Virginia Returns to ACC Action Against NC State on New Year’s Eve
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (7-5, 0-1 ACC) returns to ACC action against NC State (8-4, 1-0 ACC) on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Tipoff for the New Year’s Eve battle at John Paul Jones Arena is set for Noon on ESPN2.
For Openers
• Virginia is 2-1 during its five-game homestand.
• Two of the three Virginia-NC State contests in 2023-24 went to overtime.
• UVA and NC State have each defeated Coppin State in non-conference play this season. The Hoos posted a 62-45 win over Coppin State and NC State charted a 66-56 win over the Eagles.
• Four of Virginia’s losses have come against ranked opponents.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-NC State game will be televised on ESPN2, 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 7-5 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. NC State
• Virginia is 70-87 all-time vs. NC State in the series that dates to 1912-13.
• NC State won two of three contests last season, including a dramatic 73-65 win in the ACC Tournament semifinals that would propel the Wolfpack to the ACC championship, NCAA Tournament and eventual Final Four berth.
• In the 2023-24 regular-season matchups, NC State defeated UVA, 76-60, at PNC Arena and UVA topped the Wolfpack 59-52 in overtime at John Paul Jones Arena.
• UVA is 43-25 against the Wolfpack in Charlottesville, including a 10-2 mark at JPJ.
• Interim head coach Ron Sanchez meets NC State for the first time.
Last Time vs. The Wolfpack
• NC State topped Virginia 73-65 in overtime in ACC semifinal action on Friday, March 15 in Washington, D.C.
• Michael O’Connell banked in a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation and the Wolfpack outscored the Cavaliers 15-7 in the extra session to win its fourth straight game to advance to the ACC final.
• UVA led 57-52 with 70 seconds remaining in regulation, but went 1 of 5 from the charity stripe to set up O’Connell’s heroics.
• Isaac McKneely scored 23 points and Reece Beekman added 17 points and career-high tying 11 assists.
• D.J. Burns, Jr. led NC State with 19 points and O’Connell and reserve Ben Middlebrooks each added 12 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 12.1 points per game, leading the team in scoring in three contests.
• Elijah Saunders (11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Jacob Cofie (8.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Buchanan (5.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) have held down the frontcourt.
• Andrew Rohde (8.3 ppg, 2.7 apg) is shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from 3-point range. Rohde shot 29.3 percent from the field and 25.7 percent from 3-point land last season.
• Dai Dai Ames (7.8 ppg, 85% FTs) has started 10 games at point guard. Ames missed the Bethune-Cookman game with an ankle injury.
• Senior Taine Murray (4.5 ppg, 37.5% 3FG), who has reached double figures in back-to-back games for the first time, is averaging a career-high 20.5 minutes per game.
• TJ Power (2.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg) started the first five games, while Ishan Sharma (2.2 ppg, 11.2 mpg) 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.
Last Time Out
• Elijah Saunders tallied a career-high 21 points to lead Virginia to a 63-58 win over American on Dec. 22 at JPJ.
• Taine Murray added 13 points and Isaac McKneely chipped in 11 points as UVA (7-5, 0-1 ACC) closed non-conference play with a 7-4 record.
• Saunders shot 7 of 9 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line to extend his double-figure streak to three games.
• UVA out-rebounded the Eagles 33-26 and scored 26 points in the paint.
Rely on Eli
• Junior transfer Elijah Saunders is averaging 17 points per game during his three-game double-figure scoring streak.
• Saunders netted a career-high 21 points against American and has scored 15 or more points in four of the last five games.
• Saunders has led UVA in scoring in six contests, including 19 points at then-No. 13 Florida.
• Saunders ranks second on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg).
McThreely
• Junior Isaac McKneely is UVA’s all-time 3-point percentage leader at 42.8 percent.
• McKneely has made 166 of 388 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 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 47 games (8 this season).
• McKneely has a 29-game 3-pointer streak dating back to 2023-24.
Seattle’s Best Cofie
• Seattle, Wash., native Jacob Cofie has made an immediate impact as a freshman at Virginia.
• Cofie leads UVA in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and double-doubles (2), ranks second in blocks (12), and third in steals (10) and 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.
• Cofie tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds against Bethune-Cookman for his second double-double.
• He has reached double figures in scoring in four games.
• Cofie made his first career start against then-No. 21 Memphis.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Louisville in ACC action on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 4 p.m. on the ACC Network.