Three Keys to Victory for Virginia Tonight vs Ohio State

Will the Virginia Cavaliers secure their sixth consecutive win tonight?

Virginia Cavaliers guard Jacari White | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers have a road matchup tonight in Nashville, Tenn. against Ohio State at 8 p.m. ET. This is a neutral site for both programs, ensuring a level playing field. The Buckeyes are currently 16-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten, while the Cavaliers stand tall at 21-3 overall and 10-2 in the ACC, placing them just below the Duke Blue Devils.

This non-conference matchup is one step closer to UVA's brutal three-game stretch against Miami, NC State and Duke, but that doesn't mean they can take it easy on the court tonight. This will be the first time the two programs have faced each other since 2016, so they're entering relatively new territory.

With the meeting just a few hours away, here are three keys to victory if the Cavaliers want to come out on top.

Stay on Top of Bruce Thornton

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton and Michigan Wolverines guard Trey McKenney | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Senior Bruce Thornton is currently in fifth place on Ohio State's all-time scoring list. To date, he has amassed 1,950 career points, along with 462 rebounds and 499 assists. So far this season, he is averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, while shooting 54.7% from the floor. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before he becomes the second player in his conference to post 2,000 points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds. Knowing his efficiency and scoring abilities, Virginia needs to keep him in sight tonight.

Rebounding Will Be Imperative

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

This is an area that the Cavaliers have been focusing on this year, and they've seen their work start to pay off. Defensive rebounding was a struggle early on, but head coach Ryan Odom has acknowledged the improvements being made. Right now, UVA leads the ACC in rebounding with 41.7 per game, while Louisville and Duke trail with 40.3 and 39.7, respectively. As Odom noted during his press conference earlier this week:

“I think the defense has gotten better. I think clearly that's the biggest area where we've improved. The rebounding, you know, in particular, the defensive rebounding has really picked up. I think that's four or five in a row where it's, you know, you're in the 25% range or below, which is a big improvement for us. The offensive rebounding has continued to be an important part of our game. We haven't shot it as well as we're capable of shooting it. Hopefully, that's a good sign. We'll, you know, continue to work as long as we keep taking the right shots, you know, we're confident that they'll go down.” 

Take Advantage of Road Success

Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Virginia has been incredibly successful on the road in recent weeks, and they're currently riding a steady six-game road win streak. At 9-2 away from home, the Cavaliers have proven themselves to be a threat, even when they're not at JPJ Arena. Given that this is also a neutral site, UVA should capitalize on its success and the added confidence. Not to mention, the Hoos have already defeated two Big Ten opponents this season, Maryland (80-72) and Northwestern (83-78).

"... The Big Ten is an awesome league, and you know, Ohio State's having a good year, so it's going to be a big challenge," Odom stated. "We haven't really watched them a ton at this point, but we're all in these big conferences now, and so when you're playing teams only once in a year, that's really what you're doing anyway. You know, when you get ready for the NCAA tournaments, gone are the days of eight teams in a conference where you play everybody twice. So we're all in a way prepping for that NCAA tournament postseason opportunity anyway.” 

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be available on Fox and Virginia Sports Radio Network.