Know Your Foe: Virginia
Wikipedia
By Tucker Harlin
#11 Tennessee (4-0) meets Virginia (3-0) in the Baha Mar Hoops Championship Thursday in Nassau. Tip-off is at 9:30 p.m. ET and the game airs on CBS Sports Network.
Virginia became one of the most interesting stories in college basketball when head coach Tony Bennett announced his resignation less than a month before the 2024-25 season tipped off. Bennett coached in Charlottesville for 15 seasons, winning two ACC tournaments and an NCAA tournament in 2019.
Ron Sanchez was promoted to head coach when Bennett announced his retirement in October. Bennett may be gone, but all of his philosophies are still intact.
This program still plays the stifling defense that catapulted it to national relevance under Bennett. The goal was always to chase the opponent off the three-point line and force difficult shots.
The Cavaliers surrendered 56 and 45-point performances to Campbell and Coppin State in their first two games. The best team the Wahoos have played through three games is Villanova, who they surrendered just 60 points to on the defensive end.
I’d liken a win over Villanova to Tennessee’s win against Louisville, but I’d argue the Vols’ victory is better on the premise that the Cardinals are at least trying their hand with a new coach while the Wildcats are in the third year of a disastrous tenure with Kyle Neptune.
In the years following its national championship victory, Virginia has become something in college basketball similar to what we associate Iowa with in college football. Both are incredible at playing defense which makes them capable of beating most opponents, but lack of offense allows opponents just as good a shot at beating them.
The results we’ve seen in recent years are generally either wins by a score in the neighborhood of 56-47 or losses in the realm of 72-49. My point is offensive stability is hard for Virginia to create.
The most consistent option this team has offensively is junior guard Isaac McKneely. The win over Villanova allowed that theory to pass the test with flying colors as McKneely was a perfect 6/6 from three in the win.
ISAAC MCKNEELY IS STILL PERFECT FROM DEEP 🔥@UVAMensHoops is cruising in the @hofseries 👀 pic.twitter.com/RWQmBdmthn
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 16, 2024
The only other returnees in the starting lineup for the Wahoos are Blake Buchanan and Andrew Rohde. Buchanan is a big man standing at 6-11 while Rohde is in his second year with the program after transferring in from Liberty.
The two transfers that have been featured in the starting lineup so far are T.J. Power and Elijah Saunders. Power transfers in from ACC rival Duke, where he saw minutes very sparingly.
Saunders already has the defensive piece down after spending time with Brian Dutcher at San Diego State, playing with the team that faced UConn in the 2023 national title. Saunders broke double figures in the wins over Campbell and Coppin State.
Other names to keep your eyes on are guard Dai Dai Ames and forward Jacob Cofie.
Ames started his career at Kansas State under Jerome Tang last season. He was primarily a bench option in Manhattan with most of his more productive outings coming before Big 12 play began. Ames scored eight in the victory against Villanova.
Cofie is a four star freshman out of Washington. Outside of McKneely, Cofie is the most consistent scorer for the Wahoos while also adding a physical presence around the glass.
