Virginia
The Plus/Minus: Virginia Basketball Throttles Coppin State
In a buy-game special, the Virginia Cavaliers overwhelmed the Coppin State Eagles in pretty much every facet of the game. This game gave Virginia the chance to try out a new point guard and give more run to Jacob Cofie, who looks like he’s going to be Virginia’s most-impactful newcomer. Better competition awaits, but for now we’ll just review this game.
Plus
A win is a win is a win. Coppin State is not the team that Campbell was, and the disparity in talent made for uninspiring viewing if you weren’t a Cavalier fan. Virginia’s non-conference slate has gotten less inspiring in recent years, but for interim head coach Ron Sanchez, you can only play the teams that are in front of you. Four Wahoos – Dai Dai Ames, Isaac McKneely, Elijah Saunders and Jacob Cofie – all reached double figures.
Plus
Andrew Rohde was the announced starter at point guard, and he came out and warmed up, but he was a gametime scratch. Christian Bliss didn’t dress out for the second straight game. (Jalen Warley is long gone.) Virginia had exactly one healthy lead guard, but fortunately Dai Dai Ames was up to the task. He did not impress in his 10-minute stint against Campbell, but he looked a like a completely different player this go round. He scored Virginia’s opening basket on the night, an and-one, was 2/3 from deep, and had three assists against zero turnovers. It could take Rohde three games to match Ames’ 13 points in this game. Now, he doesn’t look like he’s going to push the pace much – Virginia had 61 possessions this game versus 55 against Campbell and it took seven possessions in two minutes late in the 2nd half to get there – but Ames showed he could get into the paint, showcasing the best point guard touch in the lane since Ty Jerome. Sure, it was against substandard competition, but Ames certainly deserves a longer look as the team’s point guard.
Plus
With 3:20 remaining the first half, Coppin State was still hanging around and Virginia’s lead was just 23-14. Isaac McKneely poured in three threes in less than two minutes to break open the game and give Virginia a 32-16 lead. McKneely went 4/8 from beyond the arc and helped Virginia go 9/27 from deep. Now, that’s just 33% and that’s not great, but seeing Virginia attempt that many threes is a good sign.
📂 ACC 🔶⚔️🔷#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/eAV7kQaaSy
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 12, 2024
└📂 Virginia players
└📂 iMac
└📂 Not letting it fly
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Minus
Ames went 2/3 from beyond the arc and Elijah Saunders was 1/2, but TJ Power, Ishan Sharma and Taine Murray went 1/13. Again, 27 attempts is a better reflection of the modern game, but McKneely is going to need more help.
Plus
After blitzing Campbell in the first half, Jacob Cofie was largely silent in the first against Coppin State. He came out blazing in the second half, scoring all 11 of his points – a perfect 4/4 from the line and 1/1 from deep – enroute to an 11-rebound double-double. Cofie played the Ryan Dunn role to perfection, adding three blocks, four steals and a pair of assists. He’s had a magical two games. Even when he loses the ball on a steal and fast break, he’s able to convert:
🎬 𝒮𝒽𝑜𝓌𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒
🔶⚔️🔷#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/i4xBGCTMJj — Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 12, 2024
Minus
Conversely, it’s been a rough start for TJ Power, who went 1/6 from deep and is looking like the guy who got dropped to mop-up minutes for Duke last year. With the emergence of Cofie, he’s going to struggle for minutes, but maybe Power can fill the role of glue guy for the team. His +22 plus/minus was the second-highest (only behind Ames) on the team.
Plus
Elijah Saunders looks like he’s going to be able to give Virginia a post-up game. He flashed a sweet hook turnaround against Campbell, and he had two nice post-ups on this night. He was 1/2 from three and a perfect 4/4 from the line.
More: Matt’s Five Takeaways
Plus
Speaking of which, the team shot 11/12 from the charity stripe with the only miss coming from the normally reliable McKneely. Given the adventures this team has had from the pinstripe the past couple of years, the contributions made by Cofie, Saunders and Ames are most welcome.
Minus
Taine Murray had a night to forget. Twice he stepped on the line driving to the bucket, just two of a whopping six turnovers on the night. He airballed a three, and most egregiously, he had a poor closeout and subsequently fouled on a made three, giving Coppin State a 4-point play. He got 18 minutes, which might be the earliest indicator of the difference between the coaching of Tony Bennett and Ron Sanchez. I suspect Bennett would never have given Murray this kind of burn with the night he was having.
Plus
Anthony Robinson made his long-awaited debut and had a beautiful little finish for his first points as a Cavalier. It was widely presumed that Robinson would bring defensive energy to the floor, but this is a sweet touch.
☺️ Things you love to see: His first career points!
🔶⚔️🔷#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/cU7CJXJdqR
— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) November 12, 2024
Next Up: Virginia travels to Baltimore on Friday to take on Villanova in the Hall of Fame Series. Game time is 5:00pm and will be shown on TNT. I’ll be at the game, so hit me up on Twitter (X) @JerzyWalker.
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Virginia
Colorado, Deion Sanders to hire former highly-touted DC as defensive assistant
Colorado is expected to hire former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Chris Marve as its next linebackers coach, according to CBS Sports. Marve served as the Hokies DC from 2022-2024.
Marve has previous experience on defensive staffs at Vanderbilt, his alma mater, Mississippi State, Florida State and Virginia Tech. He’s been in the coaching industry since 2014 when he was brought on as a defensive assistant with the Commodores.
By the time he left his alma mater in 2018, he had worked his way up to inside linebackers coach. He was brought on at Mississippi State in 2019 as the Bulldogs’ defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach. His run there lasted one year before moving on to coach at Florida State for two seasons as the Seminoles’ linebackers coach.
ACC foe Virginia Tech would poach him away ahead of the 2022 season, where he stayed until he was fired following the 2024 season. He spent the 2025 season away from college football, and will now get another shot by joining Deion Sanders’ staff in 2026.
His playing days spanned from 2007-2011, where he has a three-time All-SEC linebacker for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Marve also earned Freshman All-American honors in 2008.
He’ll join a Buffaloes program that finished the 2025 season with a 3-9 record, which included a 1-8 record vs. conference opponents. This came in the fallout of their 9-win season led by current Cleveland Browns QB Sheduer Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Colorado wide receiver Dre’lon Miller plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
Colorado wide receiver Dre’lon Miller plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. He caught 20 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown this past season.
His 2024 season was a bit better. Miller caught 32 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns prior. He’s shown he can get the job done when there’s some solid quarterback play on offense.
Miller played high school football at Silsbee (Silsbee, TX), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 141 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted algorithm that complies all major recruiting media services.
Time will tell where he ends up next. There will certainly be plenty of interest in his services when the time comes.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Virginia
Virginia Democratic operative arrested on child pornography charges
WARNING: This story contains material some readers may find disturbing due to its graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia Democratic operative is accused of distributing child pornography.
Randon Alexander Sprinkle, 30, allegedly engaged in conversations with an undercover FBI agent in May of this year through the Jack’d app under the name “Randy.”
The 9-page affidavit states that Sprinkle asked the agent to move their conversation to Telegram, where he allegedly wrote “mostly into young, rape, incest – you?”
The arrest has prompted swift condemnation from elected officals who worked with Sprinkle in various capacities.
Richmond City Council Vice President Katherine Jordan said Sprinkle served as her 2024 campaign treasurer, handling campaign forms, events and financial reporting.
“What has been alleged is disgusting and abhorrent,” Jordan said in a statement. “I’m shocked and sickened.”
1st District Council member Andrew Breton also used Sprinkle’s services for campaign finance reports and event logistics.
“The allegations are shocking and disturbing. I am grateful that law enforcement is involved, and that justice is taking its course,” Breton said.
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who has appeared in several photos with Sprinkle that he posted on X, also responded through spokesman Jared Leopold.
“Congresswoman McClellan is shocked by these appalling accusations which should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Leopold stated.
Sprinkle previously served as a leader in the Young Democrats of Virginia and held a financial director position with the Democratic Part of Virginia.
He has also been photographed with Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
The FBI affidavit confirms that 68 files were extracted during a forensic sweep of Sprinkle’s electronic devices, some with disturbing titles. Legal expert Ed Riley said the investigation may have uncovered evidence of distribution through peer-to-peer networks where individuals exchange illegal video files and images.
If convicted on the single charge of distribution of child pornography, Sprinkle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with potential sentencing up to 20 years.
“If they find the images and they can connect you to the images, you’re not dealing with the merits of the case anymore. You’re dealing with the resolution that it’s going to be,” Riley said.
Sprinkle is currently being held at the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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Virginia
Penn State transfer opens the door for a James Franklin reunion at Virginia Tech
Things are beginning to slow down for James Franklin since being hired at Virginia Tech in November. Sure, you can say that it never really slows down for a college football coach, but since signing his contract in Blacksburg, he has made major strides in recruiting, bringing the Hokies from near the bottom of the FBS to a Top 25 class with the Class of 2026.
Franklin has also been building his first staff at Virginia Tech. In both cases, recruiting and coaching additions, he has gone back to his Penn State roots to pluck both recruits and coaches. Heck, he is even reportedly bringing back former Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry, who was fired in September to open the door for Franklin to come to Tech, as his defensive coordinator.
The transfer portal opens up next month, and there are going to be several needs that Franklin and his staff are going to have to address. There are going to be several portal targets, and one of them announced he was leaving Penn State and made it clear that he was thankful for Franklin for his time in State College. Is it a sign of things to come when he enters the portal?
Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman opens door for reunion with James Franklin
It was reported by Hayes Fawcett of Rivals and On3 that five-star Penn State edge Chaz Coleman was entering the transfer portal. Coleman quoted the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and made it a point to thank Franklin and his staff for believing in him.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal this coming January to pursue other opportunities. I’d like thank James Franklin and his staff for believing in me and teaching me what it means to believe in myself,” Coleman wrote.
Coleman becomes one of the most coveted players when the portal opens, and the Warren, Ohio native will have no shortage of suitors. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher played well as a freshman for the Nittany Lions with eight tackles in five games. Several of the top programs are going to be in on him. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State makes a major push for him.
As far as Virginia Tech goes, does Franklin get in the mix? That remains to be seen, but stranger things have happened. He would be a tremendous get for the Hokies, who need help along the defensive side of the ball along the line. Did he call out Franklin by coincidence, or is there an underlying message there? Most likely the first one, but we’ll see.
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