Game Notes: #8 Virginia hosts #12 Villanova on Saturday

No. 8 Virginia (8-1) hosts No. 12 Villanova (8-1) in non-conference action on Saturday, Dec. 19. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for noon. The game is sold out.

 

For Openers

• Virginia and Villanova are the defending regular-season champions of the Atlantic Coast and BIG EAST conferences.
• UVA is 68-12 (.850) over the past three seasons, while Villanova is 70-9 (.886).
• UVA last faced consecutive ranked teams in non-league play in the regular season on Nov. 26 and 27 and Dec. 4, 2002 – vs. No. 15 Kentucky, No. 19 Indiana and No. 21 Michigan State. The UK and IU games were in the Maui Classic and the MSU game was in East Lansing.
• UVA ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense (57.1 ppg) and turnover margin (1.77).
• UVA is shooting 51.1 percent from the field (best since 52.3% in 1982-83), 38.3 percent from 3-point range (best since 38.8% in 2010-11) and 74.3 percent from the free throw line (best since 74.8% in 2009-10).
• Senior forward Anthony Gill is the reigning ACC Player of the Week after tallying his fourth career double-double vs. West Virginia.

 

Broadcast Information

• The Virginia-Villanova game will be televised on ESPN2, streamed online at WatchESPN.com and broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network, ESPN Radio, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Athletics mobile app on iTunes or Android.
• Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app.

 

The Head Coaches

• Virginia: Tony Bennett (Green Bay, 1992), 144-65 in seven seasons at UVA and 213-98 in 10 seasons overall.
• Villanova: Jay Wright (Bucknell, 1983), 327-153 in 15 seasons at Villanova and 449-238 in 22 seasons overall.

 

UVA All-Time vs. Villanova

• The Cavaliers own a 4-2 advantage over the Wildcats in the all-time series that dates back to 1981.
• UVA and Villanova last met during the 2004 NIT when the Wildcats defeated the Cavaliers 73-63 at The Pavilion in Villanova, Pa.
• UVA is 1-0 vs. Villanova in Charlottesville, defeating the Wildcats 88-59 on Jan. 17, 1987 at University Hall.

 

Last Time vs. Villanova

• Villanova’s Allan Ray tallied 23 points and Randy Foye added 21 to lead the Wildcats to a 73-63 win over Virginia in the first round of the 2004 NIT.
• Gary Forbes led the Cavaliers with 19 points and Elton Brown added 13 points as UVA finished the season 18-13.
• Villanova held a 44-31 rebounding advantage as Curtis Sumpter grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Wildcats.

 

Last Time Out

• Anthony Gill posted season highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth career double-double in then-No. 10 Virginia’s 70-54 win over then-No. 14 West Virginia in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 8 at Madison Square Garden.
• Malcolm Brogdon added 14 points and London Perrantes added 13 points (5-6 FGs, 3-3 3FGs) in his return from an appendectomy.
• UVA overcame a six-point halftime deficit by shooting 73.7 percent (14-19) from the field in the second half.
• The Cavaliers committed a season-high 19 turnovers in the game.

 

‘Hoo Are These Wahoos?

• UVA is averaging 76.3 points per game and yielding 57.1 ppg (6th nationally and most since 62.4 in 2010-11).
• Virginia ranks No. 1 overall in the KenPom.com overall ratings.
• The Cavaliers rank sixth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.77), 11th in field goal percentage (51.1%), tied for 11th in turnover margin (5.0) and 15th in scoring margin (19.0).
• Senior All-America candidate Malcolm Brogdon leads UVA in scoring for the third consecutive season at a career-best 16.9 points per game, while All-ACC performer Anthony Gill is averaging a career high 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.
• Brogdon has four 20-point efforts, including a career-high 28 at George Washington), and Gill has reached double figures in scoring in all nine games.
• London Perrantes is averaging career highs in points (10.4), assists (5.1) and 3-point field goal percentage (53.8%).
• UVA has out-rebounded its opponents in seven of its eight wins and has a +8.0 rebounding margin overall.
• Nine players are averaging 10 or more minutes per game.
• The Cavaliers have shot 50 percent or better from 3-point range in three of their last six games.

 

On The Horizon

• Virginia hosts California in non-conference action on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 9 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.