# 2022–23 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team

The 2022–23 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represented the University of Virginia during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Tony Bennett in his 14th year and played their home games at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season with an 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.

## Previous season

The 2021–22 Cavaliers finished the season 21–14, 12–8 in ACC Play to finish in 6th place. They defeated Louisville in the Second Round of the ACC Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to North Carolina. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Mississippi State and North Texas to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to St. Bonaventure.
The Cavaliers did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012–13 to end their disappointing season.

## Offseason
### Departures

Virginia departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Jayden Nixon | 5 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Senior | Charlottesville, VA | Graduated & Transferred to Johns Hopkins |
| Malachi Poindexter | 11 | G | 6'2" | 190 | Sophomore | Mineral, VA | Transferred to Illinois State |
| Kody Stattmann | 23 | G | 6'8" | 200 | Senior | Bentley Park, Queensland, Australia | Graduated |
| Igor Miličić Jr. | 24 | G/F | 6'10" | 224 | Freshman | Rovinj, Croatia | Transferred to Charlotte |
| Carson McCorkle | 33 | G | 6'3" | 185 | Sophomore | Raleigh, NC | Transferred to Wofford |
* ↑ Due to COVID-19, the NCAA declared that the 2020–21 season would not count against the eligibility of any basketball player. Nixon & Stattmann both could have returned for the 2022–23 season but chose not to do so.

### Incoming transfers

Virginia incoming transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school | Years remaining | Date eligible |
| Ben Vander Plas | 5 | F | 6'8" | 232 | Graduate Student | Ripon, WI | Ohio | 1 | October 1, 2022 |
| Dante Harris | | G | 6'0" | 170 | Junior | Washington, D.C. | Georgetown | 3 | October 1, 2023 |
* ↑ Harris transferred to Virginia on December 18, 2022. He will redshirt the entire 2022–23 season and have three seasons of eligibility.

### 2022 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Isaac McKneely SG | Poca, WV | Poca | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jan 30, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 ||||||
| Leon Bond SF | Wauwatosa, WI | Wauwatosa East | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | Jul 30, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 ||||||
| Isaac Traudt PF | Grand Island, NE | Grand Island Senior | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | Aug 28, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86 ||||||
| Ryan Dunn SF/SG | Freeport, NY | Perkiomen School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Sep 18, 2021 |
| Recruiting 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 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022. "2022 Virginia Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022. "2022 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022. "Virginia 2022 Basketball Commitments". 247sports.com. Retrieved May 27, 2022. ||||||
^ESPN has not released its team rankings for 2022.

## 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 | 14 | 14 | UW-Green Bay | Clintonville, WI |
| Jason Williford | Associate head coach | 5 | 14 | Virginia | Richmond, VA |
| Orlando Vandross | Assistant Coach | 5 | 8 | American International | |
| Kyle Getter | Assistant Coach | 2 | 5 | Hanover | Miamisburg, OH |
| Brad Soderberg | Director of Scouting | 2 | 8 | UW-Stevens Point | Wausau, WI |
| Larry Mangino | Director of player development | 2 | 7 | Montclair State | |
| Johnny Carpenter | Director of player personnel | 5 | 8 | Virginia | Great Falls, VA |
| Isaiah Wilkins | Graduate assistant | 2 | 2 | Virginia | Lilburn, GA |
| Mike Curtis | Strength and conditioning coach | 14 | 14 | Virginia | Richmond, VA |
| Ethan Saliba | Head Athletic Trainer | 25 | 40 | Kansas | |
| Ronnie Wideman | Associate AD for Basketball Administration/Operations | 13 | 14 | Washington State | Washougal, WA |

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Summer Tour: Cavaliers in Italy |||||||||
| August 13, 2022 1:00 pm | | vs. Stella Azzurra | W 76–24 | 1–0 | 13 – Shedrick | 7 – Tied | 7 – Beekman | Arena Altero Felici Rome, Italy |
| August 15, 2022 1:00 pm | | vs. Orange1 Basket Bassano | W 71–41 | 2–0 | 19 – Traudt | 8 – Bond | 5 – Clark | A.S.D. Pino Dragons Basket Firenze Florence, Italy |
| August 18, 2022 1:30 pm | | vs. KK Mega Mozzart | L 73–92 | 2–1 | 19 – Shedrick | 12 – Shedrick | 6 – Clark | Palazzetto dello Sport Rapallo, Italy |
| August 19, 2022 12:00 pm | | vs. KK Mega Mozzart | W 94–87 $^{2OT}$ | 3–1 | 23 – Clark | 7 – Cáffaro | 5 – Beekman | Palazzetto dello Sport Rapallo, Italy |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 9:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 18 | NC Central | W 73–61 | 1–0 | 21 – Franklin | 9 – Gardner | 5 – Tied | John Paul Jones Arena (13,238) Charlottesville, VA |
| November 11, 2022* 9:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 18 | Monmouth Continental Tire Main Event campus game | W 89–42 | 2–0 | 15 – McKneely | 7 – Shedrick | 7 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (13,487) Charlottesville, VA |
| November 14, 2022* 8:00 pm, ACCN | No. 16 | Northern Iowa | Canceled due to the 2022 University of Virginia shooting | Canceled due to the 2022 University of Virginia shooting | Canceled due to the 2022 University of Virginia shooting | Canceled due to the 2022 University of Virginia shooting | Canceled due to the 2022 University of Virginia shooting | John Paul Jones Arena Charlottesville, VA |
| November 18, 2022* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 16 | vs. No. 5 Baylor Continental Tire Main Event semifinal | W 86–79 | 3–0 | 26 – Franklin | 4 – Tied | 10 – Beekman | T-Mobile Arena Paradise, NV |
| November 20, 2022* 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 16 | vs. No. 19 Illinois Continental Tire Main Event championship | W 70–61 | 4–0 | 17 – Beekman | 10 – Vander Plas | 3 – Tied | T-Mobile Arena Paradise, NV |
| November 25, 2022* 6:00 pm, ACCN | No. 5 | Maryland Eastern Shore | W 72–45 | 5–0 | 26 – Gardner | 7 – Vander Plas | 8 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (13,882) Charlottesville, VA |
| November 29, 2022* 9:30 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | at Michigan ACC/B1G Challenge | W 70–68 | 6–0 | 18 – Beekman | 11 – Gardner | 5 – Beekman | Crisler Center (12,200) Ann Arbor, MI |
| December 3, 2022 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 3 | Florida State | W 62–57 | 7–0 (1–0) | 18 – Clark | 7 – Gardner | 5 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,280) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 6, 2022* 8:00 pm, ACCN | No. 3 | James Madison | W 55–50 | 8–0 | 18 – Clark | 8 – Gardner | 7 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (14,193) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 17, 2022* 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | No. 5 Houston | L 61–69 | 8–1 | 16 – Shedrick | 6 – Tied | 8 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (14,629) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 20, 2022 8:30 pm, ACCN | No. 6 | at No. 22 Miami (FL) | L 64–66 | 8–2 (1–1) | 20 – Vander Plas | 9 – Beekman | 9 – Beekman | Watsco Center (7,257) Coral Gables, FL |
| December 28, 2022* 6:00 pm, ACCN | No. 13 | Albany | W 66–46 | 9–2 | 20 – Franklin | 7 – Gardner | 10 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (14,269) Charlottesville, VA |
| December 31, 2022 12:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 13 | at Georgia Tech | W 74–56 | 10–2 (2–1) | 15 – Clark | 6 – Vander Plas | 8 – Clark | McCamish Pavilion (5,371) Atlanta, GA |
| January 3, 2023 9:00 pm, ACCN | No. 11 | at Pittsburgh | L 65–68 | 10–3 (2–2) | 17 – Clark | 6 – Beekman | 8 – Clark | Peterson Events Center (6,464) Pittsburgh, PA |
| January 7, 2023 5:00 pm, ACCN | No. 11 | Syracuse | W 73–66 | 11–3 (3–2) | 16 – Franklin | 7 – Shedrick | 11 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (14,217) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 10, 2023 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 13 | North Carolina | W 65–58 | 12–3 (4–2) | 17 – Vander Plas | 9 – Franklin | 5 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,629) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 14, 2023 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | at Florida State | W 67–58 | 13–3 (5–2) | 20 – Franklin | 7 – Tied | 6 – Clark | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (9,043) Tallahassee, FL |
| January 18, 2023 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 10 | Virginia Tech Commonwealth Clash | W 78–68 | 14–3 (6–2) | 20 – Clark | 7 – Vander Plas | 7 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,629) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 21, 2023 2:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 10 | at Wake Forest | W 76–67 | 15–3 (7–2) | 25 – Franklin | 10 – Franklin | 6 – Beekman | LJVM Coliseum (12,443) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 28, 2023 12:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 7 | Boston College | W 76–57 | 16–3 (8–2) | 18 – Tied | 7 – Franklin | 8 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,629) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 30, 2023 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at Syracuse | W 67–62 | 17–3 (9–2) | 17 – Gardner | 8 – Gardner | 10 – Clark | JMA Wireless Dome (19,272) Syracuse, NY |
| February 4, 2023 12:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | at Virginia Tech Commonwealth Clash | L 68–74 | 17–4 (9–3) | 20 – Gardner | 10 – Gardner | 5 – Beekman | Cassell Coliseum (8,925) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 7, 2023 9:00 pm, ACCN | No. 8 | No. 22 NC State | W 63–50 | 18–4 (10–3) | 18 – Gardner | 6 – Shedrick | 6 – Clark | John Paul Jones Arena (14,070) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 11, 2023 4:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | Duke | W 69–62 $^{OT}$ | 19–4 (11–3) | 23 – Franklin | 6 – Beekman | 7 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,629) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 15, 2023 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 7 | at Louisville | W 61–58 | 20–4 (12–3) | 14 – Tied | 11 – Vander Plas | 6 – Clark | KFC Yum! Center (11,570) Louisville, KY |
| February 18, 2023 12:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Notre Dame | W 57–55 | 21–4 (13–3) | 15 – Clark | 12 – Gardner | 5 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,230) Charlottesville, VA |
| February 22, 2023 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 6 | at Boston College | L 48–63 | 21–5 (13–4) | 16 – Gardner | 5 – Tied | 3 – Clark | Conte Forum (8,194) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| February 25, 2023 6:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at North Carolina | L 63–71 | 21–6 (13–5) | 19 – Gardner | 12 – Gardner | 6 – Beekman | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 28, 2023 7:00 pm, ACCN | No. 13 | Clemson | W 64–57 | 22–6 (14–5) | 12 – Tied | 9 – Gardner | 8 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,351) Charlottesville, VA |
| March 4, 2023 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | Louisville Senior Day | W 75–60 | 23–6 (15–5) | 16 – Tied | 4 – Tied | 11 – Beekman | John Paul Jones Arena (14,149) Charlottesville, VA |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN | (2) No. 13 | vs. (7) North Carolina Quarterfinals | W 68–59 | 24–6 | 17 – Gardner | 10 – Gardner | 5 – Beekman | Greensboro Coliseum (17,772) Greensboro, NC |
| March 10, 2023 9:30 p.m., ESPN2 | (2) No. 13 | vs. (3) Clemson Semifinals | W 76–56 | 25–6 | 23 – Gardner | 12 – Gardner | 7 – Beekman | Greensboro Coliseum (15,316) Greensboro, NC |
| March 11, 2023 8:30 p.m., ESPN | (2) No. 13 | vs. (4) No. 21 Duke Championship | L 49–59 | 25–7 | 12 – Beekman | 7 – Shedrick | 4 – Beekman | Greensboro Coliseum (19,116) Greensboro, NC |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 16, 2023* 12:40 pm, TruTV | (4 S) No. 14 | vs. (13 S) Furman First Round | L 67–68 | 25–8 | 15 – Shedrick | 13 – Shedrick | 5 – Tied | Amway Center Orlando, FL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
* ↑ Palazzetto dello Sport is in the comune of Santa Margherita Ligure, but per release, Virginia said it was in Rapallo.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | 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 | Final |
| AP | 18 | 16 | 5 (1) | 3 (2) | 3 (3) | 2 (19) | 6 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 14 | Not released |
| Coaches | 18 | 14 | 6 | 3 (1) | 3 | 2 (12) | 6 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 6 (1) | 6 (1) | 12 | 11 | 10 | 23 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings