Virginia Makes Considerable Jump in Latest KenPom and NET Rankings Following Win Over NC State

The Virginia Cavaliers are one of the hottest teams in the country and they continued rolling last night with a blowout win over the NC State Wolfpack.

This game was much like the first time the two teams met, and there is no doubt about which team is better. With this win, UVA is setting itself up for a showdown with the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday and a real chance to announce itself as a contender in the NCAA Tournament.

When you beat a quality opponent by 29 points, you are sure to make a move up in the NET Rankings and KenPom rankings. That is exactly what UVA did.

Where did they land?

After their win over Miami, Virginia stayed at 19th in KenPom, but they moved up five spots to No. 14 after the big win last night. Similarly, Virginia was at 18th in the NCAA's NET rankings, but now they are 13th.

According to the NET Rankings, UVA is 6-2 in quad one games and 7-1 in quad two games. Virginia has the No. 23 offensive rating according to KenPom and the No. 16 defensive rating.

They are going to face the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday and Duke's advanced metrics are as elite as it gets. They are narrowly behind Michigan for the top spot in KenPom, ranking No. 2 overall with the No. 7 offense and the No. 1 overall defense. Duke is No. 1 in the NET Rankings and are tied with Arizona for the most quad one wins in the country with 12.

After the game last night, Odom talked about the upcoming game and what it will be like to prepare his team for the environment at Cameron Indoor Stadium:

"I think every time you lace it up, you have to be ready to play in this conference. And we were able to hold serve at home which certainly was our goal to win, win these two games one at a time. And we're just going to do what we always do that's get ready for the next one. And we know that the challenge that lies ahead there - the number one team in the country, extremely well coached, extremely talented and together and tough, and so we're going to have to play our best to have a chance to win.

I think you talk about it, but you don't make a big deal about it. It's like you have to go in there and play the game. Once the game in between the lines one team is going to set the tone, and the jabs are going to be thrown back and forth, and you have to play the game as it comes. And if you get caught up in what's going on in your surroundings then you won't be able to focus on what's really important, and that's competing to win.

It's a really tough place to play, but it's a tough place to play, certainly because of the environment, their care for the place, but it's also the players and the coaches that have done such a great job over the years."

This is going to be the biggest game of the Ryan Odom era. There are plenty of things on the line for UVA in this game. A chance at finally earning respect, the lead in the ACC, a move up in the NCAA Tournament seeding, and something for this program to continue building around during Odom's tenure. The Hoos are going to be heavy underdogs on Saturday, but they have a better chance to win this game than people think.