Home UVA Basketball: McKneely goes for 23, but ‘Hoos get the Top 25 road win
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UVA Basketball: McKneely goes for 23, but ‘Hoos get the Top 25 road win

Chris Graham
uva basketball louisville
Photo: UVA Athletics

Former ‘Hoo Isaac McKneely was clearly motivated – iMac had 23 points, a season-high, and put up a season-high 16 shots.

He just didn’t get enough help from his ‘mates.

Louisville fell behind 14-0 four minutes in, and never could get all the way dug out of the hole, as Virginia got the Top 25 road win, 79-70, on Tuesday in the KFC Yum! Center.


ICYMI


It got interesting a couple of different times. UVA (15-2, 4-1 ACC, NET: 16) led by double-digits for a long time in the first half, but Louisville (12-5, 2-3 ACC, NET: 18) edged its way into getting the margin to 33-28 at the break.

A J’Vonne Hadley driving layup got the deficit to four, but a trio of threes from Malik Thomas, who finished with 19 points, and six made threes, got the lead back into double-digits.

Virginia kept a safe working margin the rest of the way, with Louisville only getting as close as six a couple of times late.

Player notes


  • Johann Grunloh matched his season-high with 16 points (4-of-8 FG, 3-of-4 3FG, 4-of-4 FT), and also had seven rebounds and four blocked shots in 26 minutes.
  • Malik Thomas got his 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field – the six makes came on eight attempted threes. The six made threes is a season-high for him.
  • Sam Lewis had 15 points (4-of-10 FG, 2-of-7 3FG, 5-of-6 FT).
  • Thijs de Ridder, coming off the sublime performance (22 points, 8-of-11 FG) in the win over Stanford, had a quiet night: nine points (3-of-10 FG, 0-of-3 3FG, 3-of-4 FT) and eight boards.
  • Chance Mallory had seven points (1-of-6 FG, 0-of-5 3FG, 5-of-5 FT) and four assists.
  • Big night from Dallin Hall: just five points, but he had 12 rebounds, easily a career-high, and four assists.
  • Jacari White, returning from a wrist injury that had sidelined him for five games, had five points (1-of-3 3FG, 2-of-3 FT) in 12 minutes off the bench.
  • Ugonna Onyenso saw his minutes limited by Grunloh having a solid night: three points, three rebounds, three blocks in 14 minutes.
  • Devin Tillis may be playing his way out of the rotation: he put up his third straight goose egg in 10 minutes off the bench.

Odom Ball


  • Points off turnovers: Virginia -11
  • Second-chance points: Virginia +4
  • Points in the paint: Virginia -14
  • Threes: Virginia +12
  • Free throws: Virginia +11

Shooting zones


  • At the rim: Virginia 3/6, Louisville 9/21
  • In the paint (including rim): Virginia 6/15, Louisville 13/28
  • Midrange: Virginia 1/4, Louisville 1/1
  • Threes: Virginia 14/34, Louisville 10/38
  • Free throws: Virginia 23/29, Louisville 12/18

UVA Basketball in the NCAA metrics


  • NET: 16
  • KenPom: 14
  • BartTorvik: 10

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].