Virginia Hosts No. 3 Duke on Monday Night
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (13-12, 6-8 ACC) hosts No. 3 Duke (22-3, 14-1 ACC) in an ACC contest on Monday, Feb. 17. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.
For Openers
• Duke (22-3) is first in the ACC at 14-1, while Virginia (13-12) is tied for ninth in the ACC at 6-8.
• UVA is 0-4 vs. ranked opponents, meeting its first ranked foe since losing 64-62 against then-No. 21 Memphis at JPJ.
• The Cavaliers have won three straight games for the first time since opening the season 3-0.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Duke game will be televised on ESPN and streamed on ESPN.com/watch and 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 13-12, 6-8 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.
All-Time vs. Duke
• UVA meets Duke for the 180th meeting overall and 78th time in Charlottesville in a series that dates to 1910-11.
• The Cavaliers are 54-125 all-time vs. the Blue Devils, including a 36-41 mark in Charlottesville.
• UVA is 2-2 in its last four home games vs. Duke.
• UVA is 2-3 in its last five games vs. Duke and 4-6 in its last 10.
• Seven of the last 10 meetings have been decided by four points or less.
Last Time vs. The Blue Devils
• Kyle Filipowski scored 21 points and Tyrese Proctor added 15 to lead then-No. 10 Duke to a 73-48 win over Virginia in ACC action on March 2, 2024, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
• Reece Beekman led Virginia with 18 points and seven assists and became UVA’s all-time steals leader with three steals.
• Duke raced to a 33-13 first-half lead and never looked back as UVA shot 23.1 percent (17 of 55) in the loss.
• Duke shot 49.2 percent (30 of 61) and out-rebounded Virginia 42-29.
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 (13.7 ppg), 3-pointers (78) and 3-point percentage (41.7%).
Saunders ranks second on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.4 rpg).
• Andrew Rohde (8.9 ppg, 4.4 apg) leads the team in assists and ranks third in scoring.
• Jacob Cofie (7.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg) leads the team in steals (25) and ranks second in blocks (20) and third in rebounding.
• Dai Dai Ames (7.8 ppg, 41.1% 3FGs) has averaged 16.8 points over the last four games and Blake Buchanan (5.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has averaged 9.7 rebounds over the past three games.
• Taine Murray (4.5 ppg, 43.2% 3FG), Ishan Sharma (3.8 ppg, 34.8% 3FG), Anthony Robinson (3.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and TJ Power (1.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg) round out the rotation.
• Robinson is averaging 9 points and 4.5 rebounds in the last four games.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 23 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova.
• UVA has made 10 or more 3-pointers in six of its last seven games (5-2) and is 10-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
• UVA is shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from 3-point range (29th nationally) and 74.6 percent from the free throw line (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT last season).
Last Time Out
• Isaac McKneely scored 22 points to lead Virginia to a 73-70 win over Virginia Tech in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash on Feb. 15.
• Anthony Robinson (4 of 5 FGs & 7 of 8 FTs) added career bests in points (15) and rebounds (7) as UVA earned the season split against its in-state rivals.
• UVA (13-12, 6-8 ACC) drilled 11 3-pointers and outrebounded the Hokies, 30-28.
• Tobi Lawal led the Hokies with a game-high 23 points
On The Horizon
• Virginia travels to North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tipoff at Smith Center is set for 4 p.m. on ESPN.