The thought that first crept into my mind as I was watching Virginia eviscerate Texas Wednesday night in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge was, this feels familiar.
The final score ended up being 88-69.
A year ago, the Virginia team that played Florida in the 2024 ACC/SEC Challenge, and the final was Florida 87, Virginia 69, in a game that was never in doubt in terms of the final outcome.
As was the case with this one.
The ‘Hoos (7-1) took control with a 12-0 run that put them up double-digits seven minutes in, and were never in peril from there on.
It was 46-27 at the half, with Virginia holding Texas (6-3), which had scored 102 points in a win over NC State last week, to 36.7 percent shooting.
I guess we’ll have to forgive the nine makes at the rim that the Longhorns were able to get in the second half, since UVA led by 20+ for all but 1:09 of the final 20 minutes.
It can be hard to maintain intensity on the defensive end when you’re up 20+, and shooting 57.1 percent from the field in the second half.
Takeaways
- Chance Mallory led five guys in double-figures with 16 points (3-of-3 FG, 2-of-2 3FG, 8-of-9 FT) in 20 minutes. Note to coach Ryan Odom: start the kid already.
- Thijs de Ridder, the focus of the more than two dozen NBA scouts in attendance, had 15 points (4-of-6 FG, 1-of-1 3FG, 6-of-9 FT) and six boards, and made himself some money tonight.
- Also making himself money tonight, with the scouts there to watch de Ridder: Johann Grunloh (15 points, 6-of-7 FG, 2-of-3 3FG, 1-of-3 FT), five boards.
- Virginia got its 88 points on 62 possessions. Yep, that’s a Tony Bennett
- Shooting numbers: 28-of-52 FG (53.8%), 12-of-24 3FG (50%), 13-of-18 at the rim (72.2%).
- Effective field-goal percentage: 65.4%.
Elsewhere in the ACC
- Duke (9-0) and North Carolina (7-1) each notched marquee wins in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Duke got a narrow dub over Florida, 67-66, at home on Tuesday; North Carolina won at Kentucky, 67-64.
- Louisville (7-1) lost for the first time this season, at Arkansas, 89-80, on Wednesday. Isaac McKneely had 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting in the loss.
- NC State (5-3) lost 83-73 at Auburn Wednesday night.
- KenPom rates the ACC fourth among the 31 conferences (behind the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12).
Virginia season profile
- KenPom and BartTorvik are each now projecting Virginia to a 23-8, 12-6 ACC finish. The ACC record would land Virginia in a projected tie for third place with Clemson, which is currently 7-2, and is projected to finish 22-9, 12-6. Virginia and Clemson, oddly, will not face each other in the 2025-2026 regular season.
Next up
I’m leading the caravan to Charlotte, which, of course, has UVA Football playing Duke Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET in the ACC Championship Game, but the day starts in the Queen City at noon with the basketball team facing Dayton (7-2) at noon at the Spectrum Center.
It will be a long day, but somebody’s gotta do it.
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Chris Graham
