Virginia basketball releases “potential starting lineup” for season opener vs Campbell

The Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team has released a “potential starting lineup” for Wednesday’s season opener against Campbell.

The team’s game notes list Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames, junior Isaac McKneely, Duke transfer TJ power, San Diego State transfer Elijah Saunders, and sophomore Blake Buchanan as the Wahoos’ potential starters.

This is from the wonderful folks of Virginia Media Relations, who undoubtedly are tuned into the happenings of the team, but are also not coaches making the decisions in the locker room. Again, this is a “potential starting lineup” and a projected set of players “off the bench”, so let’s treat it appropriately and not overreact.

Photo courtesy of Virginia Athletics

That being said, UVA’s “potential starting lineup” ahead of last year’s season opener was the correct lineup while the five players listed as “off the bench” contributed in roughly the same order to start the season.

Power’s presence in the starting lineup is the only real question mark entering the season. Ames being the starting point guard is a development following Jalen Warley’s transfer. McKneely and Saunders are likely the team’s two best players, and Buchanan is the only true center on the roster to have played in a college basketball game.

Power starting would mean that the ‘Hoos are rolling out a big lineup with two forwards playing at the three and the four, contrasting how Virginia typically plays three guards in most of its lineups. That’s a reflection of Power’s value as a shooter and the staff’s belief in Saunders to defend a variety of matchups including some on the perimeter.

“Especially now that Coach Bennett retired, Coach Sanchez kind of sees me like that, guarding two through five,” Saunders told me last week. “I definitely feel like throughout this past week [since Bennett’s retirement], they’ve challenged me to guard multiple positions.”

If Saunders can help to nullify any defensive ill-effects of playing Power at the three, then UVA will likely be at its best with both of them on the floor alongside a center.

As the depth goes, Andrew Rohde being the first name listed is interesting. Again, who knows exactly how much of this is indicative of roles. But, following Warley’s departure, Rohde projects to be the backup point guard while redshirt freshman point guard Christian Bliss is the only scholarship player not listed.

Beyond that, true freshmen Ishan Sharma and Jacob Cofie being listed above Taine Murray and Anthony Robinson (their positional counterparts) could be extrapolated to suggest they’ll squarely be in the rotation on Wednesday while the returners may get the shorter end of the stick.

Of course, this is mostly conjecture and taking this listed lineup as gospel would be premature. But it’s a notable data point ahead of tipoff versus Campbell and the start of the next era of Virginia basketball.