Virginia Plays at Cal in ACC Action Late Wednesday Night
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (8-6, 1-2 ACC) begins its two-game West coast road trip at Cal (7-7, 0-3 ACC) on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Tipoff at Haas Pavilion is set for 11 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Cal for the first time in ACC action.
• UVA is 1-4 away from home and 0-2 in true road contests.
• Four of Virginia’s losses have come against ranked opponents.
• Andrew Rohde’s 16 points vs. Louisville marked his UVA high since transferring to UVA in 2023-24.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Cal game will be televised on ESPNU, 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 8-6, 1-2 ACC 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. Cal
• Virginia is 2-0 all-time vs. Cal in a series that dates to 2015-16.
• UVA defeated Cal 63-61 in overtime in the first meeting on Dec. 22, 2015, at John Paul Jones Arena.
• The Cavaliers added a 56-52 win at Cal on Dec. 21, 2016.
Last Time vs. The Golden Bears
• Kyle Guy tallied 17 points and London Perrantes added 14 as then-No. 12 Virginia posted a 56-52 at California on Dec. 21, 2015.
• Perrantes scored UVA’s first nine points and Guy tallied seven points during the Cavaliers’ 17-2 run in the second half as UVA ended Cal’s school-record, 27-game home winning streak.
• UVA limited Cal to 35.3 percent shooting and committed just seven turnovers in the road win.
• Jabari Bird led the Bears with 15 points, Sam Singer added 10 and Ivan Raab had a game-high 12 rebounds.
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.
• Elijah Saunders and McKneely lead the team in scoring at 12.3 points and 12.1 points per game, respectively.
• Saunders, who has led UVA in scoring in seven games, has averaged 17 points during his five-game double-figure scoring streak.
• McKneely ranks second in the ACC in 3-point percentage (44.6%) and 3-pointers made per game (2.93).
• Andrew Rohde (9.1 ppg, 3.2 apg) is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from 3-point range after shooting 29.3 percent from the field and 25.7 percent from 3-point land last season.
• Jacob Cofie (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) leads the team in rebounding and has started the last four contests.
Blake Buchanan (5.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Dai Dai Ames (6.8 ppg, 85% FTs), Taine Murray (4.5 ppg, 30% 3FG), TJ Power (1.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and Anthony Robinson round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 13 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA is shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from 3-point range and 73.2 percent from the free throw line, surpassing last season’s marks (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT).
Last Time Out
• Aboubacar Traore and Reyne Smith each scored 15 points to lead Louisville past Virginia, 70-50, in ACC action on Jan. 4 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• The loss snapped UVA’s nine-game win streak against the Cardinals and marked the Cavaliers’ largest home ACC loss since a 66-42 setback to Maryland on Jan. 27, 2011.
• Louisville dominated the glass 42-25, ripping down 14 offensive rebounds and owning a 36-18 advantage in paint points.
• Andrew Rohde led Virginia with 16 points, while Isaac McKneely added 13 points and Elijah Saunders chipped in 12 points.
• The Cardinals also owned a 34-2 advantage in bench points, led by Smith’s 15 points on five 3-pointers.
Rely on Eli
• Junior transfer Elijah Saunders is averaging 17 points per game during his five-game double-figure scoring streak.
• Saunders netted a career-high 22 points against NC State and 21 versus American, and has scored 15 or more points in five of the last seven games.
• Saunders has led UVA in scoring in seven contests, including 19 points at then-No. 13 Florida.
• Saunders is second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.9 rpg).
McThreely
• Junior Isaac McKneely is UVA’s all-time 3-point percentage leader at 42.8 percent.
• McKneely has made 173 of 404 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 49 games (10 this season).
• McKneely has a 31-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 (5.6 rpg), blocks (17) and double-doubles (2), and ranks third in steals (11) and fourth in scoring (7.9 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 travels to Stanford for an ACC contest on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff at Maples Pavilion is set for 4 p.m. on ESPNU.