Virginia Hosts Bethune-Cookman on Thursday Night
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (5-4) hosts Bethune-Cookman (2-6) in non-conference action on Thursday, Dec. 12. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on the ACC Network.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Bethune-Cookman for the second time.
• UVA is 4-0 at home and owns a 102-10 record in non-conference action at John Paul Jones Arena since 2009-10
• UVA ranks 28th nationally in 3-point accuracy at 39.1 percent.
• Isaac McKneely leads the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game, shooting 50 percent from 3-point range and scoring in double figures in eight games.
• UVA is shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range, up from 42.8 percent and 35.8 percent, respectively, last season.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia/Bethune-Cookman game will be televised on the ACC Network, streamed on WatchESPN.com and available on 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 5-4 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.
All-Time vs. Bethune-Cookman
• The Cavaliers are 1-0 against Bethune-Cookman in the series that dates back to 1994.
• Virginia defeated Bethune-Cookman 109-49 at University Hall on December 8, 1994.
• Cory Alexander led UVA with 28 points on 10 for 14 shooting.
• Junior Burrough (19 points), Curtis Staples (15 points), Harold Deane (14 points) and Yuri Barnes (10 points) rounded out the double figure scorers for UVA.
• Current Associate head coach Jason Williford started against Bethune-Cookman and contributed two points, eight rebounds and five assists in his 16 minutes, while current UVA strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtis came off the bench and scored four points and grabbed three boards in six minutes.
• The Cavaliers shot 58.1 percent (36 of 62) and held the Wildcats to 25.7 percent shooting.
• Latroy Strong led the Wildcats with 15 points.
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 per game.
• McKneely leads UVA in scoring at 13.6 points per game, leading the team in scoring in three contests.
• Andrew Rohde (9.1 ppg, 3.0 apg) has been UVA’s most improved player, shooting 51 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from 3-point range. Rohde shot 29.3 percent from the field and 25.7 percent from 3-point land last season.
• Elijah Saunders (9.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Jacob Cofie (8.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Buchanan (6.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) have held down the frontcourt.
• Dai Dai Ames (8.1 ppg, 92.9 FT%) has started the last eight games at point guard. Ames played seven minutes at SMU before leaving the game with an ankle injury.
• TJ Power (2.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg) started the first five games.
• Ishan Sharma, Taine Murray and Anthony Robinson have seen action off the bench.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in each game, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA has committed 14 or more turnovers and allowed 34 points per game in the paint in its four losses.
• UVA committed 11 or more turnovers in its first five games, but has 14 turnovers in its past two games (8 vs. Manhattan and 6 vs. Holy Cross).
Last Time Out
• Kario Oquendo scored a game-high 21 points to lead SMU to a 63-51 win over Virginia in the ACC opener for both teams on Dec. 7 in Dallas, Texas.
• The Mustangs withstood an 8:29 scoring draught spanning halftime to win their inaugural ACC opener.
• UVA committed 14 turnovers which led to 18 points for SMU.
• Isaac McKneely led the Cavaliers with 17 points.
• SMU outscored UVA 30-10 in the paint.
McThreely: UVA’s Top Long Distance Shooter
• Junior Isaac McKneely is UVA’s all-time 3-point percentage leader at 43.5 percent.
• McKneely has made 161 of 370 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 six 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 46 games (7 this season).
Seattle’s Best Cofie
• Seattle, Wash., native Jacob Cofie has enjoyed a solid start to his collegiate career.
• Cofie leads UVA in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and is second in blocks (10) and steals (8) and fourth in scoring (8.3 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.
• He has reached double figures in scoring in four games.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Memphis in non-conference action on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.