Read more for our full Virginia vs Wake Forest prediction and preview.
Virginia basketball hits the road Wednesday as it battles Wake Forest — its third straight opponent from North Carolina. Both teams are coming off double-digit losses Saturday; the Cavs lost to North Carolina by 15, while NC State beat the Demon Deacons by 12.
General Information:
Teams: Virginia (13-14, 6-10) and Wake Forest (19-8, 11-5)
Tip time: 9 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPNU
Listen: Virginia Sports Radio Network and SiriusXM 386
Latest on Wake Forest basketball:
Wake Forest comes in after a bad loss to NC State on Saturday. The Demon Deacons led by two with eight minutes left, but the Wolfpack went on a 26-12 run to end the game. Wake Forest shot 22% from behind the arc and was led by Cameron Hildreth’s 16 points.
The Demon Deacons two main offensive threats are senior guard Hunter Sallis (18.3 points per game) and Hildreth (14.7). While they can score, Wake Forest struggles to shoot from three, ranking dead last in the ACC and 353rd in the country at 29.1%. If Virginia’s packline defense can force Wake Forest to shoot threes, the Cavs have a shot.
The Demon Deacons’ biggest advantage comes in the paint. Senior forwards Tre’Von Spillers and Efton Reid III both rank top 15 in blocks per game. As a result, Virginia needs to really get into a groove with their jump shots, or it could be a long game.
Every game down the stretch is pivotal for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons sit on the NCAA Tournament bubble, with every win and loss being extremely scrutinized. A home loss to a subpar Virginia team would not look good on Wake Forest’s resume, especially right after the double-digit loss to NC State, who are currently on the outside looking in at the ACC Tournament. Simply put, this is a must-win game for the Demon Deacons.
Latest on Virginia basketball:
Virginia was blown out for the second straight game, losing to the Tar Heels 81-66. The Cavaliers have lost double-digit conference games for the first time since 2009-10, Tony Bennett’s first season as head coach. It was the sixth time this season they’d given up at least 80 points in a game; in Bennett’s 15 years as head coach, the Cavs surrendered 80 just 12 times.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a quick 21-2 lead, and while Virginia was able to cut it to within single digits, the Wahoos could never fully recover. The Cavs shot under 30% from behind the three-point line, while UNC shot 56% from behind the arc. Junior guard Isaac McKneely led the Cavs with 17 points.
After the game, both McKneely and junior forward Elijah Saunders spoke in support of interim head coach Ron Sanchez and advocated for him to get the job full-time. McKneely said that Sanchez could do “great things with the program” and Saunders called him “one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.” However, with four regular season games left in what’s been a down season, it seems likely that Virginia will look outside of the program for its next head coach.
But the season isn’t over yet, and Virginia still has something to play for. The Cavs are still in the ACC Tournament picture, and as NC State showed last year, sometimes all a team needs is a chance. The Cavs and have the opportunity to play spoiler, as the Demon Deacons currently sit as the last team in the tournament in Joe Lunardi’s “Bracketology.” Virginia could cause a little chaos tonight.
However, expect Sallis to eventually be too much and the Deacons to pull away in the second half.