Read more for our full Virginia vs Georgia Tech prediction and preview.
Virginia basketball hosts Georgia Tech at Jones Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville today. Both teams are coming off victories during the week; the Cavaliers beat Pitt and the Yellow Jackets bested Clemson.
General Information:
Teams: Virginia (11-12, 4-8) and Georgia Tech (11-12, 5-7)
Tip time: 5:30 p.m. EST
Watch: The CW Network
Listen: Virginia Sports Radio Network and SiriusXM 384
Latest on Georgia Tech basketball:
The Yellow Jackets are coming off its two best wins of the season. Last Saturday, Georgia Tech upset then-No. 21 Louisville 77-70, and then beat Clemson 89-86 in triple overtime Wednesday. Both the Cardinals and the Tigers rank in the top four of the ACC and would get a bye to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament if the season ended right now, so those were major victories for head coach Damon Stoudamire’s squad.
This game is going to be a contrast of styles; while UVa is notoriously slow-tempo, Georgia Tech plays fast, ranking in the top 50 in the country in possessions per game. The Yellow Jackets don’t shoot a lot of threes, about 22 per game, and they rank in the middle of the road in how often they make those shots.
The biggest concern for Virginia is sophomore forward Baye Ndongo. The 6’9″ big man from Senegal ranks seventh in the conference in rebounds per game (7.9) and grabs 2.3 offensive boards per game. While the Cavaliers did a better job of securing defensive rebounds Monday aganist Pitt, if they can’t keep Ndongo off the glass it could be a tough evening in Charlottesville.
Georgia Tech is led offensively by senior guard Lance Terry at 15.6 points a game. He makes 2.3 threes per game. Virginia’s packline defense allows for three-pointers to be shot, so if Terry gets into a groove from behind the arc, the Cavs might struggle to keep up.
Latest on Virginia basketball:
UVa is coming off its second true road win of the season, a 73-57 thrashing of Pitt on Monday. The Cavaliers went on a 17-0 run early in the game and never looked back. Sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames scored a career-high 27 points, while junior guard Andrew Rohde had a complete stat line with nine points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. It was a game reminiscent of the Virginia teams from 2014-19 against a good Pitt squad that’s on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Virginia’s on a bubble, too, but it’s the ACC Tournament bubble. The Cavs enter play today as the 14th seed in the tournament and every game down the stretch is crucial if the Cavaliers want to head to Charlotte in March. Despite the turbulent season Virginia’s had, the Cavs have continued to fight and seem determined to not end this season with a whimper.
The status of junior forward Elijah Saunders continues to be something worth monitoring. He hasn’t played since the Notre Dame loss Jan. 25, but seemed to practice with the team before the Pitt game. His size and ability to score in a variety of ways is crucial for the Cavs.
But the main story today doesn’t come in-game. The university is honoring former head coach Tony Bennett on Saturday, which will culminate in a banner getting raised at halftime. Bennett, who suddenly retired just a couple of weeks before this season began, is the program’s all-time wins leader at 364, made nine NCAA Tournaments with the Cavs, and brought a national championship to Charlottesville in 2019. Former Virginia stars and current NBA teammates De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome could be in attendance, as the Cleveland Cavaliers played Friday night in Washington D.C. against the Wizards and don’t play again until Monday.
This is another must-win for the Cavs if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. If they can limit Ndongo on the boards and slow Terry, they should have a good shot. Expect it to be close, but Virginia doing just enough to get the victory.