Men’s Basketball Closes Regular Season at Syracuse on Saturday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (15-15, 8-11 ACC) concludes regular season action at Syracuse (12-18, 6-13 ACC) on Saturday, March 8. Tipoff at JMA Wireless Dome is set for 8 p.m. on the ACC Network.
For Openers
• Virginia (15-15) tied for ninth in the ACC at 8-11, while Syracuse (12-17) is tied for 14th at 6-13.
• Dai Dai Ames has averaged 15.3 points during his nine-game double-figure streak.
• UVA ranks 22nd nationally in 3-point percentage (38%) and 28th in assist/turnover ratio at 1.5.
• Virginia can secure a first round bye in the ACC Tournament and No. 9 seed with a win.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Syracuse game will be televised on the ACC Network and streamed on ESPN.com/watch and ESPN+.
• The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and the 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 15-15, 8-11 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. Syracuse
• UVA is 14-6 all-time against Syracuse, including a 12-2 mark in ACC action, in the series that dates to 1983-84.
• Virginia has a six-game winning streak against the Orange, including an 84-62 win in its ACC opener last season.
• UVA has a five-game road win streak in the series and is 6-2 against the Orange in Syracuse.
• UVA has held the Orange to 69 or fewer points in each of the last 16 meetings between the teams.
Last Time vs. The Orange
• Isaac McKneely scored 22 points to lead Virginia to an 84-62 win over Syracuse in its ACC opener on Dec. 2, 2024.
• McKneely drilled a career-best six 3-pointers on eight attempts.
• Reece Beekman added 13 points and eight assists, and spearheaded UVA’s defense that limited Syracuse’s Judah Mintz to five points on 2 of 8 shooting.
• Andrew Rohde chipped in 10 points in UVA’s 16th consecutive ACC-opening win.
• UVA outrebounded the Orange 33-27 and forced 14 turnovers.
• UVA had season highs in 3-pointers (12) and field goal percentage (54.5%).
• JJ Starling led Syracuse with 16 points.
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, 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 (14.2 ppg), 3-pointers (93) and 3-point percentage (41.7%).
• Saunders ranks second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg).
• Andrew Rohde (9.6 ppg, 4.4 apg) leads the team in assists and ranks third in scoring.
• Jacob Cofie (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg) leads the team in steals (31) and ranks second in blocks (25) and third in rebounding.
• Dai Dai Ames (8.9 ppg, 41.7% 3FGs) scored a career-high 27 points at Pitt and is shooting 57.9 percent during his seven-game double-figure streak.
• Blake Buchanan (5.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) has recorded 10 or more rebounds in three contests.
• Taine Murray (4.2 ppg, 40.5% 3FG), Ishan Sharma (3.3 ppg, 32.9% 3FG), Anthony Robinson (3.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and TJ Power (1.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg) round out the rotation.
• The Cavaliers have made six or more 3-pointers in 28 games, including a season-high 14 against Villanova and 10 or more in 10 games (8-2).
• UVA is 10-1 when outrebounding its opponent.
• UVA is shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range (22nd nationally) and 75.2 percent from the free throw line (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT last season).
Last Time Out
• Andrew Rohde scored 17 points, including a crucial 3-pointer, to lift Virginia past Florida State 60-57 on March 5.
• Dai Dai Ames added a game-high 18 points and Elijah Saunders chipped in 12 for UVA (15-15, 8-11 ACC).
• UVA drilled 11 3-pointers and had 12 fastbreak points.
• Jamir Watkins led the Seminoles (16-14, 7-12 ACC) with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
On The Horizon
• Virginia will compete at the ACC Tournament on either Tuesday (March 11) or Wednesday (March 12) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.