Virginia Faces Wisconsin in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

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Nov. 27, 2012

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia men’s basketball team returns to action at Wisconsin during the 14th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Tipoff for the Cavaliers (4-2) and Badgers (4-2) is slated for 7 p.m. ET at Kohl Center and the game will be telecast on ESPN2.

Virginia is 7-5 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, while Wisconsin is 6-7. The game will be the first meeting between Virginia and Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the third meeting overall. The teams split the two previous meetings.

The teams have not met since the 1999 Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, when Wisconsin defeated the Cavaliers 66-56. The only other meeting between the two teams came in the Milwaukee Classic during the 1974-75 season when Virginia won 86-78 in Milwaukee, Wis.

Virginia is on a three-game winning streak, posting victories against Seattle (83-43), Lamar (63-44) and North Texas (80-64). Wisconsin defeated Arkansas, 77-70, in the third-place game at the Continental Tire/Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 24.

Dick Bennett, the father of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, is a former head coach at Wisconsin. Tony Bennettserved on the staffs of his father, Brad Soderberg and current Badger head coach Bo Ryan during four years at Wisconsin.

“I have great memories of my time at Wisconsin and tremendous respect for their program and Coach Ryan,” Tony Bennettsaid. “I figured it was just a matter of time before Virginia and Wisconsin would be paired in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.”

Virginia defeated Michigan 70-58 at John Paul Jones Arena in last season’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge, while Wisconsin lost 60-57 at North Carolina.

Junior guard Joe Harris (Chelan, Wash.) leads UVa in scoring at 15 points per game. Junior forward Akil Mitchell (Charlotte, N.C.) has added 11.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman guard Teven Jones(Kannapolis, N.C.) has started the past two contests and leads Cavalier freshmen in scoring at 7.7 points per game.

Virginia is averaging 65.3 points per game and ranks 13th nationally in scoring defense at 53 ppg. The Cavaliers are 3-0 when holding opponents under 50 points and 20-1 when holding opponents under 50 points during the Tony Bennettera. Bennett, who is 57-43 in four seasons at Virginia, sports a 36-16 record in nonconference action at UVa.

Wisconsin is led in scoring by Jared Berggren (15.2 ppg), Ben Brust (11.8 ppg), Sam Dekker (11.5 ppg) and Ryan Evans (10.5 ppg). The Badgers are scoring 75.8 points per game and allowing 59.7 ppg.