Virginia Hosts Wisconsin in Big Ten/ACC Challenge Monday

Nov. 26, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (6-0) hosts Wisconsin (3-3) in the 19th Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Monday (Nov. 27). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 9 p.m.

For Openers
– Virginia meets Wisconsin for the third time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
– UVA head coach Tony Bennett (Green Bay) is a Wisconsin native, who starred at Green Bay (1988-92) and coached at Wisconsin for four seasons (1999-2003) under his father, Dick Bennett, current UVA assistant coach Brad Soderberg and former Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan.
– Bennett and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard served as assistant coaches under Ryan at Wisconsin from 2001-03.
– UVA has started 6-0 for the second straight season and is 106-33 (.763) in non-conference action under Tony Bennett.
– UVA has captured championships in each of its last five Thanksgiving holiday tournaments (NIT Season Tip-Off, Emerald Coast Classic, Charleston Classic, Barclays Center Classic and Corpus Christi Challenge).

Broadcast Information
– The Virginia-Wisconsin contest will be televised on ESPN2 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.

UVA All-Time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge
– The Cavaliers have an 11-6 record, including a 6-2 home mark, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
– Virginia has a three-game winning streak in the Challenge, defeating Maryland (2014) and Ohio State (2015 and 2016).
– UVA defeated Ohio State 63-61 in last year’s Challenge.
– The ACC leads the Big Ten in the Challenge 11-5-2 in 19 years of competition between the two conferences.
– The ACC captured the Commissioner’s Cup last season, winning nine of the 14 matchups.
– The ACC won 10 straight challenges from 1999-2008.

The Head Coaches
Virginia: Tony Bennett (Green Bay, 1992), 194-83 in nine seasons at UVA and 263-116 in 12 seasons overall.
Wisconsin: Greg Gard (UW-Platteville, 1995), 45-21 in three seasons at Wisconsin.

All-Time vs. Wisconsin
– UVA is 2-2 all-time vs. Wisconsin, including a 1-1 mark in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
– Wisconsin defeated Virginia 48-38 during the 2013 Big Ten/ACC Challenge in the lone meeting between the teams in Charlottesville.
– UVA beat Wisconsin 60-54 during the 2012 Challenge in Madison.
– Wisconsin defeated Virginia 66-56 at the 1999 Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.
– Virginia defeated Wisconsin, 86-78, at the Milwaukee Classic during the 1974-75 season in Milwaukee, Wis.

UVA Ranked No. 25 in USA Today Coaches’ Poll
– UVA received votes in the latest Associated Press poll and is ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches’ 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
– Tournament MVP Isaiah Wilkins scored a career-high 19 points to lead Virginia to a 70-55 win over Rhode Island in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game on Friday, Nov. 24 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
– Devon Hall added 18 points and Nigel Johnson chipped in a season-high 12 points as UVA shot 50 percent (23-46) in the win.
– Wilkins was 7 of 9 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line, topping his career best of 15 points vs. Virginia Tech last season.
– Jack Salt added a game-high eight rebounds as UVA owned a 33-22 advantage on the glass.

All-Time vs. the Big Ten Conference
– UVA is 102-129 all-time vs. current Big Ten Conference opponents.
– The Cavaliers meet their lone Big Ten opponent this season and first since battling Ohio State in last year’s Challenge.
– UVA defeated Iowa (74-41) and Ohio State (63-61) last year.
– The Cavaliers are 8-5 against Big Ten opponents under head coach Tony Bennett, including wins against Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio State (2), Rutgers and Wisconsin.

Getting Defensive
– UVA is allowing 52.3 points per game and has held three of its 2017-18 opponents to fewer than 50 points (UNCG, Austin Peay and Vanderbilt).
– The 52.3 points allowed are the lowest for UVA since it allowed 51.5 ppg in 2014-15.
– The Cavaliers are 67-2 when limiting their opponents to fewer than 50 points under head coach Tony Bennett.
– UVA has held each of its six opponents to less than 50 percent shooting.
– 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 92-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points during his 12-year coaching career.

About the Cavaliers
– UVA is led by tri-captains Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins and Jack Salt.
– The announcement of Hall, Wilkins and Salt marked the first time in Bennett’s 12-year head coaching career where he officially named team captains.
– UVA has averaged 73.3 points per game (most under Bennett) on offense, while yielding 52.3 ppg (second lowest in school history) on defense.
– UVA has started Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, Hall, Wilkins and Salt in each of its first six games.
– Guy leads the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game. Guy has scored 13 or more points in five of six games, including a career-high 29 points at VCU (11/17/17).
– Hall has averaged 11.2 points on 50 percent field goal shooting and a team-leading 95.2 percent (20 of 21) from the charity stripe.
– Wilkins, who has averaged 8.8 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds, leads UVA in field goal percentage (67.7%) and has a team-high eight blocked shots.
– Jerome, who is averaging 8.3 points, leads the team in assists (16) and has a 2.29 assist-to-turnover ratio.
– Salt is averaging 2.8 points and 5.0 rebounds, while graduate transfer Nigel Johnson is averaging 7.3 points after averaging 11.3 points for Rutgers last season.
– Mamadi Diakite (6.7 ppg & 3.7 rpg) and redshirt freshmen De’Andre Hunter (7.0 ppg) and Jay Huff (5.0 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 hosts Lehigh on Saturday, Dec. 2. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 12 p.m.