3/11/2025
In their final home game of the season on Tuesday, the Virginia Cavaliers (15-15, 8-11 ACC)
pulled out a thrilling 60-57 victory over Florida State (16-16, 7-12 ACC).
Dai Dai Ames led all scorers with 18 points, while Andrew Rode set a UVA career high with 17
points. Elijah Saunders also contributed with 12 points and five rebounds, rounding out the
Cavaliers' double-figure scorers.
Congrats to the seniors and to all the players entering the portal-because we all know the
chaos the transfer portal has created.
With the win, Virginia secured its 15th consecutive season with 10 or more home victories.
Always looking for that silver lining. I find this particularly interesting because my favorite NFL
team hasn't had a losing season in 18 years. Does that say something about me--or just the
type of teams I like? Things that make you say Hmmmm.
Virginia closed out the regular season at Syracuse on Saturday.
I'll start with this: Syracuse never trailed. The Orange shot an impressive 59.6% from the field
and dominated the boards, outrebounding UVA 31-17. That pretty much tells the story of the
game.
Just in case there's any doubt, Virginia closed the regular season with an 84-70 loss.
Jacob Cofie led the Cavaliers with 13 points and 4 rebounds, while Dai Dai Ames extended his
double-figure scoring streak to 10 games with 10 points.
Up Next: ACC Tournament at the Spectrum Center. Virginia enters as the No. 9 seed and will
face No. 8 seed Georgia Tech in the second round on Wednesday, March 12, at noon. The
Cavaliers have a first round bye.
3/1/2025
Busy Week for ALL
Let's be honest—it's been a hectic week! We've had College Basketball, the NFL Combine, Spring Training Baseball, and of course, my job.
But don't worry, I didn't forget about my Cavaliers!
Virginia (14-14, 7-10 ACC) delivered a statement win on Wednesday, putting up a season-high 83 points in an 83-75 victory over Wake Forest (19-9, 11-6 ACC). The Cavaliers came out firing, shooting 63% in the first half and knocking down six three-pointers.
Will the real Virginia please stand up? It was great to see an offensive explosion. Sure, defense wins championships, but putting points on the board makes basketball fun to watch!
Leading the charge Isaac McKneely Season-high 27 points, Dai Dai Ames 14 points and Andrew Rohde 13 points.
Up Next: Clemson... and it was a Tough Reality Check
On Saturday, Virginia took on No. 13 Clemson at John Paul Jones Arena, hoping to pull off the upset. And for a half, it looked possible.
The Cavaliers played some of their best basketball in the first 20 minutes, leading 32-27 at the break. But things unraveled in the second half. Clemson dominated, outscoring Virginia 44-26 after halftime to secure a 71-58 victory.
This loss cemented Virginia's first losing season in ACC play since 2010-11.
McKneely led the way again with 16 points, but the three-point shooting cooled off. Virginia, which had made 10+ threes in seven of its last 10 games, went just 8-for-19 from deep. Worse yet, the interior defense got exposed-giving up 52 points in the paint. That's simply not winning basketball.
What's Next?
Virginia looks to bounce back Tuesday when they host Florida State at home. Let's see if they can right the ship!
2/23/2025
Duke (23-3, 15-1 ACC) rolled to an 80-62 victory over Virginia (13-13, 6-9) in ACC action on
Monday night in Charlottesville, Va.
The Cavaliers showed some fight early, with five lead changes in the first five minutes. However, Virginia cooled off quickly as the Blue Devils went on a dominant 19-4 run. By halftime, Duke held a comfortable 43-29 lead.
Then, things took a turn-literally. A Virginia fan was ejected from the game, seemingly having
seen enough. It was like being at home and deciding to turn off the TV. Hard to blame him-it
got ugly fast.
Andre Rode and Dai Dai Ames each scored 15 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Isaac
Mckneely added 14. Virginia saw its three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 0-5 this
season against ranked opponents.
Cooper Flagg... Who cares, they stopped our three-game winning streak and we fell to 0-5 this season against ranked opponents.
Up Next: University of North Carolina. "The Hill." "Carolina." "Tar Heel Town." "The Dean Dome."
North Carolina jumped out to a commanding 21-2 lead. Virginia responded with a 14-3 run, but
by then, it was too late. The Tar Heels drained nine three-pointers and dominated the glass,
holding a 17-2 advantage in second-chance points.
The final: North Carolina (17-11, 10-6 ACC) 81, Virginia (13-14, 6-10 ACC) 66.
We're not going to win games like this.
There were at least a few positives.
Isaac McKneely reached the 1,000-point milestone, becoming the 52nd Cavalier to do so. He
finished with 17 points. Dai Dai Ames continued to impress, adding 12 points.
Next Challenge for Virginia is Wake Forest on Wednesday, another tough ACC matchup. Time to bounce back, Cavs!
2/9/2025
OMG! OMG! What a week for the University of Virginia!
The Cavaliers put an old-fashioned whipping on the Panthers, dominating Pitt 73-57. UVA came out strong and never let up. Honestly, if you lose to Virginia like that at home, you should automatically be eliminated from the NCAA Tournament—and that's not from me, that's from Pitt's head coach!
Dai Dai Ames was like DoorDash-delivering all night! He dropped a career-high 27 points in a performance to remember.
In my last article, I talked about defense, and it was like the Cavaliers read it (not really), but they locked in. With seven minutes left, Pitt had only 39 points. Virginia shot an impressive 56% from the field and dominated the glass, out-rebounding Pitt 33-21.
Up next, UVA hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena. It was Tony Bennett Day! If you remember, Bennett retired in October after 15 seasons as UVA's head coach, and he was honored at halftime. This win makes it two in a row! Their defense has been the key to this mini win streak. The Cavaliers started the game with a 9-0 run, then went on a 10-0 run early in the second half to stretch the lead to 13 points. That's the Virginia I know! Isaac McKneely led with 20 points, while Dai Dai Ames added 18 points and four rebounds. Andrew Rohde contributed 11 points, three rebounds, and a career-high-tying nine assists.
Let's go, Wahoos!
I like what I'm seeing-defense! Up next, it's the Commonwealth Clash against Virginia Tech on Saturday at Cassell Coliseum and I DON'T LIKE VIRGINIA TECH!
2/2/2025
Win and Look Who's Next
Isaac McKneely scored 26 points, Taine Murray added 20, and Virginia took down Miami 82-71 on Wednesday night. It was a much-needed victory for the Cavaliers, who had struggled
recently, going just 2-6 over their last eight games. Enjoy this one, Cavalier fans!
But now, the focus shifts to the back half of the ACC schedule and a rivalry matchup. On
Saturday, Virginia hosted its in-state rival, Virginia Tech (and I can't stand the Hokies) in the first of two meetings this season. So how did it go? Well... not as planned.
Virginia Tech closed the game with a 9-0 run, hitting 5 of 6 free throws to take a 69-56 lead with 6:32 remaining. The Cavaliers still had a chance, coming out of a timeout with four seconds left, but Rohde's floater rolled off the rim at the buzzer.
Defense... Defense... Defense…. where is it?!
This is the worst defense Virginia has played in over a decade. The "Virginia Way" is built on
defense--taking quality shots, sharing and taking care of the basketball, stopping transition,
rebounding, and, again, playing defense.
Right now, we're not doing that. Someone HELP! What is going on?!
In my next article, I'll give you an idea how the Pack-Line Defense works so you can understand exactly what's going wrong.
1/26/2025
Keeping Our Heads Up - The Hoos fell to Louisville, 81-67, in a game plagued by turnovers and fouls. This marks the first time the Cardinals have swept the series against Virginia since joining the ACC in 2014, as well as their first victory over the Cavaliers in Louisville since February 9, 2020. With this loss, the Cavaliers are likely out of NCAA tournament contention this year, which could prompt a coaching change next season. On the bright side, Elijah Saunders recorded a double-double, and 6-foot-10, 250-pound redshirt freshman Anthony Robinson came off the bench to contribute seven points and five rebounds. Several players brought energy and competed hard. Talent isn't always the deciding factor. Keep your heads up, Wahoo fans!
The Hoos looked to bounce back against Boston College on Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena. Virginia holds a 21-9 all-time record against BC and won two straight and six of the last seven meetings between the teams heading into the matchup. So What happened? Two teams battling to claw their way into Atlantic Coast Conference tournament contention.... Not Really! After falling behind by 11 Virginia came roaring back, shooting an impressive 65 percent from the floor in the first half. Though the Cavaliers' shooting slowed down in the second half, they remained in control and secured an 18-point victory. VIRGINIA WINS!
1/15/2025
"Go West, young man" This is a phrase often attributed to American author Horace Greeley. It was the belief in manifest destiny, which encouraged people to move westward for opportunities, prosperity, and new beginnings. Well Virginia DON'T GO WEST! That road trip provided no opportunity, no prosperity and no new beginning to our season.
The Cavaliers (8-8, 1-3) had two days off after a 75-61 loss at Cal on Wednesday. Saturday they played the Stanford Cardinals who has never lost to Virginia at home, going 4-0. Make that 5-0 now as the Cavaliers lost 88-65. When going on the road you have to play defense (packline D) which provides opportunity, rebound and look for easy points to prosper and not turn the ball over to come away with a win and a new beginning to our season. Mr. Greeley, I don't think going west was a great idea.
We scored a total of 126 points and gave up 163. So l'll recommend that Virginia comes back east (home) to play SMU on Wednesday the 15th and never go out west.
1/7/2025
Who's on 1st. No who's on 2nd.
The first time in 15 seasons losing an ACC opener. The first time in 15 seasons losing four or more of the first nine games. The first time in 17 seasons losing back-to-back games by 22 points or more. Their first ever loss to Louisville at John Paul Jones Arena. For the first time in 14 seasons, Virginia dropped a home game by 20 or more points.
For the second time in its last 63 games, it surrendered 70 or more points at JPJ. It will have a lot to think about on its upcoming cross-country flight for its two west coast games, which begin Wednesday at 11 p.m. against California and Saturday against Stanford, in a trip that will last nearly a week. The team, for the first time ever, will have to cross the country for conference games. Virginia, if not careful, could fall behind in ACC play or Virginia could come out ahead.
The 2nd is the hope of all UVA fans.
1/3/2025
Happy New Year Virginia fans. New Year’s traditions vary around the world, different cultures and beliefs. Scotland has a tradition of First-footing, where the first visitor of the year brings gifts like coal or whiskey which is a common practice. NC State brought Virginia a big gift. They led by as many as 14 points, but decided not to make a basket. The Wolfpack went 1 of 11 from the field and Virginia went on a 17-3 run to tie it at 46-all! It was game on at John Paul Jones Arena. John Paul Jones, the American naval hero of the Revolutionary War, was of Scottish descent. So NC State, we thank you for your gift of a win. Happy New Year to You! Virginia stays home to play Louisville on Saturday. Let’s see if they will be as generous as our last guest.
12/26/2024
Tony Bennett… Tony Bennett you knew! The Cavaliers hold a 7-5 overall record with a mixed performance in recent games. Wins (if that’s what they are) vs Bethune and American which feel like loses because the score was too close for Virginia fans. They are now preparing for Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play. Not sure if this is going to go the way we hope with NC State 1st up. But Tony knew! Every time he said Goodbye!
12/17/2024
Orange You Glad? The Cavaliers face the Memphis on December 18 at 7 p.m. in Charlottesville. Fans are anticipating the “Orange Out” game, Virginia will debut their new orange throwback uniforms from the 80’s In a move that’s both tradition and a bold fashion statement. The uniforms have fans buzzing. Hopefully, and I mean "Hopefully"… the team might just outshine the scoreboard. After all, if you can’t dazzle them with your play, at least blind them with your uniforms!
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