I’ve been keeping up with our guys who transferred out from the UVA Basketball program after the coaching change in the spring, and I’ll say, by and large, they’re all doing pretty well at their new schools.
Good to see that.
As you read, you’ll find the one guy that I think we can all agree the new staff should have wanted to stay around.
Make your predictions now …
Isaac McKneely, Louisville
Last season’s leading scorer (14.4 ppg, 43.9% FG, 42.1% 3FG), Isaac McKneely is putting up similar numbers at Louisville – 12.4 ppg, 45.7% FG, 42.9% 3FG.
iMac is the third leading scorer on the Cardinals (Ryan Conwell: 19.7 ppg, Mikel Brown Jr.: 16.7 ppg).
Pretty consistent when you look at his game logs: his season-high is 17 points, which he’s done three times (South Carolina State, Eastern Michigan, NJIT).
Notable: he’s averaging 9.5 ppg (37.9% FG, 37.5% 3FG) in his four games against Power 4s.
Elijah Saunders, Maryland
The second leading scorer (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rebounds/g, 42.0% FG, 34.7% 3FG) last season, Elijah Saunders has been a little less productive (8.1 ppg, 4.9 rebounds/g, 41.4% FG, 33.3% 3FG) at Maryland, which is Virginia’s next opponent, on Dec. 20, after UVA’s exam break.
Saunders leads the Terps in minutes (29.4 minutes/g), but he’s just sixth in scoring.
Just three double-digit games (Coppin State, Alcorn State, Mount St. Mary’s), and against Power 4s: 6.0 ppg, 5.6 rebounds/g, 45.5% FG, 25.0% 3FG).
Andrew Rohde, Wisconsin
Andrew Rohde was the third option for interim coach Ron Sanchez last season (9.3 ppg, 4.3 assists/g, 43.2% FG, 41.3% 3FG).
At Wisconsin, Rohde has started 10 games, but hasn’t been as productive – 7.3 ppg, 2.7 assists/g, 42.6% FG, 32.5% 3FG).
He did have a big night in the 96-76 win over Marquette last week – a season-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting (3-of-5 from three).
Other noteworthy game: three points, but nine assists, in the 85-73 win over Northwestern on Dec. 3.
Dai Dai Ames, Cal
Dai Dai Ames averaged 8.7 ppg for Virginia last season, but, man, it felt like we left a lot off the table with him, the way he was used.
To wit: he averaged 13.8 ppg over his last 11 games, scoring in double-digits in 10 of those 11.
This season at Cal: 18.1 ppg, 53.6% FG, 48.8% 3FG.
Major misread by Sanchez and the staff with Ames.
Also, gotta say, major misread by Ryan Odom here.
Imagine the UVA backcourt this season with Ames and Chance Mallory running the point.
Jacob Cofie, Southern Cal
You could see the potential with Jacob Cofie in his freshman year at UVA (7.2 ppg, 4.6 rebounds/g, 49.5% FG, 24.4% 3FG), but for some reason, he only got 20.8 minutes per game.
He came out of the gate with three straight double-digit games, then, faded.
At USC: 9.1 ppg, 6.8 rebounds/g, 50.7% FG, 33.3% 3FG.
Came out of the gate strong: 23 points and 10 boards in the season-opening win over Cal-Poly.
Since: three double-digit games in nine games, with two games with just two points, including his most recent game, a 94-81 win over San Diego, in which he had two points (only one shot attempt from the field) and five rebounds in 23 minutes.
His game log is: big game, a couple of no-shows, another big game, another couple of no-shows.
Maybe it’s the kid …
Blake Buchanan, Iowa State
Blake Buchanan, a former four-star recruit, who chose Virginia over Gonzaga, averaged 4.4 points (47.9% FG) and 4.2 rebounds per game in his two seasons in Charlottesville.
This season at Iowa State, which is 10-0 and ranked fourth nationally: 8.6 ppg, 5.7 rebounds/g, 1.5 blocked shots/g, 67.9% FG.
He’s finally playing like a four-star.
Anthony Robinson, Xavier
I got more emails from fans wanting the new staff to keep Anthony Robinson (3.6 ppg, 2.4 rebounds/g, 9.2 minutes/g, 72.1% FG in 2024-2025) than anybody else – I think because he seemed to just want it so damn much.
At Xavier: 3.7 ppg, 3.9 rebounds/g, 14.5 minutes/g, 58.8% FG).
ARob got a lot of minutes early (26.0 minutes/g in Xavier’s opening three), not so much since (9.6 minutes/g over the last seven).
Seems that the staff there liked what they saw in practice, then didn’t like what it saw in games.
Ishan Sharma, Saint Louis
Ishan Sharma was another guy that showed potential in his freshman season (3.4 ppg, 12.8 minutes/g, 33.3% FG, 33.3% 3FG).
At Saint Louis: 8.4 ppg, 20.9 minutes/g, 35.6% FG, 36.5% 3FG.
Best game: 12 points (3-of-9 FG, 3-of-8 3FG, 3-of-3 FT) in 24 minutes in a 78-77 loss to Stanford on Nov. 28.
TJ Power, Penn
Who can forget TJ Power, the former five-star recruit who apparently lost all confidence in himself in his one season at Duke.
Power started the first five games last season; his season ended with seven DNP-Coach’s Decisions in his last 10.
At Penn: 15.6 ppg, 7.0 rebounds/g, 42.6% FG, 39.2% 3FG.
Hey, good for him; he’s finally playing somewhere in the vicinity of his potential.
Christian Bliss, Delaware
Christian Bliss graduated from high school a year early to redshirt at Virginia, then spent the 2024-2025 season on the injury list and/or Sanchez’s doghouse; I recall Sanchez bristling a couple of times when asked about Bliss’s status.
Bliss at Delaware: 14.1 ppg, 6.6 assists/g, 5.6 rebounds/g, 38.8 minutes/g, 37.8% FG, 38.9% 3FG.
In his one game against a Power 4, an 85-68 loss to BYU on Nov. 11: 18 points, 7-of-17 FG, 4-of-7 3FG, six rebounds, five assists, 40 minutes.
Good numbers for a guy who hadn’t played a game since his junior year in high school.
Video: Let’s get through the exam break
Share
Chris Graham
