Virginia Basketball Notes: Cavaliers Announce 2019-20 Non-Conference Schedule

The reigning national champion University of Virginia men’s basketball program has announced its full non-conference schedule for the 2019-20 season.

Virginia travels to Purdue in what will be a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight Classic. ~ Photo courtesy Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

UVA opens next season with a November 6 Atlantic Coast Conference matchup at Syracuse. The non-conference slate begins four days later, when James Madison travels to Charlottesville to take on the Cavaliers.

Virginia follows up its contest with the in-state Dukes with two more home games (November 16 versus Columbia and November 19 versus Vermont) that are part of the Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament presented by Citi. The Hoos travel to Uncasville, Connecticut to finish out the Tip-Off Tournament, taking on Massachusetts in the first round of the Naismith bracket before meeting either Arizona State or St. John’s in either the championship or consolation game.

Highlighting December non-conference play are matchups at Purdue and at home against South Carolina. The Cavaliers and Boilermakers, who of course were part of a classic Elite Eight matchup in 2019, compete against each other as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Virginia’s complete non-conference schedule is below. It includes date, opponent, and in parenthesis is the opponent’s 2018-19 record.

Virginia Men’s Basketball’s 2019-20 Non-Conference Schedule

*Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament presented by Citi, Campus Round Games

**Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament presented by Citi, Naismith Bracket (Games at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. Click here for the tournament website.)

November 10 – James Madison (14-19)
November 16* – Columbia (10-18)
November 19* – Vermont (27-7, America East regular season and postseason tournament champions)
November 23** – Massachusetts (11-21)
November 24** – Arizona State (23-11, 2019 NCAA Tournament Second Round)/St. John’s (21-13, 2019 NCAA Tournament First Round)
November 27 – Maine (5-27)
December 4 – @Purdue (26-10, 2019 NCAA Tournament Regional Finalist)
December 18 – Stony Brook (24-9)
December 22 – South Carolina (16-16)
December 29 – Navy (12-19)

UVA’s 20-game ACC Schedule includes the following:

Home and home – Boston College, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
Home only – Clemson, Duke, NC State, Notre Dame
Road only – Georgia Tech, Miami, Pitt, Wake Forest

PRACTICE VIDEOS

Virginia men’s basketball has released two practice videos in the last two months. The latest was tweeted this Wednesday, July 17.

The first video came out on June 11.

Q&A WITH TONY BENNETT

ESPN.com’s Paul Biancardi conducted a “Q&A” with Cavalier head coach Tony Bennett. The feature is linked in Newslink, but you can also click here to read it. Here are some notables on some of the new additions to the program.

Bennett on the recruitment of transfers Sam and Joey Hauser. The brothers transferred from Marquette, with 2019 Big East Second-Team selection Sam choosing Virginia and Joey accepting an offer from Michigan State.

“At first they wanted to play together. We did not recruit Joey as long. We recruited Sam real hard out of high school [Wisconsin’s Stevens Point Area Senior High, which Bennett also attended]. You could tell from talking to them there was a crack in the window that if it made sense, they would go together. They had three great schools to choose from: Michigan State, Wisconsin and UVa. I applaud them for doing what they think is best for them. I am very excited to have Sam and his experience.”

Bennett on true freshmen Casey Morsell and Kadin Shedrick, who were consensus 4-star prospects in high school.

“Kadin was a late bloomer. I remember the first time I watched him play. He did not have a good game. I saw his activity and potential. He throws his body around and blocks shots with mobility. He has a soft touch around the basket. As his body fills out, he has big upside on both ends of the floor.

“Once I had a conversation with him and his family, you realize that they get it. They were humble about his game and understood the long-range plan. Sometimes with bigger guys that are newer to the game, it’s more of a process. A lot of mid-majors were on him for a while and then he exploded with his play. We have been so fortunate to get the guys like Joe Harris, Malcolm Brogdon, London Perrantes, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy who are hidden gems. At first they are not highly recruited, but they become gems.

“Morsell is a tough, complete guard who is a two-way player. I love two-way players. A young man who fits what we are about — extremely competitive and humble. I watched him play for Team Takeover in the summer, and the program (St. John’s College HS in Washington, D.C.) and that league he played in (WCAC) prepared him well.

“I always ask our guys in the offseason: If you played [last year’s version of] yourself one-on-one, could you dominate yourself now? If you can’t say yes, then you have not done your job improving. Those guys have improved.”