New NCAA rules allowed college basketball teams to begin practicing Wednesday, a couple of weeks earlier than in the past, and there were no surprises at defending ACC champion Virginia. Associate Head Coach Jason Williford The only intrigue was the question of when Alabama transfer Braxton Key will learn if his hardship application will be decided by college basketball’s governing body, and the fact that freshman recruit, 7-foot Francisco Caffaro, from Argentina, has not participated in any practices since he arrived. There is, however, a new associate head coach in the program, 10-year veteran assistant Jason Williford. His promotion came […]

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its 2018-19 men’s basketball conference schedule Thursday. Viewers will again have television access to every league game, from the conference opener on New Year’s Day through the conclusion of the 66th New York Life ACC Tournament in mid-March. All 135 ACC regular-season league games and all 14 games of the New York Life ACC Tournament will be available on an ESPN network, Raycom Sports, CBS Sports or a Regional Sports Network. Virginia begins ACC play on Saturday, January 5th with a home game against Florida State. Below are the rest of the Wahoos’ ACC games […]

Kadin Shedrick with UVA Coach Tony Bennett Virginia coach Tony Bennett and his staff joined nearly 30 other schools across the country on August 10th when they offered a scholarship to rising senior Kadin Shedrick. Ten days later, Shedrick announced his verbal commitment to the Cavaliers, less than a week after trimming his list of suitors from over 25 down to eight — UVA, Florida, Indiana, Louisville, Providence, Wake Forest, Wisconsin and Xavier. Shedrick, a 6-foot-10, 200-pound power forward from Holly Springs High School in North Carolina, took an unofficial visit to Charlottesville over the weekend and made it known […]

The NCAA announced some significant rule changes today aimed at cleaning up college basketball, and they include such things as allowing a player to return to his college team if they’re not chosen in the NBA draft, and even the ability to sign with an agent if designated an “elite” player. The NCAA on its website listed these five rules changes that also include more official campus visits, a certification program for agents and the requirement that if a player leaves to play professionally but later returns to finish his or her degree, the schools must pay all costs. Here […]

In Washington, D.C.’s hotbed of high school basketball talent – where there are plenty of players to choose from – Virginia chose Casey Morsell. Better yet, Morsell chose Virginia back. Casey Morsell The 6-foot-2, 195-pound combo guard from St. John’s College H.S. continued to separate himself from the crowd over the summer for one reason — he’s addicted to the grind. “I really want to be the best, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be the best,” Morsell said in an interview this week. “Part of it is being addicted to the grind, so all I really do is […]

No surprises on Virginia’s men’s nonconference basketball schedule announced Wednesday afternoon, but there will be a renewal of games against old friends. Maryland and South Carolina, the only two schools to ever leave the ACC, are on tap (the Terps at College Park in the Big 10 Challenge), and a game in Columbia against the Gamecocks, the first battle with USC since an NIT matchup against Dave Odom’s team in the NIT in 2002. The Maryland game is set for Nov. 28, five days following the conclusion of UVa’s regular season football schedule at Virginia Tech. Virginia visits South Carolina […]

A new version of Jack Salt has returned to Charlottesville and is champing at the bit for Virginia’s basketball season to begin. Let’s name this version “The Auckland Wall, 2.0.” UVa’s big center returned to his native New Zealand this summer and made his country’s national team, the “Tall Blacks,” which defeated Hong Kong and China in qualifying games in basketball’s World Cup. When he arrived in New Zealand, friends and family might have been a bit surprised in his appearance. Salt, at 7-feet, 250 pounds, had drastically changed his physique to a lean machine, all muscle, little body fat. […]