Game Preview: Virginia Cavaliers vs. Miami Hurricanes Men's Basketball

The Cavaliers head to Coral Gables for a huge Saturday-showdown with the Hurricanes

Game Details

Who: Virginia Cavaliers (16-10, 10-6 ACC) at Miami Hurricanes (19-7, 11-4 ACC)

When: Saturday, February 19th at 5pm

Where: Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida

How to watch: ACC Network

All-time series: Virginia leads 14-12

Last meeting: Virginia defeated Miami 71-56 on February 5th, 2022 in Charlottesville. 

By the Numbers

Virginia	By the Numbers	Miami
63.0	Points Per Game	74.6
59.7	Opponent PPG	70.9
45.3%	Field Goal %	47.1%
42.6%	Opponent FG %	46.1%
32.0%	Three-Point FG %	35.0%
34.3%	Opponent 3PT FG %	35.5%
+17	Rebounding Margin	-107
+39	Turnover Margin	+107
81st	NET Ranking	63rd
92nd	RPI	41st

Opponent Breakdown: Miami

Notable results: Alabama (96-64 L), Penn State (63-58 W), Clemson (80-75 W), NC State (91-83 W), Wake Forest (92-84 W), Duke (76-74 W), Florida State (65-64 L), North Carolina (85-57 W), Notre Dame (68-64 L), Virginia (71-56 L), Wake Forest (76-72 W)

Miami currently has two of the top ten leading scorers in the ACC: Kameron McGusty (5th at 17.6 ppg) and Isaiah Wong (10th at 15.8 ppg). McGusty had 21 points in the first meeting between these two teams, but Reece Beekman and the UVA defense did an excellent job guarding Isaiah Wong, holding him to just six points. Charlie Moore stepped up with 17 points, but Virginia was largely successful in holding the Miami offense at bay. 

The Cavaliers should count on Jim Larrañaga and the Hurricanes to make some strategic adjustments on offense to get Wong going as well as generate some open looks for Sam Waardenburg, who is the ACC's fourth-best three-point shooter at 44.4%, but attempted only two three-pointers in the first meeting against Virginia and missed them both. 

Since losing a 71-58 contest to the Cavaliers on February 5th in Charlottesville, the Hurricanes have won three games in a row, including a 76-72 victory over Wake Forest in Winston-Salem last weekend. With a record of 19-7 and 11-4 in the ACC, Miami now sits in third place in the ACC standings, just one game behind Duke and Notre Dame. The Hurricanes are included in most March Madness bracket projections, but that could easily change if they falter down the stretch. The point is that Miami has as much to play for in this game as Virginia does, not to mention the desire for revenge after losing to the Cavaliers just two weeks ago. 

What to Watch For

Reece Beekman vs. Isaiah Wong Part II

In round one between the Canes and Cavaliers, Isaiah Wong, one of the top scorers in the ACC, was held to just six points by Reece Beekman and the UVA defense. Wong shot 3/9 from the floor and went 0/3 from three-point range. Beekman also got the better of Wong and the Hurricanes on the other end of the floor, turning in a statline of nine points, 10 assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. Count on Wong to come into this game with a chip on his shoulder and play more aggressively against Virginia in front of a home crowd. 

What version of Armaan Franklin will we see?

Two weeks ago, Armaan Franklin had one of his best games as a Cavalier with 22 points, three three-pointers, three rebounds, four assists, and four steals in Virginia's win over Miami. Since that game, however, Franklin has regressed to his season-long shooting slump, making just one three-pointer in his last 14 attempts. After his outstanding performance against Miami, we noted that Franklin hitting even just a couple of perimeter shots each game turns Virginia into an entirely different offensive team. Franklin does not need to make six threes a game in order for UVA to win, but the Cavaliers cannot afford to go 0/9 from three as a team, as they did in Monday's loss at Virginia Tech. 

A Must-Win for the Cavaliers

With four games remaining in the regular season, Virginia's loss at Virginia Tech has put the Cavaliers squarely back in desperation mode. UVA likely needs to win at least three of the last four games and have a solid showing in the ACC Tournament in order to have a chance at qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. With another meeting with Duke looming on the horizon, picking up what would be a Quad 1 win at Miami would a pivotal first step. 

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