# 2023–24 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represented the University of Virginia during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Tony Bennett in his 15th year, and played their home games at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team drew an average home attendance of 13,992 in 17 games in 2023-24, the 17th highest in college basketball.
The Cavaliers started the season with four straight wins and earned themselves the twenty-fourth spot in the AP Rankings to start the season. They lost the opening game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off to Wisconsin and rebounded to defeat West Virginia in the third place game. The win wasn't enough to keep them in the rankings, as they fell out ahead of their ACC–SEC Challenge matchup with fourteenth ranked Texas A&M. They won that match and two more matches to return to the rankings at number twenty-two. They went 1–1 as the 22nd ranked team, losing to twenty-third ranked Memphis before falling out again. The Cavaliers then lost three of their next four ACC games, with the lone win coming against struggling Louisville. A rivalry win over Virginia Tech sparked an eight game winning streak for the Cavaliers as they also defeated NC State in overtime and Clemson during the stretch. They again returned to the rankings at number twenty-one. They lost to Pittsburgh and won a low scoring game against Wake Forest before falling out of the rankings again. The Cavaliers finished out the season 2–3 losing a rivalry rematch to Virginia Tech and to North Carolina and Duke, who were both ranked tenth at the time of the matchup.
The Cavaliers finished the season 23–11 and 13–7 in ACC play to finish in third place. As the third seed in the ACC tournament, they earned a bye to the Quarterfinals, where they defeated third seed Boston College in overtime before losing to eventual champions NC State in overtime in the Semifinals. They earned a controversial at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and were placed as a tenth seed in the First Four in the Midwest region. They lost their matchup with Colorado State 67–42 to end their season. After the game, Virginia was widely criticized for its offensive performance, which included a stretch of nearly 14 minutes of game time and nearly an hour of real time during which they did not score.

## Previous season

The 2022–23 Cavaliers finished the season with a 25–8 record, 15–5 in ACC play, to finish in a tie for first place and clinch a share of their sixth regular season title in ten seasons, and their eleventh ACC regular season title in school history. They defeated North Carolina and Clemson to reach the championship game of the ACC tournament, where they lost to Duke. They received a bid to NCAA tournament as the No. 4 seed in the East region, where they were upset in the First Round by Furman.

## Offseason
### Departures

Virginia departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Kihei Clark | 0 | G | 5'10" | 167 | Graduate Student | Woodland Hills, CA | Graduated |
| Jayden Gardner | 1 | F | 6'6" | 233 | Graduate Student | Wake Forest, NC | Graduated |
| Armaan Franklin | 4 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Senior | Indianapolis, IN | Graduated/undrafted in 2023 NBA draft; signed with the Denver Nuggets |
| Ben Vander Plas | 5 | F | 6'8" | 236 | Graduate Student | Ripon, WI | Graduated |
| Chase Coleman | 12 | G | 5'9" | 165 | Senior | Norfolk, VA | Walk-on; became UVA graduate assistant coach |
| Kadin Shedrick | 21 | F/C | 6'11" | 231 | Junior | Holly Springs, NC | Transferred to Texas |
| Francisco Cáffaro | 22 | C | 7'1" | 254 | Senior | Santa Fe, Argentina | Graduate transferred to Santa Clara |
| Isaac Traudt | 23 | F | 6'9" | 229 | Freshman | Grand Island, NE | Transferred to Creighton |

### Incoming transfers

Virginia incoming transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school | Years remaining | Date eligible |
| Andrew Rohde | 4 | G | 6'6" | 202 | Sophomore | Milwaukee, WI | St. Thomas (MN) | 3 | October 1, 2023 |
| Jordan Minor | 22 | F | 6'8" | 242 | Graduate Student | Kingston, MA | Merrimack | 1 | October 1, 2023 |
| Jake Groves | 34 | F | 6'9" | 211 | Graduate Student | Spokane, WA | Oklahoma | 1 | October 1, 2023 |

### 2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Blake Buchanan #12 PF | Coeur d'Alene, ID | Lake City | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jul 3, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| Elijah Gertrude #6 CG | Jersey City, NJ | Hudson Catholic | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Sep 14, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Anthony Robinson #52 C | Peachtree City, GA | Christ School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 238 lb (108 kg) | Apr 29, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Christian Bliss SG | Queens, NY | George School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | Jun 30, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 16 247Sports: 12 ESPN: – ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Virginia 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "2023 Virginia Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "2023 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "Virginia 2023 Basketball Commitments". 247sports.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. ||||||

### 2024 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2024) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Christian Bliss #48 SG | Newtown, PA | George School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jun 30, 2023 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 16 247Sports: 12 ESPN: – |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Virginia 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "2024 Virginia Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "2024 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. "Virginia 2024 Basketball Commitments". 247sports.com. Retrieved July 10, 2023. |||||||

## Roster
### Coaches

Virginia coaching staff :
| Name | Position | Year with position | Year on coaching staff | Alma mater | Hometown |
| Tony Bennett | Dean and Markel Families Head Coach | 15 | 15 | UW-Green Bay | Clintonville, WI |
| Jason Williford | Associate head coach | 6 | 15 | Virginia | Richmond, VA |
| Ron Sanchez | Assistant Coach | 1 | 10 | SUNY-Oneonta | San Pedro de Macorís, DR |
| Orlando Vandross | Assistant Coach | 6 | 9 | American International | |
| Brad Soderberg | Director of Scouting | 3 | 9 | UW-Stevens Point | Wausau, WI |
| Larry Mangino | Director of player development | 3 | 8 | Montclair State | |
| Johnny Carpenter | Director of player personnel | 6 | 9 | Virginia | Great Falls, VA |
| Isaiah Wilkins | Graduate assistant | 3 | 3 | Virginia | Lilburn, GA |
| Mike Curtis | Strength and conditioning coach | 15 | 15 | Virginia | Richmond, VA |
| Ethan Saliba | Head Athletic Trainer | 26 | 41 | Kansas | |
| Ronnie Wideman | Associate AD for Basketball Administration/Operations | 14 | 15 | Washington State | Washougal, WA |

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | Tarleton State | W 80–50 | 1–0 | 16 – Beekman | 9 – Bond III | 7 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,080) Charlottesville, VA |
| November 10, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | vs. Florida He Gets Us Hall of Fame Series | W 73–70 | 2–0 | 18 – Buchanan | 8 – Dunn | 5 – Beekman | Spectrum Center (6,783) Charlotte, NC |
| November 14, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | North Carolina A&T | W 80–51 | 3–0 | 13 – Dunn | 11 – Dunn | 7 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (12,905) Charlottesville, VA |
| November 16, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Texas Southern | W 62–33 | 4–0 | 15 – Dunn | 5 – Dunn | 4 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (13,099) Charlottesville, VA |
| November 20, 2023* 6:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | vs. Wisconsin Fort Myers Tip-Off semifinals | L 41–65 | 4–1 | 17 – Beekman | 6 – Dunn | 7 – Beekman | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500) Fort Myers, FL |
| November 22, 2023* 6:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | vs. West Virginia Fort Myers Tip-Off consolation | W 56–54 | 5–1 | 13 – Dunn | 7 – Bond III | 5 – Beekman | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500) Fort Myers, FL |
| November 29, 2023* 7:15 p.m., ESPN2 | | No. 14 Texas A&M ACC–SEC Challenge | W 59–47 | 6–1 | 13 – Rohde | 6 – Rohde | 5 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,061) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 2, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Syracuse | W 84–62 | 7–1 (1–0) | 22 – McKneely | 6 – Bond III | 8 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,637) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 5, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | North Carolina Central | W 77–47 | 8–1 | 22 – McKneely | 9 – Bond III | 6 – Rohde | John Paul Jones Arena (13,459) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 16, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 22 | Northeastern | W 56–54 | 9–1 | 21 – Beekman | 6 – Beekman | 6 – Rohde | John Paul Jones Arena (13,676) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 19, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 22 | at No. 23 Memphis | L 54–77 | 9–2 | 13 – Beekman | 11 – Dunn | 4 – Tied | FedExForum (13,553) Memphis, TN |
| December 27, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Morgan State | W 79–44 | 10–2 | 17 – Beekman | 10 – Dunn | 7 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,637) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 30, 2023 12:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Notre Dame | L 54–76 | 10–3 (1–1) | 15 – Beekman | 5 – Dunn | 4 – Beekman | Joyce Center (7,784) South Bend, IN |
| January 3, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Louisville | W 77–53 | 11–3 (2–1) | 18 – McKneely | 10 – Dunn | 8 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (13,703) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 6, 2024 2:00 p.m., ACCN | | at NC State | L 60–76 | 11–4 (2–2) | 18 – McKneely | 7 – Dunn | 10 – Beekman | PNC Arena (14,821) Raleigh, NC |
| January 13, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Wake Forest | L 47–66 | 11–5 (2–3) | 10 – Beekman | 5 – Tied | 4 – Beekman | LJVM Coliseum (9,855) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 17, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Virginia Tech Rivalry | W 65–57 | 12–5 (3–3) | 16 – Tied | 7 – Dunn | 5 – Harris | John Paul Jones Arena (14,547) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 20, 2024 6:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Georgia Tech | W 75–66 | 13–5 (4–3) | 20 – McKneely | 10 – Dunn | 11 – Beekman | McCamish Pavilion (6,380) Atlanta, GA |
| January 24, 2024 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | NC State | W 59–53 $^{OT}$ | 14–5 (5–3) | 13 – Dunn | 12 – Dunn | 6 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (13,947) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 27, 2024 12:00 p.m., The CW | | at Louisville | W 69–52 | 15–5 (6–3) | 19 – Dunn | 11 – Dunn | 9 – Beekman | KFC Yum! Center (11,381) Louisville, KY |
| January 31, 2024 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Notre Dame | W 65–53 | 16–5 (7–3) | 21 – Beekman | 6 – Minor | 6 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (13,947) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 3, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Clemson | W 66–65 | 17–5 (8–3) | 17 – Groves | 10 – Dunn | 4 – Beekman | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| February 5, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | Miami (FL) | W 60–38 | 18–5 (9–3) | 16 – Beekman | 8 – Dunn | 7 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,165) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 10, 2024 8:00 p.m., The CW | | at Florida State | W 80–76 | 19–5 (10–3) | 29 – McKneely | 5 – Tied | 5 – Beekman | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (8,525) Tallahassee, FL |
| February 13, 2024 7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 21 | Pittsburgh | L 63–74 | 19–6 (10–4) | 19 – Beekman | 6 – Beekman | 6 – Rohde | John Paul Jones Arena (13,858) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 17, 2024 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 21 | Wake Forest | W 49–47 | 20–6 (11–4) | 20 – Beekman | 9 – Dunn | 4 – Tied | John Paul Jones Arena (14,637) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 19, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Virginia Tech Rivalry | L 41–75 | 20–7 (11–5) | 11 – McKneely | 5 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Cassell Coliseum (8,925) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 24, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 10 North Carolina | L 44–54 | 20–8 (11–6) | 12 – Minor | 10 – Minor | 5 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,637) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 28, 2024 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Boston College | W 72–68 | 21–8 (12–6) | 18 – Beekman | 13 – Dunn | 8 – Beekman | Conte Forum (4,851) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| March 2, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 10 Duke | L 48–73 | 21–9 (12–7) | 18 – Beekman | 6 – Tied | 7 – Beekman | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| March 9, 2024 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Georgia Tech | W 72–57 | 22–9 (13–7) | 21 – Beekman | 6 – Tied | 9 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (13,877) Charlottesville, VA |
| ACC tournament |||||||||
| March 14, 2024 9:30 pm, ESPN | (3) | vs. (11) Boston College Quarterfinals | W 66–60 $^{OT}$ | 23–9 | 15 – Groves | 11 – Groves | 11 – Beekman | Capital One Arena (17,627) Washington, D.C. |
| March 15, 2024 9:30 pm, ESPN2 | (3) | vs. (10) NC State Semifinals | L 65–73 $^{OT}$ | 23–10 | 23 – McKneely | 9 – Tied | 11 – Beekman | Capital One Arena (18,722) Washington, D.C. |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 19, 2024 9:10 pm, TruTV | (10 MW) | vs. (10 MW) Colorado State First Four | L 42–67 | 23–11 | 15 – Beekman | 5 – Dunn | 4 – Beekman | UD Arena (12,247) Dayton, Ohio |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | 22 | 22 | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 21 | RV | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | RV | 25т | 18 | RV | 23 | 21 | 20 | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 23 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings