Virginia Concludes West Coast Trip at Stanford on Saturday Afternoon
PALO ALTO, Calif. – Virginia (8-7, 1-3 ACC) concludes its two-game West coast trip at Stanford (10-5, 2-2 ACC) on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff at Maples Pavilion is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Stanford for the first time in ACC action.
• Stanford has a six-game win streak in the series.
• UVA is 1-5 away from home and 0-3 in true road contests.
• Four of Virginia’s losses have come against ranked opponents.
• Elijah Saunders posted his first career double-double (11 points & 10 rebounds) in the loss at Cal on Jan. 8.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Stanford 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 8-7, 1-3 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. Stanford
• Virginia is 1-7 all-time vs. Stanford in a series that dates to 1991-92.
• Stanford is 4-0 vs. Virginia at home, including an 81-60 win in the last meeting between the teams on Nov. 18, 2010.
• The Cavaliers posted their lone win in the series in 1992-93, defeating the Cardinal 72-48 at University Hall in Charlottesville.
• Stanford has scored 72 or more points in five of the eight meetings.
Last Time vs. The Cardinal
• Jeremy Green scored 21 points as Stanford clipped Virginia 81-60 on Nov. 18, 2010, in Palo Alto, Calif.
• Anthony Brown (13), Andrew Zimmermann (12), Aaron Bright (12) and current Dallas Maverick Dwight Powell (10) joined Green in double figures.
• The Cardinal shot 54.4 percent, including 56.5 percent (13 of 23) from 3-point range.
Mustapha Farrakhan led UVA with 14 points, while Joe Harris added 12 points and Jontel Evans chipped in 11 points.
• UVA’s 18 turnovers led to 22 points for the Cardinal.
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 12.1 points and 11.7 points per game, respectively.
• Saunders, who has led UVA in scoring in seven games, has averaged 16 points during his six-game double-figure scoring streak.
• McKneely leads the ACC in 3-point percentage (43.8%) and ranks third in 3-pointers made per game (2.8).
• Andrew Rohde (9.1 ppg, 3.4 apg) is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 42.5 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 (8.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots (17), and has started the last four contests.
• Taine Murray (4.2 ppg, 33.3% 3FG), Blake Buchanan (5.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Dai Dai Ames (6.3 ppg, 85% FTs), TJ Power (1.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg), Ishan Sharma (2.9 ppg, 33.3% 3FG) and Anthony Robinson round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 14 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA is shooting 43 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3-point range and 74.6 percent from the free throw line, surpassing last season’s marks (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT).
Last Time Out
• Andrej Stojakovic scored 23 points to lead California to a 75-61 win over Virginia at Haas Pavilion on Jan. 8.
• Cal scored 27 points from the free throw line and 30 points in the paint to net its first ACC victory.
• Andrew Rohde scored 14 points, Jacob Cofie added 12 points and Elijah Saunders recorded a career-high 10 rebounds in his first career double-double.
Rely on Eli
• Junior transfer Elijah Saunders is averaging 16 points per game during his six-game double-figure scoring streak.
• Saunders recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and career-best 10 rebounds at Cal.
• 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 leads the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and is second in rebounding (5.3 rpg).
McThreely
• Junior Isaac McKneely is UVA’s all-time 3-point percentage leader at 42.6 percent.
• McKneely has made 174 of 408 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 32-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 (5.5 rpg), blocks (17) and double-doubles (2), and ranks second in steals (13) and fourth in scoring (8.1 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 five games.
• Cofie made his first career start against then-No. 21 Memphis.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts SMU on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 9 p.m. on ACC Network. The Mustangs defeated the Cavaliers, 63-51, on Dec. 7 in Dallas.