Why Virginia Basketball Has Strong Chance To Beat Duke on Saturday

Now that the Virginia Cavaliers have sealed a dominant 90-61 victory over NC State on Tuesday, the Hoos are now gearing up to face the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. Given that the Blue Devils continue to hold the helm at No. 1 in the ACC standings and now stand at No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 rankings, the Cavaliers are going to face great challenges this weekend.

Duke is currently 26-2 overall and 14-1 in conference play, while riding a five-game winning streak. To date, their only losses have been to Texas Tech (82-81) and North Carolina (71-68). The last time these two programs met was in February 2025, when the Blue Devils clinched an 80-62 victory over the Hoos.

Although Duke is certainly the more efficient team here, not all hope is lost for the Cavaliers. In fact, they have a couple of things going in their favor. Let's take a look at their chances.

UVA's Dominant Bench

Virginia Cavaliers Ugonna Oyenso shooting a basketball — Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

One of the Cavaliers' most valuable assets this season has been their powerful bench, which tends to be led by Jacari White, Ugonna Onyenso, and Chance Mallory. After White came back from his injury, he has been steadily bringing himself back to his fullest potential. On Tuesday against the Wolfpack, he recorded 15 points and four rebounds, while shooting 66.7% from the floor.

Mallory has also been a key producer as of late, wrapping his latest game with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Onyenso isn't often a leading scorer, but he is very productive on defense and manages to do so while avoiding countless fouls. His efforts will be much-needed when the Hoos face Duke's forward Cameron Boozer.

UVA's Strong Track Record

Virginia Cavaliers Chance Mallory holding his face — Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Similar to Duke, Virginia has been playing a phenomenal season. They're now on a jaw-dropping nine-game winning streak and have moved up to No. 11 in the AP Top 25. Before the season kicked off, the Hoos were not expected to perform as well as they have, primarily because they're operating under a new head coach with a relatively fresh roster. However, this clearly hasn't been an issue for the Hoos.

The chemistry is there, the players respond well to Ryan Odom and they've been showing consistent improvements on both sides of the ball. Not to mention, they've come out on top over notable teams, including the Hurricanes and the Wolfpack.

Tipoff for the Virginia-Duke matchup is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. ET in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils have a leg up, given that this is a home game for them, but don't be surprised if the Cavaliers pull off a thrilling upset.