Little excites the Charlottesville faithful more than the start of another men’s basketball season. Few Virginia programs have simultaneously attained such success and popularity. This season, though, brings more apprehension than excitement for many. Tony Bennett’s departure leaves much uncertainty in his wake. Interim Coach Ron Sanchez has plenty of talent to work with in 2024-25 despite facing such an unexpected challenge. Here’s a look at how he might utilize it, and the major challenges the Cavaliers face as the schedule ramps up.
The Rotation
To start with what is certain — junior guard Isaac McKneely will start for the Cavaliers. His three-point shooting and knowledge of the Virginia system are unmatched, as McKneely returns the most minutes of any player on this roster by a wide margin. But when McKneely takes a breather, his backup is far from a placeholder. Sharpshooting freshman guard Ishan Sharma will get minutes off of the bench, supplementing McKneely’s shooting prowess and easing the scoring burden — which McKneely is expected to overwhelmingly shoulder.
Sharma appeared to be a potential redshirt candidate, but the departure of senior guard Jalen Warley — who never played a minute for the Cavaliers — puts him squarely in the mix for some playing time. Senior guard Taine Murray and junior guard Andrew Rohde will also share minutes as key shooters off the bench thanks to their previous experience.
But aside from McKneely, the starting lineup gets blurry. This coaching staff brought in several impactful transfers over the offseason, including some potential starters — one of whom could fill the vacancy at point guard. Replacing Reece Beekman is an impossible task, and a former frontrunner for the job, sophomore guard Elijah Gertrude, will miss the entirety of the season due to a knee injury. Transfer guard Dai Dai Ames will certainly contend for the starting gig, but he has competition.
The other contender to start is redshirt freshman guard Christian Bliss — a highly talented but inexperienced guard with the talent and potential to take on the job long-term. Sanchez may opt to split minutes between the two, giving Bliss the experience he needs to grow into the role and leveraging Ames’ experience to provide the steady hand needed to run the Virginia offense. Initially, fans should look for Ames to take the lion’s share of minutes.
Over in the group of forwards, keep an eye on the transfers to elevate the Cavaliers. Sophomore forward TJ Power and junior forward Elijah Saunders both looked dominant in the Pepsi Blue-White Scrimmage. The key for both players will be how quickly they slot into Virginia’s defense-first system. If their performances in the scrimmage are any indication, offense will not be an issue for the two transfers, who should both find their way into the starting five early and often.
If Power and Saunders — listed at 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-8 respectively — lack the size to play simultaneously, Sanchez could slot in sophomore forward Blake Buchanan. Buchanan struggled to score at times last season, but a new-look offense could spread the floor more effectively and give him more opportunities to assert himself in the paint. Should Buchanan continue to struggle, Sanchez may shift toward freshman forward Jacob Cofie — whose size and scoring ability signal the arrival of a long-term, offensively-productive big man in Charlottesville. His offense-first mentality at a big forward spot is something the Cavaliers have lacked in recent years. Cofie might not play early in the season, but expect to see him play minutes late in games and more often as the season progresses.
Also worth mentioning is sophomore forward Carter Lang, a walk-on native of Charlottesville with Power Four experience at Vanderbilt. Lang produced little during his time with the Commodores, but he profiles as a forward with a promising future at Virginia, even if he projects to be an occasional role player in 2024-25.
Keeping in mind the many ups and downs of the basketball season, a tentative prediction for the starting five is Ames, McKneely, Power, Saunders and Buchanan.
Lineups this season will likely be taller than Virginia fans are used to because of the personnel Sanchez has. Much of the talent on this year’s team lies in the forwards. Gone are the days of the small quick-passing lineups — although Saunders and Power can certainly handle the ball.
This team will live or die behind the three-point line, and much of their success there will depend on how effectively their forwards can play in the paint. Expect to see many permutations of this lineup given the wealth of scoring options and talent remaining on the bench, with Murray or Rohde slotting in for a forward to give the lineup more versatility. And as the Cavaliers figure out their lineup, they will certainly face their share of challenging matchups.
Baha Mar Hoops Championship, Nassau, Bahamas — Nov. 21 versus Tennessee
Early season tournaments often provide the first real test for college basketball teams. Virginia faces a serious challenge right out of the gate against Tennessee, an SEC powerhouse ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP Top 25. The neutral site game will test the Cavaliers’ offense, as the Volunteers boasted the fifth-best field goal percentage defense nationally in 2023-24. Early matchups often mean little for a team’s position later in the season, but for a Virginia team with so many unknowns, a clash with Tennessee could be its best chance to assess its weaknesses and correct course before ACC play.
California Road Trip — at California, at Stanford
Back-to-back West Coast foes await the Cavaliers Jan. 8 and Jan. 11. California and Stanford may not be the most intimidating opponents — the two finished with more losses than wins in 2023-24 — but a long road trip offers unique challenges. The first matchups against new ACC foes merit some attention. The Cavaliers will look to start a streak against their new opponents that all Virginia fans can appreciate for years to come.
Mid-February Stretch — versus Duke, at North Carolina, at Wake Forest and versus Clemson
One midwinter chunk of the schedule stands out. Beginning Feb. 17 at home against Duke, Virginia kicks off a stretch against the top four teams in the ACC, per preseason rankings, which place the Cavaliers at No. 5 in the conference After Duke, Virginia hits the road against North Carolina Feb. 22 and Wake Forest Feb. 26, closing out the four-game gauntlet at home versus Clemson March 1.
If the Cavaliers escape such a tough run of top-tier ACC opponents with three wins, they can feel good about their position entering Selection Sunday, which follows shortly thereafter.
Commonwealth Clashes — Feb. 1 in Charlottesville, Feb. 15 in Blacksburg
As always, this year’s rendition of the Commonwealth Clash against Virginia Tech will be highly anticipated. Last year, the two teams each won one — but it felt especially disappointing for Virginia, who dropped the latter game on the road by 34 points. This season however, revenge is in order for the Cavaliers, who should be the vastly superior team in 2024-25. However, anything can happen in a rivalry game, a lesson Virginia learned all too well last season.
This season feels like a new horizon of sorts. Sanchez’s opening campaign is a chance for the Cavaliers to reset and revamp the narrative as they unveil their new offense to the rest of the league. But until the season reaches its peak, it remains to be seen if a fresh cast of players and an adjusted, revitalized offense will be the difference makers. Virginia will ring in the 2024-25 season at John Paul Jones Arena Wednesday at 7 p.m. versus Campbell, with coverage available on ACCNX.
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