The Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball team won’t be redshirting any players this season according to interim head coach Ron Sanchez.
“I think we’re going to need everyone,” he said in Monday’s press conference. “Right now there’s no discussion of redshirting anyone.”
Sanchez’s note that neither of Virginia’s true freshmen – Ishan Sharma and Jacob Cofie – will redshirt reflects both their readiness to contribute in year one and UVA’s likely move away from redshirting in the new era of college basketball.
Fortunately for the 2024-25 Wahoos, Sharma and Cofie could each provide depth at positions where the team might’ve otherwise been lacking.
On the interior, Cofie is looking like the backup true center to Blake Buchanan, surpassing redshirt freshman Anthony Robinson and Vanderbilt transfer/walk-on Carter Lang. Cofie admitted on Monday that he didn’t consider redshirting this season.
“His ability to shoot the ball would also help us,” Sanchez said of the 6-foot-10 Cofie. “He’s been progressing well defensively, so we’re excited about his ability to guard and rebound. He’s got great hands and really good feel offensively.”
In fact, San Diego State transfer Elijah Saunders named Cofie as the toughest UVA defender to beat during Monday’s media availability.
“Even though he’s a freshman, his length, especially guarding the four, he’s not easy to shoot over,” Saunders said. “For a freshman, he’s pretty strong. I feel like he’s probably one of our better shot blockers. It’s definitely been a challenge [being guarded by] him.”
Evidently, Cofie has been preparing to play both the five and the four for the Cavaliers. How much he does will depend on how much UVA decides to go small and play Saunders at the five and how well Buchanan can stay out of foul trouble.
Meanwhile, Sharma adds a three-point shooting threat off the bench to spell Isaac McKneely and Taine Murray. Like Cofie, he didn’t truly view redshirting as a tangible option this year.
“I like his ability to shoot,” Sanchez said. “He has something he can hang his hat on, and that’s going to be his weapon. Obviously the game is a little fast for him right now. He is a first-year guy. But as things slow down for him, I think you guys are really going to like his game.”
Sharma has had the benefit of playing with and against a number of star UVA shooting guards in practice. Whether it be his teammate McKneely or coach Kyle Guy, he’s getting a crash course on how to be a shooting guard at Virginia.
“It’s been really fun having those guys around,” he said, adding that they give him “little tips about details of the game: How to get my shot off, how to use pace, where I can get my shots from, what to look for in different actions. I feel like those guys have been a big blessing for me.”
How exactly Virginia’s rotation will shake out this season is up in the air right now. That plus the confidence their coaches and teammates have in them means Cofie and Sharma have a real chance to break onto the floor as freshmen and buck the long-term development trend which many UVA players have benefitted from in the past.