We got our first look at the Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team tipping off against a brand opponent on Friday – even if it was the flagging Villanova Wildcats.
Dan Siegel
I mean, the easy answer to start off with is Jacob Cofie. We have already seen the true freshman show off the charts athleticism on both ends, particularly in transition, as well as quality shotmaking from the front court.
I’ll take it a step farther though … Cofie has enough upside to truly save the Virginia basketball season that may feel “lost” to many. He may very quickly become the true second scoring option behind I-Mac as well as a plus defender at the four spot.
There’s also a non-zero chance Cofie is Virginia’s first ever one-and-done, which would do wonders for how the program recruits in the future.
Anna Thomas
Jacob Cofie is probably at the top of so many of our lists. But I’ve been keeping my eye on Elijah Saunders, especially considering his size and a relatively consistent shooting record from San Diego State.
Perhaps I expected him to come into the season and almost take over the offense. He’s certainly been a presence, but not as big of a role player as I was predicting. As I watch him, it looks like he’s adjusting to UVA ball – and that will continue to come with time. I’m most curious about his role next to Blake Buchanan and Cofie – and seeing where they all fall into the rotation more consistently. I’m definitely watching Saunders and assessing how and if team performance improves when he’s on the court.
Trey Kelleher
For me? It’s the starting point guard. Dai Dai Ames. His potential? I’ll use the same words the GOAT used a while back “the ceiling is the roof.”
He plays with so much confidence, has the ability to create for himself and others, can score at all three levels, and seems to be a quick learner in this new system. He is extremely talented with the ball in his hand and has shown that the past two games.
He was a little careless with the ball at times against Villanova committing four turnovers, so that will need to be addressed. But I don’t see that being a long term issue.
The offense gets set faster when he is on the floor and he is able to get the ball into playmakers hands with ease. If he can continue doing that while also consistently getting his own buckets, Virginia will be a tough beat for anyone.
Zach Carey
Cofie, Saunders, and Ames are all good pulls. I’d flag Isaac McKneely as another intriguing player considering how he’s scoring in new ways this season.
But my answer here is actually Andrew Rohde. His start at point guard in the season opener was a shocker. His performance in that game was iffy at best. But then he put on a show in Baltimore despite a hurt back, scoring 13 points and flashing the potential that had UVA fans excited about him when he joined the program last season.
I’m not saying Rohde is going to score 13 points per game or continue to shoot 42.9% from deep like he has so far this season. Color me curious, though, about how he can impact the Wahoo offense as a complementary playmaker and shooter while being an above average on-ball defender on the other end.
