Road Game at Louisville Next For Cavaliers
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (8-9, 1-5 ACC) travels to Louisville (13-5, 6-1 ACC) for an ACC contest on Saturday, Jan. 18. Tipoff at KFC Yum! Center is set for Noon on ESPN2.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Louisville for the second time this season.
• UVA has lost four straight games for the first time since 2016-17 (Virginia Tech, No. 12 Duke, No. 10 UNC and Miami).
• Blake Buchanan’s 15 rebounds were the most by a UVA player since Mike Tobey’s 20-rebound effort vs. Louisville on March 5, 2016.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Louisville 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 8-9, 1-5 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. Louisville
• Virginia is 24-6 all-time vs. Louisville in a series that dates to 1923-24.
• Louisville ended UVA’s nine-game win streak in the series with the 70-50 win on Jan. 4 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• UVA has won 18 of the last 20 meetings.
• The Cavaliers are 11-4 vs. the Cardinals in Louisville, including an 8-2 mark at KFC Yum! Center.
• UVA is 19-3 vs. Louisville since the Cardinals joined the ACC.
Last Time vs. The Cardinals
• 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.
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 and Saunders lead the team in scoring at 11.9 points and 11.6 points per game, respectively.
• McKneely ranks second in the ACC in 3-point percentage (41.6%) and ranks third in 3-pointers made per game (2.76).
• Saunders has led UVA in scoring in seven games and ranks sixth in the ACC in free throw percentage at 86.5 percent.
• Andrew Rohde (8.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) ranks 11th in the ACC in assists and leads the team in steals (20). He is shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from distance (29.3% FG, and 25.7% 3FG last season).
• Jacob Cofie (8.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) leads the team in rebounding and is second in blocks (17) and steals (16).
• Dai Dai Ames (6.2 ppg, 85% FTs) rejoined the starting five, while Blake Buchanan (5.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Ishan Sharma (3.6 ppg, 34% 3FG), Taine Murray (3.9 ppg, 31.8% 3FG), TJ Power (1.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg), and Anthony Robinson (1.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg) round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 15 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA is shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from 3-point range and 75.4 percent from the free throw line (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT last season).
Last Time Out
• Boopie Miller drilled a game-winning 3-pointer near the buzzer to lift SMU to a 54-52 win at Virginia on Jan. 15.
• UVA used a 12-0 run to gain a 50-45 lead, but SMU responded by burying three straight 3-pointers, including two from Miller, who led the Mustangs with 12 points.
• UVA’s Blake Buchanan recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and career-high 15 rebounds.
• UVA shot a season-low 15.4 percent from distance (4 of 26)
KFC Yum! Center Has Been Tasty
• Virginia is 10-2 all-time at the KFC Yum! Center, including a pair of wins at the 2019 NCAA South Regional.
• UVA defeated Oregon (53-49) in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and Purdue (80-75 OT) in the NCAA Elite Eight to advance to its first NCAA Final Four since 1984.
• Virginia is 8-2 vs. Louisville at KFC Yum! Center, including a 69-52 win last season.
Look Away
• Virginia is 1-6 away from home and 0-4 in true road contests.
• The Cavaliers are averaging 59 points and allowing 73.9 points in seven games away from Charlottesville.
• UVA has allowed 80 or points in three away games (St. John’s, Florida and Stanford) and is averaging 13.6 turnovers per game in away games compared to 9.2 at home.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Boston College on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network.