Virginia Holds Off Campbell-Quick Reaction
Led by an interim coach and with plenty of new faces in the lineup, Virginia managed to hold on for a 65-56 season opening win over a hot shooting Campbell team on Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
Virginia vs. Campbell Highlights pic.twitter.com/be3LbxHWrY
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 7, 2024
Both teams shot the ball well. Virginia was 57% from the field, and 46% (6-13) from three-point range. Meanwhile, Campbell stayed within striking distance by cashing 11 of their 29 shots from behind the arc. Turnovers were a problem for UVA, committing 11 of them in a very low possession game.
Overall, it was pretty typical early November college basketball. UVA has scrapped Bennett's old blocker-mover offense for a more spread-open style. As you’d expect, they’re still getting comfortable with that while also figuring out their offensive identity with all the new pieces. And likewise, the packline defense will continue to be a work in progress. There were more rotational breakdowns than Coach Sanchez would like.
The score was closer than expected, in large part due to Campbell’s three-point shooting. Vegas favored UVA by 16.5. But there were certainly good things to point to, and some surprises.
Freshman Standout
Freshman Jacob Cofie wasted no time introducing himself to the Wahoo faithful. He scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed 6 boards in his college debut, logging 28 minutes off the bench. With starting forward Elijah Saunders (11 points) saddled with foul trouble for most of the game, Cofie had the opportunity for extended minutes. The Seattle area product made the most of it.
“That first bucket, I was ready to go, I was ready to get more.”
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) November 7, 2024
Freshman Jacob Cofie on scoring 16 points in his UVA debut. pic.twitter.com/5M1lpXy3lc
Word was that Cofie had set himself up for an increased role after good performances in the preseason scrimmages. In Wednesday’s opener, he essentially served as the backup at both the power forward and center positions. He’s a highly skilled player at 6’10”. Cofie can stretch the floor, as he showed by knocking down a pair of three-pointers. And he can get it done around the hoop too. The only question is how well he’ll hold up defensively when the level of competition increases.
Fellow freshman Ishan Sharma was a bright spot too, hitting both of his three-point attempts for 6 points in 9 minutes of action.
Head of the Committee
In a bit of a surprise, junior Andrew Rohde got the start at point guard. Tony Bennett and later Ron Sanchez had talked about it being a point guard by committee situation. Not so much, at least in the opener. Rohde ran the show for 32 minutes. Very little in the way of stats to show for it. He finished with 1 point (0-2 FG) and 5 assists to 4 turnovers.
#UVA interim coach Ron Sanchez said the staff decided last night to start Andrew Rohde at point guard: "We just decided to go with a little more experience."
— Mike Barber (@StillMikeBarber) November 7, 2024
Jalen Warley was most likely going to be Virginia’s starting point guard. He decided to sit the season out and transfer, following Tony Bennett’s retirement. Even with Warley, it was expected to be very much a committee situation. Rohde has always been considered a combo guard, rarely used as the lead guy, but he was the team’s best facilitator in the preseason scrimmages. It’s not so surprising that he received the start, just that he played such heavy minutes in the lead role.
Sophomore Dai Dai Ames served as the backup, registering 2 points and 1 assist in 10 minutes. He and Rohde briefly shared the court together. Freshman Christian Bliss, the other point guard, sat out Wednesday’s opener. He’s continued to be bothered by foot problems, following two surgeries in the past year.
Big Guard
Sophomore TJ Power, the former five-star recruit who transferred in from Duke this offseason, was in the opening night starting lineup. He finished with 3 points (1-3 FG) in 19 minutes. UVA is using a big lineup with him as a guard, or the 3-man if you prefer. All but a couple of his 19 minutes came at guard.
TJ mostly played at the power forward position in high school. He certainly has the tools to be used as a guard. But it’s a big adjustment, on both ends of the floor. Coach Sanchez is trying to do what's necessary to get his best players on the court together. With Elijah Saunders cemented as the starting power forward and now the emergence of Jacob Cofie, the simplest way to get Power minutes is by sliding him out to guard.
It’s a little bit of an experiment. Didn’t fare very well on Wednesday. UVA was outscored by 7 during Power’s minutes, the only Wahoo in negative +/- territory. But I think finding the best way to utilize Power is going to be a major key to UVA’s season. He’s an offensive weapon that they do need in a big role. Maybe it’ll be as simple as him continuing to adjust to the 3-spot. Or there could be some tinkering in the weeks ahead.
What’s Next
This UVA team has the potential to be pretty good. I think that showed in stretches of Wednesday’s game. There are some things to figure out, and they need time for all the new pieces to gel. Right now, it’s just about keeping their head above water until they can find their footing.
The Wahoos will be a heavy favorite again on Monday night when Coppin State comes to town. The Eagles are 0-2 so far with road losses to Wake Forest and High Point. It’s scheduled for a 7:00 PM start at JPJ. Be sure to tune in for the Locker Room Access pregame show, 30 minutes before tip as usual.
(Featured Image Credit: The Daily Progress)