Sports
Men's Basketball Hosts North Carolina A&T Tuesday – Virginia University
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (2-0) hosts North Carolina A&T (0-2) in non-conference action on Tuesday (Nov. 14). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
For Openers
• Virginia meets its first of two Coastal Athletic Association foes in 2023-24 (North Carolina A&T and Northeastern).
• UVA meets its first CAA opponent since posting an 89-42 win over Monmouth on Nov. 11, 2022.|
• UVA is 167-50 (.770) in non-conference action under Bennett.
• The Cavaliers have started 2-0 for the second straight season.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-North Carolina A&T game will be carried online at WatchESPN.com
• 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 Head Coach
• Dean and Markel Families Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tony Bennett has a 343-125 (.733) mark in 15 seasons at UVA and 412-158 (.723) career mark in 18 seasons as a head coach.
• Bennett passed Terry Holland (326-173, 16 seasons) as UVA’s all-time winningest coach with the win over Syracuse (1/7/23).
• Bennett recorded his 400th career win at Wake Forest (1/21/23).
• Bennett has guided the Cavaliers to six ACC regular-season titles (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023), two ACC Tournament titles (2014 and 2018) and one NCAA national championship (2019).
• The three-time National (2007, 2015 and 2018) and four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) guided UVA to its 11th consecutive postseason berth in 2022-23.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• We play defense, take quality shots, pass the basketball, limit turnovers and transition points, rebound and play more defense.
• UVA returns one starter – Reece Beekman (14.5 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.5 rpg & 3.0 spg) – from last season’s ACC regular-season champion and NCAA tournament team that finished 25-8.
• Beekman, who earned All-ACC third-team honors last season, needs 57 steals to pass Othell Wilson (222 steals from 1981-84) for first all-time at UVA.
• Isaac McKneely (12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 50% 3FG), Ryan Dunn (7.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.0 spg) and Taine Murray (5.0 ppg) also return. McKneely averaged 6.7 points and shot a team-best 39.2 percent from 3-point range last year, while Dunn tallied 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game.
• Transfers Andrew Rohde (6.5 ppg), Jake Groves (10.5 ppg) and Jordan Minor, and redshirts Leon Bond III (7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)and Dante Harris (6.5 ppg, 1.5 apg) and newcomer Blake Buchanan (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) are main contributors.
• Elijah Gertrude, Anthony Robinson and Christian Bliss will redshirt the season, while recruited walk-ons Desmond Roberts and Tristan How round out the roster.
• UVA is shooting 46.7 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from 3-point range and 60.3 percent from the free throw line.
• UVA has committed just 14 turnovers and has 2.14 assist/turnover ratio.
All-Time vs. North Carolina A&T
• Virginia is 1-0 all-time against North Carolina A&T in the series that dates to the 1994-95 season.
• Junior Burrough scored 24 points and Cory Alexander and Curtis Staples added 17 each as Virginia defeated North Carolina A&T 94-50 on Nov. 30, 1994, at University Hall.
• Current associate head coach Jason Williford added six points, three rebounds and two assists in the contest.
Last Time Out
• Blake Buchanan scored 18 points along with seven rebounds to lead Virginia to a 73-70 non-conference win over Florida on Nov. 10 in Charlotte, N.C.
• Reece Beekman added 13 points, five assists and three steals, and Jake Groves chipped in 12 points.
• Ryan Dunn tied a school record with seven steals and UVA had just six turnovers.
• Will Richard led five Gators in double figures with 16 points.
• UVA won despite being out-rebounded 47-30 and shooting 14 of 24 from the charity stripe.
There’s No Place Like Home
• UVA is 232-54 (.812), including a 1-0 mark in 2023-24, in 18 seasons at John Paul Jones Arena.
• The Cavaliers finished 15-1 and 10-0 at home in ACC league play last season for the first time since the ACC expanded to a 20-game schedule.
• UVA is 194-38 (.836), including a 159-23 (.874) mark the past 12 seasons, at JPJ under Bennett.
• UVA has an ACC-leading 88 wins in league home games over the past 11 seasons. Duke is second at 87.
• UVA has won 10+ home games for 13 straight seasons.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts Texas Southern in a non-conference contest on Thursday, Nov. 16. Tipoff at JPJ is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network.