Game Notes: #2 UVA basketball on the road at Virginia Tech

No. 2 UVA (18-0, 6-0 ACC) visits in-state rival Virginia Tech in a Commonwealth Clash on Sunday, Jan. 25. Tipoff at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., is set for 1 p.m.

For Openers

• Virginia (18-0) is off to its best start since the 1980-81 season when that team led by legendary center Ralph Sampson started 23-0.
• UVa has started 6-0 in ACC play for the first time since the 1980-81 team started 12-0.
• UVa ranks first nationally in scoring defense at 49.3 points per game.
• Virginia is first in the ACC at 6-0, while Virginia Tech is tied for 13th at 0-5.
• The Cavaliers have won 14 of their 18 games by 11 or more points.

 

Broadcast Information

• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game will be televised on the ACC Network and streamed online at ESPN3.com.
• The game will be broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Athletics mobile app on iTunes or Android.
• Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.

 

The Head Coaches
Virginia: Tony Bennett (Green Bay, 1992), 124-60 in six seasons at UVa and 193-93 in nine seasons overall.

Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams (Oklahoma City University, 1994), 8-10 in first season at Virginia Tech and 161-96 in eight seasons overall.

 

Commonwealth Clash

• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game is part of the Virginia 529 Commonwealth Clash, which is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams of the Hoos and Hokies.
• The competition includes the 21 sports in which the two schools compete against each other, plus one fan-decided point.
• Today’s game is sponsored by Virginia529, the official college savings plan of University of Virginia Athletics.
• The UVa-VT game is worth a half point in the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash.
• The score for the Clash is now Virginia 5.0 and Virginia Tech 1.5.
• Learn more about Virginia529 and this new competition at TheCommonwealthClash.com. “Who will surrender, Hokie or Hoo?  It could be up to you.”

 

Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers^TM Awareness Week

• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game is part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers^TM Awareness Week, celebrated Jan. 19-25.
• The nationwide event unites coaches across the country to raise awareness about the fight against cancer, and promote the American Cancer Society as a place for help and support.
• On Sunday, the Virginia and Virginia Tech coaching staffs will wear sneakers with their game attire as a visible reminder about the importance of nutrition and physical activity in reducing one’s cancer risk.

 

Against The Commonwealth

• Since the 1999-2000 season, Virginia has a 54-13 record against teams from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• UVa is 20-4 in its last 24 games vs. in-state opponents.
• Virginia is 3-0 vs. teams from Virginia this season, defeating James Madison, Norfolk State and VCU.

 

UVa Ranked No. 2 For Second Straight Week

• UVa is ranked No. 2 in the AP poll for the second straight week.
• Prior to this year, the Cavaliers achieved their last No. 2 ranking on March 8, 1983.
• Virginia has delivered three of the nine home losses by teams currently ranked in the top 16 of this week’s AP poll (Notre Dame, Maryland, VCU).
• The Cavaliers have been ranked in the top 10 for the first 11 weeks of the season for the first time since 1982-83.
• The No. 9 AP preseason ranking was UVa’s best since a No. 1 ranking to start the 1982-83 season.
• UVa is one of three teams (Duke and Arizona) that have been ranked in the top 10 for 14 straight weeks dating back to last season.

 

Virginia All-Time vs. Virginia Tech

• Virginia is 86-53 all-time vs. Virginia Tech in the series that dates back to 1914-15.
• The Cavaliers have won five straight games against Virginia Tech, including a pair of wins last season, and seven of the last eight contests in the series.
• The Cavaliers are 19-28, including a 6-14 mark at Cassell Coliseum, against the Hokies in Blacksburg.
• Virginia posted a 65-45 win in Charlottesville and 57-53 win in Blacksburg against the Hokies last season.
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 7-3 all-time vs. Virginia Tech.

 

 Last Time Out

• Malcolm Brogdon led a balanced attack with 13 points as Virginia defeated Georgia Tech 57-28 in an historic win on Jan. 22.
• Georgia Tech’s 28 points marked the lowest point total in an ACC regular-season game ever and marked the fewest allowed by Virginia to an ACC opponent in the shot clock era.
• Virginia extended its JPJ record home-winning streak to 21 games.
• The Cavaliers outrebounded Georgia Tech 36-33 and shut out the Yellow Jackets from 3-point range (0-12).

 

Last Time vs. Virginia Tech

• Justin Anderson and Joe Harris made consecutive 3-pointers to cap Virginia’s rally from an 11-point, second-half deficit in a 57-53 victory over Virginia Tech on Feb. 18, 2014.
• The Cavaliers outscored the Hokies 23-6 after falling behind 40-29 with just more than 14 minutes remaining.
• Malcolm Brogdon led Virginia with 12 points and London Perrantes had 11.
• The Hokies got 13 points each from Joey van Zegeren and Devin Wilson.

 

On The Horizon

• Virginia hosts Duke on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
• ESPN’s College GameDay Covered by State Farm will make its first appearance in Charlottesville prior to the Saturday Primetime presented by DIRECTV telecast featuring No. 2 Virginia and No. 5 Duke.