Virginia Entertains Monmouth on Sunday

Nov. 18, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (3-0) hosts Monmouth (2-1) in men’s basketball non-conference action on Sunday (Nov. 19). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 1 p.m.

For Openers
– Virginia meets Monmouth for the first time.
– The game is part of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
– UVA has started 3-0 for the second straight season and is 103-33 (.757) in non-conference action under Tony Bennett.
– Kyle Guy is averaging a team-leading 19.3 points and is shooting 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from 3-point range.

Broadcast Information
– The Virginia-Monmouth contest will be televised on the Regional Sports Network and streamed online on ACC Network Extra (ESPN3.com) and ESPN App, and broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Athletics mobile app on iTunes or Android.
– Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app.

Security Information
– Virginia Athletics has implemented a clear bag policy and enhanced security procedures for home football and men’s and women’s basketball games. The changes in policy and entrance procedures are a result of recommendations for large-scale events held on Grounds by the University of Virginia’s security consultant.
– All bags entering John Paul Jones Arena for home men’s and women’s basketball games must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and cannot exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″. Clear, one-gallon plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bags or similar) are also permitted.
– Additionally, all fans entering the arena will be screened upon entry, typically with walk-through and hand-held metal detectors.
– The new policy does not change the items fans may bring into John Paul Jones Arena. – Gates open 90 minutes prior to tipoff for all home men’s basketball games. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to John Paul Jones Arena.
– Click here to read the full bag policy and description of game day entry procedures.

The Head Coaches
Virginia: Tony Bennett (Green Bay, 1992), 191-83 in nine seasons at UVA and 260-116 in 12 seasons overall.
Monmouth: King Rice (North Carolina, 1992), 108-93 in seven seasons at Monmouth.

There’s No Place Like Home
– Virginia is 152-40 (.792), including a 2-0 mark in 2017-18, in 12 seasons at John Paul Jones Arena.
– The Cavaliers finished undefeated at home (15-0) in 2015-16.
– UVA is 114-24 (.826), including a 79-9 (.898) mark the past six seasons, at home under head coach Tony Bennett.
– Virginia is 41-4 in ACC home games over the past five seasons. – UVA has won 11 or more home games for eight straight seasons.

UVA Receiving Votes in Rankings
– UVA received votes in the first Associated Press regular-season poll and USA Today Coaches’ preseason poll.
– The Cavaliers received votes in the preseason rankings in both polls, snapping a streak of 64 consecutive weeks in the AP rankings since Feb. 3, 2014.
– UVA was ranked in the top 10 in the preseason rankings in each of the past three seasons (2014-16). – Last season, the Cavaliers ranked No. 24 in the final AP poll and received votes in the USA Today Coaches’ poll.

Last Time Out
– Kyle Guy scored a career-high 29 points to lift Virginia to a 76-67 win at VCU on Friday, Nov. 17.
– Guy drilled 11 of 20 shots, including five 3-pointers, and added a career-high four steals in UVA’s second straight win against VCU.
– Ty Jerome added a season-high 13 points and career-best seven assists. – Isaac Vann led three VCU players in double figures with 19 points.
– UVA shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61) from the floor and 43.5 percent (10-23) from 3-point range.
– Isaiah Wilkins chipped in eight points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and took three charges.
– The Cavaliers committed a season-low five turnovers and had 18 fast break points. – UVA added 16 points off 12 VCU turnovers.
– VCU outrebounded UVA 36-26.

All-Time Against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
– Virginia meets a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time since posting a 54-45 win over Fairfield during the 2012-13 season.
– UVA is 8-0 all-time against current Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference members (3-0 vs. Fairfield, 1-0 vs. Canisius, 1-0 vs. Iona, 1-0 vs. Manhattan, 1-0 vs. Rider and 1-0 vs. Siena). – Tony Bennett is 2-0 all-time vs. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponents at Virginia (79-46 win over Rider in 2009 and 54-45 win over Fairfield in 2012).

Getting Defensive
– UVA is allowing 54.7 points per game and has held two of its 2017-18 opponents to fewer than 50 points, limiting UNCG to 48 points and Austin Peay 49.
– The Cavaliers are 66-2 when limiting their opponents to fewer than 50 points under head coach Tony Bennett.
– In 2016-17, Virginia led the nation in scoring defense (56.4 ppg) for the third time under Bennett.
– Bennett-coached teams have led the nation in scoring defense four times (2008-09, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17) and finished in the top-five nationally in eight of 11 seasons.
– Bennett-coached teams are 91-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points during his 12-year coaching career.

Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
– Virginia returns three starters – Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins and Jack Salt – and five other letterwinners including Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and Mamadi Diakite from last year’s 23-11 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
– UVA has started Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins and Jack Salt in each of its first three games.
– Hall is UVA’s top returning scorer at 8.4 points per game, which marks the third time in school history that UVA started the season without a returning double-digit scorer (1998-99, Colin Ducharme averaged 7.8 ppg in 1997-98 and 1969-70, Chip Case averaged 7.2 ppg in 1968-69).
– Guy leads UVA in scoring at 19.3 points per game and is shooting 51.4 percent from the floor, including 53.3 percent from 3-point range.
– Hall is averaging 13.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, while point guard Ty Jerome is averaging 8.3 points and a team-leading 3.0 assists.
– Wilkins is averaging 7.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocked shots.
– Salt is averaging 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, while graduate transfer Nigel Johnson is averaging 7.7 points after averaging 11.3 points for Rutgers last season.
– Diakite (3.7 ppg & 3.0 rpg) and redshirt freshmen De’Andre Hunter (5.0 ppg) and Jay Huff (9.0 ppg) are key contributors off the bench.
– Marco Anthony provides depth and fellow rookie Francesco Badocchi is expected to redshirt the 2017-18 season.

On the Horizon
– Virginia plays Vanderbilt on Thursday, Nov. 23 at the NIT Season Tip-Off in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tipoff at Barclays Center is set for 4 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.