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CHARLOTTESVILLEThe Virginia men’s basketball team returns to action for the first time in 15 days on Wednesday (Dec. 17) when the Cavaliers host Longwood University at John Paul Jones Arena.
The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC select at www.accselect.com.
Reserved seat tickets are available for the Virginia-Longwood game at a cost of $15 each.
Virginia has been in exams and the Cavaliers haven’t played since losing at Minnesota 66-56 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 2. The loss was the third in a row for the Cavaliers who are 3-3 on the season.
“It’s always a difficult time from a basketball standpoint, particularly at this University,” said Virginia head coach Dave Leitao. “It’s a heavier burden. The fact that we had this many days off made it difficult to keep a rhythm.
“We’ve been able to practice for the prescribed days although everybody hasn’t been there every day. There are days when you don’t get as much out of practice as you’d like and there are other days when you may try to experiment with some different things because you’re not in game preparation mode as much. So it’s been a challenge, but no more than it is for any other team or any other year. I think it’s always, from a pure basketball standpoint, a different kind of time of year.”
All six of Virginia’s games have been close. The Cavaliers are the only Division I team in the nation with each game decided by 10 points or less.
UVa has three players averaging in double figures in scoring entering the Longwood game. Freshman guard Sylven Landesberg leads Virginia in scoring and ranks third in the Atlantic Coast Conference with an average of 19.0 points a game. He has scored in double figures in each game and is also second on the team in rebounding with an average of 5.7 a game.
Freshman point guard Sammy Zeglinski is averaging 13.2 points a game and has scored in double figures in each of the last four games. He is also averaging 3.2 assists a game.
Sophomore forward Mike Scott is averaging a double-double with averages of 10.0 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. He leads the ACC in rebounding.
Junior guard Calvin Baker is averaging 9.0 points a game and leads the Cavaliers in assists with an average of 3.3 a game.
Junior forward Jamil Tucker is averaging 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Tucker is shooting 50.0 percent (16-32) from the field, including 50.0 percent (6-12) from three-point range. He was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer in the loss at Minnesota when he scored 12 points on a career-high four three-point field goals.
As a team, Virginia is scoring an average of 76.7 points a game and allowing an average of 77.2 points a game. Opponents are shooting 46.5 percent (166-357) from the field against the Cavaliers, including 33.9 percent (41-121) from three-point range. Virginia is shooting 42.7 percent (164-384) from the field, including 29.1 percent (32-110) from three-point range, and 72.5 percent (100-138) from the free throw line. UVa is out-rebounding its opponents by an average of 7.5 rebounds a game.
Virginia leads the series with Longwood 3-0 and all of the games have been played in Charlottesville. The teams have played each of the last three seasons and UVa won last year’s game 76-57 at John Paul Jones Arena.
The Lancers enter Wednesday’s game with an overall record of 5-5 after a 79-57 loss at Virginia Tech on Sunday (Dec. 14).
Junior guard/forward Dana Smith is Longwood’s leading scorer and rebounder with averages of 16.1 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. Smith is shooting 54.6 percent (65-119) from the field, including 23.8 percent (5-21) from three-point range.
The only other Longwood player averaging in double figures in scoring is senior guard Ryan Bogan. Bogan is averaging 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. Junior guard Kevin Swecker is averaging 9.2 points a game, while sophomore guard Durann Neil is averaging 6.5 points a game and leads the team in assists with an average of 3.4 a game.
Mike Gillian is in his sixth year as the head coach at Longwood. He guided the Lancers through a four-year reclassification from Division II and his teams have compiled an overall record of 39-121.
Longwood competes as an independent.
The game with Longwood is the first of a three-game homestand for the Cavaliers. Virginia hosts Auburn on Saturday (Dec. 20) at 4 p.m. in a game that will be televised by Comcast SportsNet and Fox Sports South. The Auburn game is a Family Night at John Paul Jones Arena. Family night tickets are $12 each. A minimum of four tickets must be purchased. Each family night game ticket also includes a concession voucher redeemable for a 22-ounce soda, a hot dog and a box of popcorn.
The final game of the homestand is against Hampton on Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. The Hampton game is also a Family Night at John Paul Jones Arena.