Virginia Clashes at Virginia Tech on Saturday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (12-12, 4-8 ACC) plays at in-state rival Virginia Tech (11-13, 6-7 ACC) in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tipoff at Cassell Coliseum is set for 2 p.m. on The CW.
For Openers
• Virginia (12-12) is tied for 11th in the ACC at 5-8, while Virginia Tech (11-13) is tied for eighth at 6-7.
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game is part of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, which is a head-to-head, points-based athletics competition between the schools.
• Andrew Rohde is the lone ACC player since 2004-05 to have three consecutive games with seven or more assists and no turnovers.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game will be televised on The CW.
• 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 12-12, 5-8 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.
• Sanchez 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.
The Commonwealth Clash
• The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash is a rivalry between Virginia and Virginia Tech across all school-sponsored sports with 21 individual event points on the line.
• The school that accumulates 11 points or more will be crowned the winner of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash trophy.
• The UVA-VT game is worth a half point in the Clash and the Cavaliers lead this year’s Clash 5.5-3.0.
• UVA captured the Clash in 2015, 2016, 2019, 2023 and 2024, while Virginia Tech won the Clash in 2017, 2018 and 2022. The 2020 and 2021 clashes were canceled due to the pandemic.
All-Time vs. Virginia Tech
• Virginia is 98-61 all-time vs. Virginia Tech, including a 23-34 mark in Blacksburg, in a series that dates to 1914-15.
• Virginia Tech defeated Virginia 75-74 on Feb. 1.
• Virginia Tech has a two-game win streak in the series and four-game win streak against the Cavaliers at Cassell Coliseum.
• The Cavaliers are 2-3 in their last five games against the Hokies and 6-4 in their last 10.
Last Time vs. The Hokies
• Jaden Schutt scored 18 points and Tobi Lawal added 17 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 75-74 win at Virginia on Feb. 1.
• Isaac McKneely led the Hoos with 19 points and seven assists, while Andrew Rohde added 12 points and seven assists.
• Rohde had a chance to win the game, but his driving floater rimmed out near the buzzer.
• Virginia Tech drilled 11 of 21 3-pointers and shot 52.1 overall.
• Dai Dai Ames had 11 points and Taine Murray added 10 points for the Cavaliers, who fell to 8-5 at JPJ.
• UVA committed a season-low four turnovers.
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 (13.4 ppg), 3-pointers (72) and 3-point percentage (41.6%).
• Saunders ranks second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg).
• Andrew Rohde (9.0 ppg, 4.2 apg) leads the team in assists and ranks third in scoring.
• Jacob Cofie (7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) leads the team in steals (24) and ranks second in blocks (20) and third in rebounding.
• Dai Dai Ames (7.6 ppg, 42.3% 3FGs) has averaged 18.7 points over the last three games and Blake Buchanan (6.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has averaged 8.5 points and 11 rebounds over the past two games.
• Taine Murray (4.7 ppg, 44.4% 3FG), Ishan Sharma (3.9 ppg, 34.9% 3FG), Anthony Robinson (2.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and TJ Power (1.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg) round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 22 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA is shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from 3-point range (26th nationally) 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 in 2010.
• UVA is 9-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
Last Time Out
• Isaac McKneely scored 20 points to lead Virginia to a 75-61 win over Georgia Tech on Tony Bennett Day on Feb. 8.
• Dai Dai Ames added 18 points and Andrew Rohde chipped in 11 points and nine assists.
• UVA made 11 3-pointers and won the rebound battle 38-24.
• Naithan George led the Yellow Jackets (11-13) with 20 points.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts No. 3 Duke on Monday, Feb. 17. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.