Virginia Travels to Miami for ACC Road Contest
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (9-11, 2-7 ACC) travels to Miami (4-16, 0-9 ACC) in ACC action on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Tipoff at Watsco Center is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
For Openers
• Virginia meets Miami for the lone time in 2024-25.
• UVA defeated Miami 60-38 last season at John Paul Jones Arena, holding the Hurricanes to their lowest scoring output since Dec. 28, 1948 (Miami 37-35 over Princeton).
• Virginia is 16th in the ACC at 2-7, while Miami is 18th at 0-9.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Miami game will be televised on the 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 9-11, 2-7 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. Miami
• Virginia is 16-13 all-time vs. Miami in the series that dates to 1965-66.
• UVA has won seven of the last eight meetings, including three of the four meetings at Watsco Center.
• Fourteen of the last 17 meetings between the teams have been decided by 10 points or less.
• UVA has limited Miami to 58 or fewer points in seven of the last eight meetings.
Last Time vs. The Hurricanes
• Reece Beekman scored 16 points to lead Virginia to a 60-38 win over Miami on Feb. 5 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• UVA’s defense held Miami to 28.6 percent shooting, including 2 of 20 from 3-point range.
• Jake Groves added 12 points for the Cavaliers and Ryan Dunn chipped in eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
• Norchad Omier led the Canes with 11 points and 13 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.
• McKneely leads the team in scoring (12.4 ppg), 3-pointers (58) and 3-point percentage (42.3%).
Saunders leads the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and ranks second in scoring (11.8 ppg).
Andrew Rohde (8.7 ppg, 3.6 apg) leads the team in assists and steals (21) and ranks third in scoring.
• Jacob Cofie (7.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is second on the team in rebounding, blocks (18) and steals (18).
• Dai Dai Ames (6.0 ppg, 40% 3FGs) rejoined the starting five, while Blake Buchanan (5.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Ishan Sharma (3.9 ppg, 33.8% 3FG), Taine Murray (3.7 ppg, 37.5% 3FG), Anthony Robinson (2.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and TJ Power (1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg) round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 18 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA is shooting 43.2 percent from the field, 37 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).
• UVA’s recent five-game losing streak (Jan. 4-18) was its longest since suffering a nine-game ACC losing streak from Feb. 6-March 6, 2010.
Last Time Out
• Markus Burton scored 21 points and Tae Davis added 16 points to lead Notre Dame to a 74-59 win at Virginia on Jan. 25.
• The Fighting Irish shot 48.2 percent from the field, burying 12 of 23 3-pointers to improve to 9-10 overall, 3-5 ACC.
• Jacob Cofie led the Cavaliers (9-11, 2-7 ACC) with a season-high 17 points along with six rebounds.
• Isaac McKneely chipped in 14 points for UVA.
• Notre Dame out-rebounded UVA 39-27.
Look Away
• Virginia is 1-7 away from home and 0-5 in true road contests.
• The Cavaliers are averaging 60 points and allowing 74.8 points in eight games away from Charlottesville.
• UVA has allowed 80 or points in four away games (St. John’s, Florida and Stanford) and is averaging 13.8 turnovers per game in away games compared to 9.4 at home.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Virginia Tech in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network.