Tony Bennett likes the character he has seen from his basketball team this season.

"They've handled setbacks well," the Virginia head coach said on Monday, "whether it's transfers; whether it's injuries; a tough loss."

The Cavaliers' latest loss -- all four have come by three points or less -- came last Saturday, when Florida State held off a late Virginia rally to win 58-55.

Bennett's team has responded with wins after each of its first three losses. The Cavaliers -- who dropped to No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the coaches' poll this week -- next play on Wednesday, when they host Wake Forest.

"I remember my high school coach used to always tell me, 'Come back tough. Come back tough.' Whether it's after a victory, or a defeat, or something you find out," Bennett said. "And I think that will continually be before us -- will we come back tough? Will we approach our practices with that mindset? And again, have the right mentality, and the right kind of focus toward the rest of this year?"

One of the major roadblocks the Cavaliers have been confronted with this season is the loss of starting center Assane Sene. The seven-foot senior broke his right ankle at Georgia Tech on January 19, and had surgery on the injury the next day.

Bennett said during Monday's ACC coaches' teleconference that the cast had been removed from Sene's ankle. But he added that it's probably too soon to evaluate where Sene is in the recovery process.

The original prognosis for Sene's return was six weeks from his surgery, which would be the first weekend in March. That's when Virginia concludes its regular season with a trip to Maryland.

With Sene sidelined -- and the transfers of sophomore KT Harrell and redshirt freshman James Johnson in December -- Bennett's been forced to rely on a six-man rotation over the past five games.

"Of course, it's obvious that we miss Assane, and certainly don't have the depth," Bennett said. "But that's why I've been proud of our guys. We're kind of finding ways to still be in there. And we just have to do it a little more unconventional, or just have other guys step up. And that's really the challenge every time we step on the floor."

Wake Forest comes to Charlottesville at 11-12 on the season (2-7 in the ACC) after Saturday's 87-76 loss at NC State. The Demon Deacons have lost four in a row, and eight of their last 10.