Game Notes: Virginia faces C-USA champ North Texas in NIT

Virginia (20-13) travels to No. 2 seed North Texas (25-6) for a second round NIT contest on Sunday. Tipoff at Super Pit is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

For Openers

• Virginia meets North Texas for the first time since defeating the Mean Green 80-64 on Nov. 20, 2012.
• The Cavaliers are making its 14th NIT appearance and first since advancing to the quarterfinals in 2013.

Broadcast Information

• The Virginia-North Texas will be streamed online at ESPN+ via WatchESPN.com and ESPN App.
• The ESPN+ video streaming subscription service is available for a $6.99 monthly fee.
• The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
• Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.

Virginia Notes

• UVA is led by its backcourt of Kihei Clark (10.2 ppg & 4.3 apg) and Reece Beekman (8.1 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.7 rpg & 2.1 spg), and the additions of transfers Jayden Gardner (15.3 ppg & 6.5 rpg) and Armaan Franklin (10.8 ppg).
• The Cavaliers added transfers Gardner (East Carolina) and Franklin (Indiana) to fill the void left by standouts Sam Hauser (16 ppg), Jay Huff (13 ppg) and Trey Murphy III (11.3 ppg).
• Gardner averaged 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in 79 career games at East Carolina, while Franklin averaged 11.4 points and shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range in 2020-21.
• Francisco Caffaro (4.4 ppg & 4.7 rpg) and Kadin Shedrick (7.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg & 2.0 bpg) anchor the paint. Shedrick has started 18 contests, while Caffaro has started 15.
• Kody Stattmann (35.3% 3FGs), Malachi Poindexter, Taine Murray, Igor Miliĉić Jr. and Carson McCorkle provide perimeter depth off the bench.

North Texas Notes

• North Texas, under fifth-year coach Grant McCasland, is really good on the defensive end (.919 points per possession, 15th in D1, according to KenPom.com), so-so on offense (1.053 PPP, 131st nationally), and otherwise just plain slow (59.2 possessions, 358th).
• Four guys average double-digits in scoring: 5’11” junior Tylor Perry (13.5 ppg, 2.5 assists/g, 42.4% FG, 41.9% 3FG), 6’6” senior Thomas Bell (12.5 ppg, 6.9 rebs/g, 47.3% FG, 29.7% 3FG), 6’1” senior Mardrez McBride (10.9 ppg, 41.6% FG, 38.0% 3FG) and 6’10” sophomore Abou Ousmane (10.0 ppg, 6.0 rebs/g, 49.8% FG).
• Perry is the team’s sixth man, but still averages 29.4 minutes per game. 6’5” sophomore Rubin Jones (8.2 ppg, 2.2 assists/g, 41.2% FG, 34.5% 3FG) starts at point, and also gets minutes at the two and three spots.
• The other starter is 6’1” senior JJ Murray (4.0 ppg, 3.6 rebs/g, 38.9% FG, 31.9% 3FG).
• 6’7” freshman Aaron Scott (4.1 ppg, 4.1 rebs/g, 50.0% FG, 26.1% 3FG) fleshes out the seven-man rotation, getting minutes at the four and five spots.