How Does Virginia Defeat NC State For The Second Time This Season?

Key things to watch for in the matchup tonight

Feb 21, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers celebrate during the first half against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Virginia sits at second in the ACC with a 12-2 conference record in a much-improved ACC. They will play NC State for the second time this season after picking up a 76-61 win on January third. The Wolfpack has won seven of its last nine games and is playing some of its best basketball. Head coach Ryan Odom knows it will be different this time when facing NC State. 

“I mean, I think it certainly does because it's the second time you're playing them, but you know, as we tell our guys, I'll tell you, neither team is the same as they were back then. So there'll be adjustments, and both teams are playing good basketball right now. NC State's playing excellently. They're the best three-point shooting team in our league. They can score in and around the rim. They play fast. They're very well coached. Uh, they steal the ball. They're very active on defense and they're a tough matchup,” said Odom. 

A key part is taking care of the basketball for the Hoos and continuing to get good shots offensively. They will have to be efficient and allow their scorers to get in a rhythm early in the game. One good thing for the Hoos is their bench has continued to play at a high level and been one of the best units on the team. Jacari White and Chance Mallory have been great complements to the the team whenever they are put into the game. They give the Hoos a spark on both ends of the floor and help stablize the team. They both have high energy and effort which is infectious. They will both be key on Tuesday. 

“You know, they're confident players in their own right, and they're different, you know, which makes it really cool. Uh Jacari, you know, can really get going, uh, from behind the arc, but he's gotten so much better at driving and passing and finishing around the rim. Defensively, he's a weapon for us as well. He's so quick. Uh, good hands. Chance is just ahead of his time and  a really good player and a confident player and a smart player and uh you know he makes the most out of his game,” said Odom. 

It will be key for the Cavaliers slow down multiple scorers for the Wolfpack on Tuesday night, including Quadir Copeland, who has been playing well as of late. In NC State’s 82-58 win over the Tar Heels, Copelnad finished with a game-high 20 points, seven assists and four steals. He is an absolute pest on the defensive side of the ball. He is second in the ACC in assists and third in steals this year. Darrion Williams is the other who is averaging 14.2 points per game this year and scored 13 points last time out. The other is Ven-Allen Lubin, who is one of the Wolfpack’s most efficient scorers. He produced 12 points on 5-6 shooting vs the Tar Heels. Coach Odom talked about the challenge they present 

“We have to be well-balanced on defense. Different guys step up in different games, and they have a lot of weapons. You can't just focus on one guy and say we're going to take this guy out from NC State and expect to win because they have multiple guys that can beat you. Our attention to detail, relative to their personnel, and just really trying to impose our will on the defensive side of the ball and being really clean on offense, taking the right shots and really finding ways to score.”