Game Preview: Virginia Cavaliers at Louisville Cardinals Men's Basketball
Game Details
Who: Virginia Cavaliers (17-12, 11-8 ACC) at Louisville Cardinals (12-17, 6-13 ACC)
When: Saturday, March 5 at 12pm
Where: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
How to watch: ESPN2
All-time series: Virginia leads 18-5
Last meeting: Virginia defeated Louisville 64-52 on January 24, 2022 in Charlottesville.
By the Numbers
| Virginia | By the Numbers | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
63.3 | Points Per Game | 67.6 |
60.4 | Opponent PPG | 70.6 |
45.1% | Field Goal % | 42.3% |
42.9% | Opponent FG % | 43.4% |
32.1% | Three-Point FG % | 30.7% |
34.6% | Opponent 3PT FG % | 34.5% |
80th | NET Ranking | 135th |
76th | KenPom Ranking | 140th |
67th | Strength of Record | 127th |
6-4 | Last 10 Games | 1-9 |
Opponent Breakdown: Louisville
Notable results: Maryland (63-55 W), Michigan State (73-64 L), NC State (73-68 W), Wake Forest (73-69 W), Pittsburgh (75-72 W), Florida State (79-70 L), Virginia (64-52 L), Duke (74-65 L), Notre Dame (63-57 L), Clemson (70-61 W), North Carolina (70-63 L), Virginia Tech (75-43 L)
When Virginia and Louisville played in Charlottesville on January 24th, the Cardinals' season had been somewhat of a roller coaster, but still salvageable. Louisville was 11-8 and 5-4 in ACC play.
Since then, Louisville's season has gone off the rails. Just a couple of days after suffering a 64-52 loss at Virginia, Louisville parted ways with head coach Chris Mack. The Cardinals have lost 10 of their last 11 games, including a 1-8 mark since Mack stepped down. Louisville has lost its last two games by a combined margin of 54 points, including a 75-43 defeat at Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
Louisville runs a deep bench, with ten players averaging at least 12 minutes played per game. But, the Cardinals lack a single dominant scorer, as they do not have a single player averaging in double figures. Noah Locke leads the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and Malik Williams is right behind him at 9.3 points per game. Williams is also the team's leading rebounder at 7.7 boards per game.
READ MORE: Virginia Looks to End Regular Season on Positive Note at Louisville
What's at Stake
Louisville
With a win over Virginia and a loss by Clemson on Saturday, Louisville could move up to the No. 10 seed in the ACC Tournament, depending on the outcomes of some other games around the conference as the Cardinals are currently tied with Boston College and Pittsburgh in the ACC standings. The Cardinals could finish as low as the No. 13 seed with a loss to UVA.
Virginia
The Cavaliers can clinch the No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament with a win at Louisville or a loss by Virginia Tech at Clemson on Saturday. UVA and Virginia Tech are tied at 11-8 in ACC play and they split the regular season series 1-1, but the Cavaliers hold the advantage in the next round of tiebreaking procedures due to their 1-1 record against Duke, the top seed in the ACC (Virginia Tech went 0-1 against Duke this season). Virginia looks to snap a two-game losing streak and pick up some momentum heading into next week's ACC Tournament, which the Cavaliers need to win in order to make the NCAA Tournament.
More ACC Tournament seeding scenarios here: ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Seeding Scenarios
What's your score prediction for Virginia's game at Louisville? Share your thoughts at Cavaliers Now Forums
See more Virginia men's basketball news and content: Virginia Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated
Read more from Cavaliers Now
Joe Harris to Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
Jelani Woods Stands Out at NFL Combine With Record-Breaking 40-Yard Dash
Virginia Fires Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tina Thompson
Virginia Looks to End Regular Season on Positive Note at Louisville
Malcolm Brogdon Drops 31 Points, Leads Pacers to Comeback Win Over Magic
Reece Beekman Snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalists
