Preview: Virginia Cavaliers vs. Louisville Cardinals | ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
Game Details
Who: No. 6 Virginia Cavaliers (18-12) vs. No. 11 Louisville Cardinals (13-18)
When: Wednesday, March 9th at 9:30pm
Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
How to watch: ESPN2
All-time series: Virginia leads 19-5
Last meeting: Virginia defeated Louisville 71-61 less than a week ago in Louisville.
READ MORE: ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Preview: Can Virginia Win the ACC Tournament?
By the Numbers
| Virginia | By the Numbers | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
63.6 | Points Per Game | 67.9 |
60.4 | Opponent PPG | 70.7 |
45.3% | Field Goal % | 42.4% |
42.8% | Opponent FG % | 43.8% |
32.7% | Three-Point FG % | 31.2% |
34.6% | Opponent 3PT FG % | 35.2% |
77th | NET Ranking | 138th |
72nd | KenPom Ranking | 142nd |
61st | Strength of Record | 120th |
6-4 | Last 10 Games | 2-8 |
Players to Watch
Sydney Curry
After Virginia went on a massive run to take a 36-17 halftime lead on Saturday, it would have been easy for Louisville to roll over and concede the rest of the game. To their credit, the Cardinals rallied and got back to within just a few possessions of the Cavaliers late in the game. That comeback effort was powered by Sydney Curry, who recorded 17 of his game-high 24 points in the second half. Curry finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds and almost single-handedly kept the Cardinals in the game. He had another strong performance in Louisville's first round win over Georgia Tech with 12 points and six boards. Curry has proven to be a spark plug for the Cardinals and he is especially effective when he shares the floor with Louisville center Malik Williams.
Jarrod West
Louisville has gone to various closing lineups throughout this tumultuous season. Jarrod West has emerged as a key player for the Cardinals in late-game situations. He had 20 points in the first round win against Georgia Tech on Tuesday and went 4/6 from three in the game. West also hit a pair of threes against Virginia on Saturday. In postseason play, all it takes is one player getting hot from the perimeter to completely change the outcome of a game. Jarrod West can be that player for the Cardinals.
Kadin Shedrick
Shedrick was replaced by Francisco Caffaro as Virginia's starting center midway through the season, but Shedrick has delivered several quality performances and has proven to be pivotal for UVA's success. Put simply - when Shedrick plays well, Virginia plays well. Shedrick's two best performances of the season came in the upset win at Duke, when he was a perfect 8/8 from the field for 16 points, and in the win at Louisville on Saturday when he scored a career-high 20 points on 8/9 shooting. UVA does not need perfection, but the play of Shedrick and Caffaro against Louisville's bigs will be a key determinant in the outcome of this game.
Reece Beekman
Beekman turned in one of the more impressive stat lines in all of college basketball this season on Saturday: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 6/9 shooting, 3/3 from three-point range, five assists to just one turnover, five steals, and a block. Beekman was all over the floor and came up with clutch plays on both ends in the game's final minutes to seal the victory. Beekman, although very patient and passive at times, especially on the offensive end, has the ability to take control of games, as he did at Louisville this past weekend. If Beekman begins to tap into that sky-high potential, Virginia just might be able to run the table at the ACC Tournament.
Stay up to date with live score updates from the 2022 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament here: ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Score Updates and Schedule
What's at Stake
Louisville
The Cardinals are fighting to keep playing. A loss will effectively end Louisville's season and send the program into an uncertain offseason as the Cardinals search for their next head coach. Louisville would certainly love to get revenge for the last two losses to Virginia, knocking the Hoos out of both the ACC Tournament, and, in all likelihood, the NCAA Tournament. UVA has dominated the series with Louisville, especially since the Cardinals joined the ACC, so there is some extra motivation to get one back against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
Virginia
UVA is still alive for an at-large bid to March Madness. If the cards fall right, the Cavaliers could win their way into the NCAA Tournament even without winning the ACC Tournament. But, that is only possible if the the Cavaliers defeat the Cardinals for the third time this season and advance to play North Carolina on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
While it is difficult to beat a team three times in one season, Virginia has actually accomplished the feat recently. In 2018, Virginia stunned Louisville on De'Andre Hunter's memorable buzzer-beating three-pointer, robbing the Cardinals of a win over the No. 1 team in the country - a marquee victory that would have likely propelled the Cardinals into the NCAA Tournament. Exactly one week later, UVA guaranteed that Louisville would not make the NCAA Tournament by defeating the Cardinals in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and the Cavaliers went on to win the 2018 ACC Tournament title. Virginia will need to repeat history and complete the three-game sweep over Louisville in order to keep its March Madness hopes alive.
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See more Virginia men's basketball news and content: Virginia Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
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