Virginia Hosts Manhattan Tuesday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (3-2) hosts Manhattan (3-2) in non-conference action on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is slated for 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Manhattan for the second time in series history.
• The Cavaliers are 3-0 vs. unranked opponents this season and 100-10 in non-conference action at John Paul Jones Arena since 2009-10.
• UVA guard Andrew Rohde has made two or more 3-pointers in three straight games and is shooting 50 percent (7 of 14) from 3-point range.
• UVA guard Isaac McKneely leads the team in scoring at 12.4 point per game and has scored in double figures in four of five games.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Manhattan game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed online at WatchESPN.com and ESPN+.
• 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 3-2 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 Wa
• 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 per game.
• McKneely leads UVA in scoring at 12.4 points per game, while shooting 51.7 percent (15 of 29) from 3-point range.
• Elijah Saunders (9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Jacob Cofie (8.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg) have each reached double figures in three games.
• Dai Dai Ames has started the last four games at point guard and is averaging 7.6 points, while sixth man Andrew Rohde (8.3 ppg) is shooting 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.
• Blake Buchanan (5.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg), who leads the team with nine blocks, and TJ Power (2.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg) have each started all five games.
• Ishan Sharma, Taine Murray and Anthony Robinson have seen action off the bench.
• UVA has committed 11 or more turnovers in each of its five games, including 18 against Tennessee and 16 vs. St. John’s, and has been out-rebounded in three contests.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in each game, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
All-Time vs. Manhattan
• Virginia is 1-0 all-time vs. Manhattan in a series that dates back to 1993.
• UVA defeated Manhattan 78-66 in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament on March 19, 1993, in Syracuse, N.Y.
• Cory Alexander scored 27 points on 10 of 18 shooting to lead No. 6 seed Virginia past No. 11 seed Manhattan.
• Junior Burrough added 17 points and Cornel Parker chipped in 12 as UVA shot 52.7 percent in the win.
• Brenton Birmingham led the Jaspers with 16 points.
Last Time Out
• RJ Luis Jr. scored 18 points and Deivon Smith added 10 points and 10 rebounds as then-No. 22 St. John’s defeated Virginia 80-55 in the consolation game of the Baha Mar Hoops Championship on Friday, Nov. 22 in Nassau, Bahamas.
• The Red Storm shot 52.5 percent from the field, drilled 10 3-pointers and scored 40 points in the paint.
• St. John’s forced 16 turnovers and added 11 fast break points.
• Elijah Saunders scored 12 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Andrew Rohde added 11 and Isaac McKneely 10, respectively.
• The Cavaliers shot 40 percent from the field, including 32.1 percent from 3-point range.
• St. John’s out-rebounded Virginia 34-26.
Seattle’s Best Cofie
• Seattle, Wash., native Jacob Cofie has enjoyed a solid start to his collegiate career.
• Cofie leads UVA in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and steals (1.2 spg), and is second blocks (1.0 bpg), and third in scoring (8.6 ppg).
• He is the first UVA freshman to reach double figures in scoring in each of his first three games since Sylven Landesberg in 2008-09.
• Cofie’s 16 points (7 of 8 FGs) in his collegiate debut were the most 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.
McThreely: Dialed in From Long Distance
• Junior Isaac McKneely is UVA’s all-time 3-point percentage leader at 43.1 percent.
• McKneely has made 147 of 341 career 3-pointers, including 81 last season which ranks ninth on UVA’s single-season list.
• McKneely’s 6 of 6 effort from 3-point range vs. Villanova marked a Cavalier single-game record for most made 3’s without a miss.
• McKneely’s 12 3-pointers in back-to-back games against Syracuse and NCCU (career-best 6 in each game) last season were the most at UVA in a two-game span since Kyle Guy made 13 in 2019.
• McKneely has made six or more 3-pointers in four games and two or more 3-pointers in 42 games.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Holy Cross in non-conference action on Friday, Nov. 29. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.