Cavaliers Host Eagles on Tuesday at JPJ
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (8-10, 1-6 ACC) hosts Boston College (9-9, 1-6 ACC) in ACC action on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on the ACC Network.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Boston College for the lone time in 2024-25.
• UVA has lost five consecutive games for the first time since 2010 when the Cavaliers suffered a nine-game ACC losing streak from Feb. 6 to March 6 (Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Florida State, Clemson, Miami, No. 5 Duke, Boston College and No. 22 Maryland).
• UVA and Boston College are tied for 16th in the ACC at 1-6.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Boston College 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 8-10, 1-6 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. Boston College
• Virginia is 21-9 all-time vs. Boston College, including a 2-0 mark last season, in a series that dates to 1971-72.
• The Cavaliers posted a 72-68 road win and 66-60 overtime win at the ACC Tournament against the Eagles last season.
• UVA has won 14 of the last 17 games in the series.
• UVA has limited Boston College to 58 or fewer points in eight of the last 13 meetings.
• The Cavaliers are 11-2 against the Eagles in Charlottesville, including an eight-game win streak at John Paul Jones Arena.
Last Time vs. The Eagles
• Jake Groves tallied his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds to help Virginia to a 66-60 overtime win over Boston College in the 2024 ACC Tournament semifinals on March 14 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
• Reece Beekman added 11 points and career-high tying 11 assists for his fifth double-double.
• Taine Murray (11 points) and Andrew Rohde (8 points) helped UVA to a 26-2 advantage in bench points.
• BC’s Mason Madsen (9 points) sent the game to overtime with a jumper as time expired.
• Quinten Post led the Eagles with 23 points and 11 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.
• Saunders leads the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.4 rpg). Saunders has led UVA in scoring in eight games and ranks ninth in the ACC in free throw percentage at 83.1 percent.
• McKneely ranks second on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and ranks second in the ACC in 3-point percentage (40.7%) and third in 3-pointers made per game (2.7).
• Andrew Rohde (8.6 ppg, 3.5 apg) ranks 12th in the ACC in assists and leads the team in steals (20). He is shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from distance (29.3% FG, and 25.7% 3FG last season).
• Jacob Cofie (7.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is second on the team in rebounding blocks (17) and steals (16).
Dai Dai Ames (6.1 ppg, 85% FTs) rejoined the starting five, while Blake Buchanan (5.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Ishan Sharma (3.7 ppg, 36% 3FG), Taine Murray (3.8 ppg, 34.8% 3FG), TJ Power (1.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg), and Anthony Robinson (1.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg) round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 16 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA is shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from 3-point range and 74.1 percent from the free throw line (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT last season).
Last Time Out
• Reyne Smith scored 19 points to lead Louisville to an 81-67 win in ACC action at KFC Yum! Center on Jan. 18.
• Terrence Edwards Jr. added 16 points and J’Vonne Hadley chipped in 13 points for the Cardinals (14-5, 7-1 ACC).
• Elijah Saunders led UVA (8-10, 1-6 ACC) with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
• Louisville scored 20 points off of UVA’s 15 turnovers.
• UVA was out-rebounded 36-30.
There’s No Place Like Home
• Virginia is 253-59 (.811), including a 7-3 mark in 2024-25, in 19 seasons at John Paul Jones Arena.
• UVA went 15-2 at JPJ last season and is 37-6 in its last 42 home contests.
• UVA is 104-11 (.904) in non-conference action in its last 16 seasons at JPJ.
• UVA and Duke have an ACC-leading 97 wins in league home games over the past 11 seasons.
• UVA has won 10+ home games for 15 straight seasons.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.