Predicting No. 13 Virginia’s Top Performers Against Wake Forest

The Virginia Cavaliers are looking to bounce back after their hideous loss to the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. On Tuesday night, the Hoos will be facing the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. If the Cavaliers want to finish their regular season on a positive note, they must regroup and enter this matchup with confidence.

"... I'm not worried about one game, I'm worried about the mindset of our team, and we can't lose our confidence because we just lost to a really good basketball team," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his latest media appearance. "We've got to get back to work and get ready to play and get ready to compete in our conference, which we know every night is going to be a tough matchup. Wake Forest is going to come to JPJ ready to play."

Thijs De Ridder

Thijs De Ridder led UVA with 16 points last time out, and he was the only Cavalier to land in the double digits. To be candid, De Ridder was the only noticeably suitable match for the Blue Devils over the weekend. His towering size and level of physicality are a major boost to the program. Coming in at No. 12 in the ACC for points per game (16.0), De Ridder, a 23-year-old first-year player, is expected to continue leading the Cavaliers through to the end of the season.

Jacari White

Since Jacari White returned to basketball activities after suffering an injury, he has consistently been a contributing factor for UVA. But White struggled with shooting, as all of his teammates did, over the weekend. He finished the game with five points and one rebound, shooting only 14.3% from the floor. He is another key player who will need to bounce back before hosting the Demon Deacons.

Ugonna Onyenso

Ugonna Onyenso leads the ACC with 2.6 blocks per game, and while doing so, he avoids getting into excessive foul trouble—an ongoing battle for the Hoos. The 7'0" senior logs an average of 6.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, shooting 54.1% from the floor. Onyenso is a powerful defender who has made some clutch saves during critical points throughout the season. Fans should expect to see a strong finish from Onyenso as the end of the regular season nears.

Tipoff for the Virginia-Wake Forest game is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Fans can tune in through the ACC Network and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.