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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 4 Virginia (8-0) battles in-state rival VCU (7-2) in nonconference men’s basketball action on Sunday (Dec 9). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 1:30 p.m. on the Regional Sports Network.
For Openers
• Virginia meets VCU for the 15th time in series history.
• UVA has started 8-0 for the second straight season and is 122-35 (.777) in non-conference action, including a 69-6 mark in non-league play at John Paul Jones Arena, under Tony Bennett.
• Bennett is four wins shy of 300 career wins.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-VCU game will be televised on the Regional Sports Network and broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
• Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports app.
The Head Coach
• Three-time National and ACC Coach of the Year Tony Bennett has a 227-86 (.725) mark in 10 seasons at Virginia and 296-119 (.713) career mark in 13 seasons overall.
• In 2017-18, Bennett led Virginia to its eighth ACC regular-season title, third ACC Tournament championship, school-record 31 wins, ACC-record 17 league wins and ACC-record 9-0 mark on the road.
• Bennett was named the USBWA Henry Iba National Coach of the Year for the third time to rank second all-time behind legendary John Wooden, who captured the award six times.
UVA Ranked No. 4 in AP Poll
• Virginia is ranked No. 4 in the AP poll for the fourth straight week.
• UVA was ranked No. 5 in the preseason polls and has been ranked in the top 10 in the preseason rankings in four of the past five seasons.
• In 2017-18, Virginia became the fourth team in the Top 25 era to earn a No. 1 ranking after being unranked in the preseason.
• UVA has been ranked in the AP poll for 21 straight weeks and has been ranked in the top 10 in each of the past 16 polls.
Last Time Out
• Kyle Guy and De’Andre Hunter each scored 15 points to lead No. 4 Virginia to an 83-45 win over Morgan State Dec. 3.
• UVA started the game 7 of 7, including 4 of 4 from 3-point range.
• Ty Jerome added a career-high five steals and Braxton Key matched a season high with nine rebounds.
• UVA shot a season-high 65.2 percent (15 of 23) from the field in the first half and shot a season-high 91.3 percent (21 of 23) from the free throw line.
• UVA held Morgan State to 25.9 percent shooting, marking a season low for the Cavaliers.
• All 13 Cavaliers who played scored in the game.
All-Time vs. VCU
• UVA sports a 12-2 all-time mark against VCU in a series that dates back to 1976-77.
• The Cavaliers are 5-1 vs. the Rams in Charlottesville, including a 59-56 loss in the last meeting at JPJ in 2013.
• UVA has a two-game winning streak against VCU and has won six of the last seven meetings.
• UVA head coach Tony Bennett is 2-1 all-time vs. the Rams.
Last Time vs. the Rams
• 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 13 points and 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.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• Virginia is led by Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter and Jack Salt.
• Hunter leads UVA in scoring (16.4) and rebounding (5.5).
• Jerome is averaging 13.6 points and team-high 4.1 assists.
• Guy is averaging 13.3 points, while Salt anchors UVA’s stingy defense.
• Transfer Braxton Key has averaged 6.4 points and 5.3 rebounds, while Mamadi Diakite has averaged 5.9 points and 2.1 rebounds.
• Newcomer Kihei Clark, who has started the past three games, is averaging 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.
• Marco Anthony, Jay Huff and Kody Stattmann provide depth and Francisco Caffaro is redshirting the 2018-19 season.
• Redshirt freshman Francesco Badocchi returned to the team last week after taking a leave of absence due to medical issues.
• Manager Grant Kersey has appeared in four home games.
All-Time vs. the Atlantic 10
• Virginia meets its third Atlantic 10 opponent of the season, defeating George Washington (76-57) and Dayton (66-59).
• The Cavaliers are 122-80 all-time against current Atlantic 10 members (13-4 vs. Davidson, 3-0 vs. Dayton, 0-3 vs. Fordham, 8-1 vs. George Mason, 27-24 vs. George Washington, 1-2 vs. LaSalle, 2-0 vs. UMass, 2-1 vs. Rhode Island, 52-36 vs. Richmond, 2-6 vs. Saint Joseph’s, 0-1 vs. Saint Louis and 12-2 vs. VCU).
• Tony Bennett is 12-3 all-time vs. Atlantic 10 opponents at UVA.
On the Horizon
• No. 4 Virginia returns to action at South Carolina on Dec. 19.