No. 9 Seed Virginia Battles No. 8 Seed Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament Second Round
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No. 9 seed Virginia (15-16, 8-12 ACC) plays No. 8 seed Georgia Tech (16-15, 10-10 ACC) in the second round of the ACC Tournament on Wednesday, March 12 in Charlotte, N.C. Tipoff at Spectrum Center is set for Noon on ESPN2.
For Openers
• The ACC Tournament returns to Charlotte for the first time since 2019 when UVA lost to Florida State in the semifinals before winning six game to claim the NCAA championship.
• Isaac McKneely earned All-ACC honorable mention honors after leading the ACC in 3-point percentage at 41 percent along with a team-high 14 points per game.
• Dai Dai Ames has averaged 14.8 points during his 10-game double-figure streak.
• Ron Sanchez returns to the Queen City after serving as head coach at Charlotte from 2018-23.
• Virginia is 14-19 all-time in Charlotte (3-2 vs. Davidson, 1-0 vs. Florida, 8-14 in the ACC Tournament and 2-3 in the NCAA Tournament).
• The Cavaliers are 4-4 at the former Time Warner Cable Arena and current Spectrum Center.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Georgia Tech 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 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 15-16, 8-12 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.
UVA All-Time in The ACC Tournament
• Virginia is the No. 9 seed in the ACC Tournament for the fourth time (1998, 1999, 2010, 2025) and first since 2010.
• UVA’s No. 9 seed is its lowest since its No. 9 seed in 2010.
• UVA has posted a 1-3 mark as the No. 9 seed in tournament with all three appearances in North Carolina (Greensboro 1998 and 1999 and Charlotte 2010).
• The Cavaliers are 47-66 all-time in the ACC Tournament and 8-14 in Charlotte, reaching the title game in 1990 and 1994.
• UVA captured ACC Tournament titles as the No. 6 seed in 1976, No. 1 seed in 2014 and No. 1 seed in 2018.
• UVA is 2-0 in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
• UVA has advanced to the semifinals in eight of the last 10 ACC tournaments.
All-Time vs. Georgia Tech
• Virginia is 50-40 all-time vs. Georgia Tech, including a 5-5 mark in ACC tournament action, in a series that dates to 1947-48.
• UVA meets Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament for the first time since posting a 72-52 win over the Yellow Jackets in the 2016 ACC quarterfinals in Washington, D.C.
• The Cavaliers have a 13-game win streak in the series, including a 75-61 win on Feb. 8 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• Georgia Tech’s last win vs. the Cavaliers in the series was a 68-64 victory in Atlanta on Jan. 9, 2016.
• Virginia is 20-2 in its last 22 games against Georgia Tech.
Last Time vs. The Yellow Jackets
• 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.
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 ppg), 3-pointers (94) and 3-point percentage (41%).
• Saunders ranks second on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.1 rpg).
• Andrew Rohde (9.4 ppg, 4.3 apg) leads the team in assists and steals (32) and ranks third in scoring.
• Jacob Cofie (7.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg) leads the team in steals (32) and ranks second in blocks (26) and third in rebounding.
• Dai Dai Ames (8.9 ppg, 41.9% 3FGs) is shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range during his 10-game double-figure streak.
• Blake Buchanan (5.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg) has recorded 10 or more rebounds in three contests.
• Taine Murray (4.1 ppg, 40.5% 3FG), Ishan Sharma (3.4 ppg, 33.3% 3FG), Anthony Robinson (3.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and TJ Power (1.3 ppg, 1.0 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 44.9 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from 3-point range and 75.1 percent from the free throw line (42.8% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 63.7% FT last season).
Last Time Out
• Eddie Lampkin tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Syracuse past Virginia, 84-70, in ACC action on March 8 at JMA Wireless Dome.
• Lampkin was 11-for-12 from the field and 3-for-3 from the foul line on Senior Day.
• Jyare Davis and Lucas Taylor each had 15 points for Syracuse.
• Syracuse shot 59.6 percent and netted 42 points in the paint.
• The Orange outrebounded the Cavaliers 31-17.
• Jacob Cofie led UVA with 13 points and Dai Dai Ames added 10 points.
On The Horizon
• The Virginia-Georgia Tech winner will play No. 1 seed Duke (28-3, 19-1 ACC) on Thursday (March 13) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Tipoff is set for Noon on ESPN.