Preview of UVA basketball’s matchup versus Coppin State

The Virginia Cavaliers welcome another mid-major to JPJ on Monday night as Coppin State returns to Charlottesville.

UVA took care of an overmatched yet pesky Campbell team in the season opener, 65-56. Coppin State, picked to finish last in the MEAC, is not expected to present the same challenge. The Eagles are placed in the bottom five Torvik’s full division 1 standingsand unlike the Fighting Camels, they don’t have a history of challenging power conference teams.

In the Tony Bennett era, Coppin State played UVA twice: a 97-40 thrashing in 2018-19 and a more modest 68-52 Cavaliers victory in 2021-22. This year, the Eagles are already 0-3 with a loss Wake ForestHigh Point and Rider, all with double-digit margins.

Time: Monday 11 November at 19:00 EST

Clock: ACCNX or ESPN+

Three things to know

A foundation is being built in Larry Stewart’s program

A legendary Coppin State player in the late 80s, Stewart was hired to rebuild the program in the 2023 offseason. His first year was brutal; due to injuries and a general lack of talent, the lineup was constantly shuffled, and the Eagles ended up winning just two games total. Coppin State’s double-digit scorer, Justin Watson, also advanced.

At least things could only go up from here. The Eagles roster was loaded with freshmen, and five of them return to play significant minutes. Stewart filled some holes with transfers like Julius Ellerbe III from Eastern Michigan and Derrius Ward from the NAIA level.

Nothing about Coppin State stands out, but to put things into context, they could improve significantly from last year and still be a sub-300 team.

Expect to see a decent amount of zone defense

Coppin State played zone defense on 32.0% of possessions last year, which was the 13th-highest rate nationally, per Synergy.

Is it more Coppin State’s lack of size and athleticism, their vast amount of youth, or Stewart’s ingrained defensive philosophy? We are not sure. But against an opponent like Virginia, we can assume those trends will remain consistent. In other words, I’m sure Stewart would rather have the ‘Hoos beat them from the outside, rather than trying to match up individually.

Coppin State ended up keeping things respectable against Wake Forest because they forced 12 turnovers, many of which were live balls. High Point, on the other hand, torched the Eagles’ zone with threes from the corner because of simple drive and kick concepts.

If there’s one game for Virginia to have an offensive surge, it has to be this one. Isaac McKneely should lick his chops when he sees the movie Coppin State.

This could be a good play to ignite Virginia’s transition offense

In addition to shooting 36.1% on two-pointers and 21.1% on three-pointers to date, the Eagles have turned the ball over on over 20% of possessions. Wake had several wide-open transition threes and dunks against Coppin State. I would love to see Ron Sanchez unleash Virginia as well.

Of course, there is a difference between being opportunistic due to turnover and being over-aggressive on a mistake. That said, the ‘Hoos have historically played to such the opposite extreme that I’d be okay with them occasionally giving the ball back if it means pushing the tempo more.

Do you have a crush on your man after a steal? A 3-on-2 opens up after a rebound? Take it! I want to see some electricity from the Cavaliers in this contest.

Two players to watch

SF Derrius Ward (#11)

Although Ward spent last season in the NAIA ranks, he brings experience leading a college basketball team, something that is rare on this Coppin State roster. The 6’6″, 205-pound wing has done the majority of the scoring so far for the Eagles.

Ward was heralded as an athletic guard with great court vision and a respectable outside shot. At Coppin State, however, he appears to have the full green light. Ward showed his range against Wake, hitting three triples in a 19-point effort, while making more of his living getting to the basket with 18 against Rider.

On a night where the Eagles will likely be desperate for offensive production, look for Ward to predominantly have the ball in his hands.

PF Julius Ellerbe III (#6)

Ellerbe is listed as a guard on the official Coppin State roster, but he has primarily been used in the middle of their zone defensively. The Washington DC native had good rebounding numbers at Eastern Michigan, grabbing eight boards in 34 minutes in the season opener.

The 6’7″ senior appears to have been dealing with an injury as he did not play in Saturday’s contest against Rider. If he is out again, look for sophomore Khalil Horton (#4) to anchor the paint.

Regardless of the matchup, both Blake Buchanan and Jacob Cofie should have their way. It would be great to see both on the field at the same time in heavy doses, given the flashes of big-to-big passing they showed in the Campbell game. Especially with TJ Power not looking as ready to make an impact as many of us expected, it will be crucial for the Cofie/Buchanan duo to build chemistry.

A prediction

I cannot stress this enough. Campbell was gritty and had some redeeming qualities. On the other hand, if Virginia struggles in any way with Coppin State, they are in deep trouble.

My expectation is a landslide UVA win on Monday night.

Forecast: Virginia 77, Coppin State 45