Virginia basketball will look to improve to 2-0 on the season when the Cavaliers host Coppin State on Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
Read on for a full preview of Virginia vs. Coppin State, including game details and notes, an opponent scouting report, what to watch for, and a prediction for Monday night’s matchup.
Who: Virginia Cavaliers (1-0) vs. Coppin State Eagles (0-3)
When: Monday, November 11th at 7pm ET
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Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA
How to watch: ACC Network Extra/ESPN+
How to listen: Sirius XM 381, SXM App 971 | Virginia Sports Radio
All-time series: Virginia leads 3-0
Last meeting: Virginia defeated Coppin State 68-52 on November 19th, 2021 in Charlottesville.
Coppin State is in its second year under head coach Larry Stewart, who also happens to be the program’s all-time greatest player (arguably), as he won back-to-back MEAC Player of the Year Awards and played a few seasons in the NBA before spending the rest of his playing career overseas. This is Stewart’s first head coaching job and it’s not going very well so far, as the Eagles went 2-27 last season and were picked to finish dead last in the eight-team MEAC this year.
Coppin State is off to an 0-3 start to this season. The campaign opened with a 64-49 loss to Wake Forest and that defeat doesn’t look bad at all as the Demon Deacons are 3-0 and just knocked off Michigan on Sunday. Then came a couple of losses that weren’t nearly as encouraging, as the Eagles were crushed at High Point 93-51 and then fell to Rider 64-53 in their home opener on Friday. This will be the fourth game in eight days for Coppin State, so stamina may be an issue.
Coppin State’s best player is 6’6″ guard Derrius Ward, a redshirt senior from Philadelphia. Ward is the team’s sole double-digit scorer at 15.3 points per game and he scored 19 points in the loss at Wake Forest. 6’3″ guard Toby Nnadozie is the team’s best three-point shooter at 41.7% from three and 5’11” guard Cam’Ron Brown facilitates the offense. Rounding out the starting five are 6’7″ forward Jonathan Dunn (3.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg) and 6’8″ forward Peter Oduro (5.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg).
Virginia’s developing point guard situation We had this as a key to watch for in the season opener and it’ll continue to be a key until the Cavaliers achieve some stability at the point guard position. With Jalen Warley entering the transfer portal and Christian Bliss out with a foot injury, it was Andrew Rohde getting the start at point guard in the opener over Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames. Rohde played 32 minutes while Ames played only 10. Even if Rohde exceeds expectations this season, Virginia’s ceiling is low if he’s the team’s lead guard. He must play better than the one-point, five-assist-, four-turnover performance he had against Campbell, but the Cavaliers need to play Dai Dai Ames more and get more out of him.
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Tracking Elijah Saunders and TJ Power Saunders had a decent Cavalier debut with 11 points on 5/8 shooting and five rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes as he was in foul trouble. TJ Power didn’t play much more, as he logged 19 minutes and scored three points and was the only Cavalier with a negative +/- at -7. Jacob Cofie stole the show in the opener and that’s good news for UVA, but the Hoos are going to need Saunders to be on the floor more and they’ll need Power to start to show glimpses of his former five-star recruit potential.
More Blake Buchanan and Jacob Cofie action Continuing with the front court, Jacob Cofie had an excellent collegiate debut with 16 points on 7/8 shooting to go along with six rebounds, one block and one steal. Blake Buchanan played well in a new role, dishing out five assists while facilitating the UVA offense from the free throw line in addition to scoring 10 points, collecting seven rebounds, and blocking three shots. Three of those assists went to Cofie as the two big men showed some nice chemistry. That could be a solid new feature for this Virginia offense and Cofie and Buchanan should try to continue to build their rapport on Monday night.
Bonus: More three-point shooting Virginia went 6/10 from beyond the arc in the first half against Campbell, but then attempted only three triples in the second half. This has the potential to be a really good perimeter shooting team with as many as five or even six quality three-point shooters, but they have to take those long shots at a higher volume.
Whereas Campbell was a scrappy and well-coached team that usually plays well against high-majors, Coppin State could be the worst team Virginia plays this season. We also gave Ron Sanchez and company a pass for how close the Campbell game was because it was the first one without Tony Bennett. This time, however, just winning won’t be good enough. UVA needs to win this game convincingly in order to build momentum moving into the tougher non-conference matchups.
Score prediction: Coppin State 43, Virginia 72
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We’re highlighting the many threads that make Virginia so special
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re embarking on a journey to celebrate the rich history of the place we call home. (WSLS 10)
Virginia is filled with so much history just waiting to be explored. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re celebrating this milestone with a new series: Patchwork 250.
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As this new initiative gets underway, we’d love to hear from you. Share your favorite pieces of history and be a part of Virginia’s ongoing story.
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Using Pin It or the form below, let us know: what’s a unique piece of history from your community that you think more people should know about?
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About the Author
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Jazmine Otey
Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.
A fatal collision between a motorcycle and a pickup truck on Thursday evening has claimed a life and prompted a significant road closure in South Reno.
The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to reports of the crash at approximately 5:29 p.m. on February 26. The incident occurred on northbound South Virginia Street, just north of Damonte Ranch Parkway.
According to the Nevada State Police, the rider of the motorcycle, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The driver of the pickup truck remained on-site, though no further details regarding other injuries or the cause of the crash have been released. Northbound South Virginia Street: Completely shut down from Damonte Ranch Parkway to Bishop Manogue Drive.
Southbound South Virginia Street: Open, but expect “rubbernecking” delays as drivers pass the emergency vehicles. Officials expect the northbound lanes to remain closed until at least 11:30 p.m. as the NHP Highway Patrol Division completes their investigation.
A new effort is being led by Commonwealth Attorney Krystyn Reid, with support from Sen. Danny Diggs to help missing persons. (Ron Lach/Pexels.com)
HAMPTON ROADS— A proposed initiative known as The Guardian Network seeks to strengthen coordination and public access to verified information when children, seniors, and vulnerable adults go missing in Virginia.
The effort is being led by Commonwealth Attorney Krystyn Reid, with support from Sen. Danny Diggs through a budget amendment to SB30. If the amendment passes, development would move forward through the Virginia State Police.
Reid said the idea grew from her years of public service.
“The difference between politics and public service is simple,” Reid said. “One is what you say. The other is what you do.”
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Reid began her career representing domestic violence survivors and said she witnessed firsthand how quickly families can be thrown into crisis.
“When someone does not make it home, that is a family’s worst moment,” Reid said. “The Guardian Network comes from a belief that we can strengthen coordination in those first critical hours and better protect vulnerable communities.”
The network is designed to complement existing alert systems such as AMBER, Silver, Ashanti and CODI alerts. Participation would be voluntary for both families and the public.
“It does not replace them. It reinforces them,” Reid said. “What we lack is one centralized, accessible place to see verified information. This is about coordination and clarity.”
Currently, information can be fragmented, she said, making it harder for families and communities to respond effectively.
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“Families in crisis should not have to search multiple platforms,” Reid said. “Public safety requires structure. Our response should be organized and accessible.”
The United Way of the Virginia Peninsula has expressed support for the initiative, citing its alignment with the organization’s mission to improve lives by advancing education, financial stability and health.
“Children are the highest age demographic experiencing eviction and homelessness, which creates unique vulnerabilities including separation, exploitation and trafficking,” said Charvalla West of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. “Seniors face increasing isolation, housing instability and caregiver strain in what many describe as the ‘Silver Tsunami’ of a rapidly aging population.”
She said the organization supports The Guardian Network because it strengthens coordination during the most critical moments when vulnerable individuals go missing.
“The Guardian Network aligns directly with our work to stabilize families and protect vulnerable communities,” West said. “When vulnerabilities are reduced, safety increases.”
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United Way collaborates with certified partner agencies across the Virginia Peninsula that focus on homelessness prevention, youth development, domestic violence response, aging services and housing repair. Those organizations would continue serving in their core roles, providing safe housing, trauma-informed care, mentorship, caregiver support and case management, while the network enhances coordination and awareness.
“The Guardian Network enhances coordination and awareness, while nonprofits provide the direct relational support that protects individuals before, during and after crisis events,” West said.
The concept also includes a second phase of development that would establish a standing advisory committee composed of survivors, impacted family members, nonprofit leaders, victim advocates and public safety professionals. A third phase would focus on identifying and allocating resources to support coordinated response efforts in collaboration with law enforcement, including ensuring necessary logistical supplies are available during active situations.
The immediate focus is Virginia. If successful, supporters say the model could be scalable to other states seeking to strengthen coordination in missing-person cases.
Reid said the goal is clear.
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“A stronger safety net. Better coordination. And helping bring loved ones home,” she said. “Everyone deserves to come home.”
