Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Game Preview, Score Prediction
In order for Virginia to complete the series sweep over in-state rival Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers will have to win at Cassell Coliseum for the first time since 2020 as the Hoos battle the Hokies in part 2 of the Commonwealth Clash on Monday night in Blacksburg.
Read on for a full preview of Virginia at Virginia Tech, including game details and notes, an opponent scouting report, what to watch for, and a prediction for Monday night's matchup.
Game Details
Who: Virginia Cavaliers (20-6, 11-4 ACC) at Virginia Tech Hokies (14-11, 6-8 ACC)
When: Monday, February 19th at 7pm ET
Where: Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia
How to watch: ESPN
How to stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
How to listen: SiriusXM 137 or 193, SXM App 955 | Virginia Sports Radio Network - click here for affiliates
All-time series: Virginia leads 98-59
Last meeting: Virginia defeated Virginia Tech 65-57 on January 17th in Charlottesville.
Game Notes
- Virginia leads Virginia Tech 98-59 in the all-time series that dates back to 1915.
- UVA is 23-33 against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and 9-19 at Cassell Coliseum.
- Virginia Tech has won each of the last three games against Virginia in Blacksburg and UVA is seeking its first road win over the Hokies since 2020.
- Virginia has won seven of the last 10 meetings against Virginia Tech.
- Tony Bennett is 19-9 against Virginia Tech as a head coach.
- Virginia is currently third in the ACC standings at 11-4 and Virginia Tech is tied for 10th at 6-8.
Opponent Scouting Report: Virginia Tech
2023-2024: 14-11, 6-8 ACC (10th)
A 65-57 loss to Virginia back on January 17th in Charlottesville capped a 1-4 stretch for Virginia Tech to start ACC play, but the Hokies rebounded nicely, rattling off three-straight wins after that against NC State, Boston College, and Georgia Tech. They've again hit a rough patch recently, though, losing four out of their last five games coming into this matchup, with the most recent being a 96-81 defeat at North Carolina on Saturday.
That leaves Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament hopes looking pretty bleak as with six games to go in the season, the Hokies are 14-11 overall, 6-8 in the ACC, ranked No. 62 in the NET rankings and firmly on the outside of the bubble. Monday night's game represents Virginia Tech's best remaining opportunity to add a marquee win to its resume before the ACC Tournament, but the Hokies are likely more focused on the task at hand of knocking off the Cavaliers at Cassell Coliseum for the fourth year in a row.
In the first meeting between these two teams, Virginia Tech knocked down 11 threes, but scored only 57 points as the Hokies shot 38.9% from the floor and turned the ball over 15 times. Virginia, meanwhile, despite shooting 4/14 from beyond the arc, came away with the win thanks to a dominant effort inside, outscoring Virginia Tech 36-20 in the paint. Jordan Minor announced his official emergence with his best game as a Cavalier, posting 16 points on 5/8 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Perhaps most importantly, Minor held Virginia Tech center Lynn Kidd, who had been averaging nearly 15 points per game and shooting 67.2% from the floor coming into that game, to just two points on 1/3 field goals. Reece Beekman joined Minor with 16 points and four assists and also hounded Sean Pedulla into seven turnovers.
Virginia Tech is a capable three-point shooting team at 36.1%. Hunter Cattoor is shooting 42.7% from beyond the arc on more than six attempts per game and Tyler Nickel is a prototypical stretch four, standing at 6'7" and knocking down 43.0% of his threes on 4.5 attempts per contest. Sean Pedulla attempts more than five threes per game and hits them at a rate of 35.2%. Last week saw Virginia fail to defend the three-point line against the Pitt Panthers, who rained down 14 threes to snap UVA's nation-leading home winning streak, and then bounce back in a big way against a great three-point shooting team in Wake Forest on Saturday, holding the Demon Deacons to just five threes and 47 total points in a crucial victory. The Cavaliers need to be closer to the latter performance on Monday night as they hope to take down a Virginia Tech squad that usually shoots well against the Hoos when they come to Blacksburg.
What to Watch For
Battle of the guards.
Jordan Minor deservedly got a lot of credit for his role in Virginia's victory in the first meeting between these two teams, but the battle in the backcourt might be even more important than the one in the front court, as Reece Beekman and Isaac McKneely take on Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor. Pedulla and Cattoor combined to hit six threes and score 30 points, which is roughly their combined season scoring average, in the first meeting, but Pedulla also turned the ball over seven times. Whichever team has its point guard more effectively facilitate its offense (Beekman or Pedulla) and has its sharpshooter get into a rhythm from beyond the arc (McKneely or Cattoor) will likely come away with the win.
Will Virginia's struggles at Cassell Coliseum continue?
On February 26th, 2020, Kihei Clark hit a clutch three-pointer with just two seconds remaining to give Virginia a thrilling 56-53 road win over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. That was UVA's third-consecutive victory at Cassell Coliseum and gave the Cavaliers the season sweep over their in-state rivals for the second year in a row. Virginia has yet to win a game at Cassell Coliseum since then, coming back with a loss in each of its last three trips to Blacksburg. In recent history, the Hokies have significantly outplayed the Cavaliers at Cassell no matter the records or how the teams match up on paper. Virginia is looking to put an end to that trend on Monday night.
Commonwealth Clash
Virginia currently leads Virginia Tech 5.5-2.5 in the 2023-2024 Smithfield Commonwealth Clash. With the Cavaliers having claimed the first half point for men's basketball with their 65-57 win over the Hokies back on January 17th in Charlottesville, the other half point is up for grabs on Monday night in Blacksburg. UVA is looking to complete the season-sweep over Virginia Tech for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.
Prediction
Cassell Coliseum has not been kind to the Cavaliers over the last few years and that trend has held even when Virginia has had much better teams than Virginia Tech. The basket seems smaller for Hoos when they shoot in that building, the 50-50 balls seem to go the Hokies' way, and the hostile road environment certainly plays a part. With that said, they say defense travels, and if Virginia brings the level of defense it delivered on Saturday against Wake Forest on Monday night in Blacksburg, it won't take an offensive explosion to come away with the win. Either way, I expect this to be a physical battle that comes down to the wire.
Score prediction: Virginia 65, Virginia Tech 62
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