
• He tallied 16 points (7 of 8 FGs) and six rebounds in his collegiate debut, marking the most points in a UVA debut since transfer Jayden Gardner had 18 vs. Navy in 2021-22.
• Cofie’s 11-point, 11-rebound double-double against Coppin State was the first by a UVA freshman since redshirt freshman De’Andre Hunter had 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Pitt on Feb. 24, 2018.
On The Horizon
• Virginia will play No. 11 Tennessee at the Baha Mar Hoops Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, on Thursday, Nov. 21. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.