Virginia headed to Charlotte, N.C., for its game against Georgia Tech in round two of the ACC Tournament. A date with No. 1 Duke — and, most likely, a thorough thrashing — was on the line. As was so often the case this season, junior guard Isaac McKneely single-handedly kept the Cavaliers (15-17, 8-12 ACC) alive throughout the game. McKneely made three after three to power the offense en route to a 27-point showing.
Around McKneely, though, the offense was stagnant. Never was that more clear than in the final two minutes of the game, when Virginia finally began to cut into the Yellow Jackets’ (17-15, 10-10 ACC) lead. A twisting, contested three by McKneely cut the margin to two points with under a minute remaining, but a few lost possessions and missed shots later, the Cavaliers had been eliminated from the ACC Tournament, any last hopes of an NCAA Tournament automatic bid thoroughly squashed by the 66-60 defeat.
In some ways, it was eerily similar to last season’s ACC Tournament loss to NC State, which came down to desperation fouls. Unlike that game, though, this one never felt particularly close, even if the score suggested otherwise. Still, Interim Coach Ron Sanchez — who will not be returning as the coach next season, Athletic Director Carla Williams announced Wednesday — was proud of how his team battled and maintained positive energy throughout the year. He credited McKneely and junior guard Andrew Rohde in particular as key contributors to a positive locker room.
“They were leaders in the locker room,” Sanchez said. “They kept the group together, kept the group playing hard, and kind of established and sustained our culture in our locker room. So just thankful for the opportunity to have coached the team this season.”
Wednesday’s loss was a fitting representation of Virginia’s season. With the exception of McKneely, who made seven of 11 attempts from beyond the arc, the Cavaliers struggled to shoot from three-point range. Sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames and junior forward Elijah Saunders struggled in particular, shooting a combined 0-11 on three-pointers.
Besides McKneely, no other Virginia player scored more than nine points. Besides McKneely, only Rohde and senior guard Taine Murray made a three-pointer. Besides McKneely, the Cavaliers were simply absent on offense, committing eight turnovers and grabbing just five offensive rebounds.
It was a disappointing offensive performance in the Cavaliers’ final chance to put a positive spin on a turbulent season. Just as troubling as the offensive struggles, though, was the defense’s continued inability to contain the Yellow Jackets.
Sophomore Baye Ndongo gave Virginia fits around the rim. The six-foot-nine forward had no trouble exploiting the Cavaliers’ defense, forcing switches and bad matchups that resulted in easy points in the paint. The Virginia forwards had no answer, a common theme throughout the season — teams with athletic, powerful forwards have typically caused issues for the Cavaliers, and Wednesday was no exception.
Alongside Ndongo, it was junior forward Duncan Powell who found success. Powell scored 21 points entirely from two-pointers and free throws. In fact, Georgia Tech made just two total three-pointers, showing just how dominant it was inside the arc.
All told, McKneely’s heroic effort just was not enough to put the Cavaliers over the edge. Virginia will return to Charlottesville without NCAA Tournament hopes for the first time in many years.
Where do the Cavaliers go from here? Perhaps an NIT invitation is in their future. If not, Virginia will get an early start on the offseason, dipping into the transfer portal and continuing the search for a new coach. What is certain is that this season cast doubt and unease on the men’s basketball program that has not been felt in such quantity since before Bennett’s arrival, and the future is as unclear as it has ever been.
Regardless of the future, the 2024-25 season was a testament to the cohesiveness and grit of this squad of Cavaliers in the wake of Bennett’s departure. McKneely attested to this, noting how close the team was in spite of the circumstances.
“I can just speak for all of us,” McKneely said. “Even through the tough losses, you know big wins, we stayed together through it all. Our record wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be, but through wins and losses, I love these guys. I wouldn’t want to be a part of any other team.”
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