No. 4 Virginia Hosts No. 9 Virginia Tech in Commonwealth Clash

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 4 Virginia (15-0, 3-0 ACC) hosts in-state rival No. 9 Virginia Tech (14-1, 3-0 ACC) in a Commonwealth Clash on Wednesday (Jan. 15). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 8 p.m. on Raycom.
 
For Openers
• UVA is 3-0 vs. ranked opponents (Wisconsin, Maryland, Florida State).
• The Cavaliers have started 15-0 for the first time since starting 19-0 in 2014-15.
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game is part of the Commonwealth Clash presented by Virginia529, which is a head-to-head, points-based competition between the athletic teams of the Cavaliers and Hokies.
 
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game will be televised on Raycom and streamed online on TheACC.com 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 234-86 (.731) mark in 10 seasons at Virginia and 303-119 (.720) career mark in 13 seasons.
• Bennett became the 80th active Division I head coach to win his 300th career game against Marshall on Dec. 31, 2018.
• 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 and No. 1 in the Coaches Poll for the second straight week.
• The Cavaliers have been ranked in the top six in the AP poll for 10 consecutive weeks.
• UVA has been ranked in the AP poll for 26 straight weeks and has been ranked in the top 10 in each of the past 21 polls.
• 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.
 
Last Time Out
• Kyle Guy scored 13 points to lead No. 4 Virginia to a 63-43 win at Clemson on Saturday, Jan. 12.
• De’Andre Hunter added 12 points and reserve Jay Huff chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds in the second half.
• UVA held Clemson to two points in the first 10:57 of the game.
• UVA went 10 of 23 from 3-point range, while Clemson was 3 of 19.
• The Cavaliers out-rebounded the Tigers 46-36, led by Braxton Key and Jack Salt with eight rebounds apiece.
• UVA held Clemson to 25.9 percent shooting as the Tigers were just 14 of 54 from the field.
 
All-Time vs. Virginia Tech
• Virginia is 91-56 all-time vs. Virginia Tech, including a 38-13 mark in Charlottesville, in the series that dates back to 1914-15.
• The Cavaliers’ five-game winning streak against the Hokies in Charlottesville ended last season with a 61-60 overtime loss at JPJ.
• UVA posted a 78-52 win at Virginia Tech last season, marking its largest margin victory against the Hokies in Blacksburg.
• UVA and VT have split the last six meetings with two of the six contests decided in overtime.
• The Cavaliers are 7-3 in their last 10 games vs. the Hokies.
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 12-6 all-time vs. Virginia Tech.
 
Last Time vs. the Hokies
• Then-No. 2 Virginia fell 61-60 in overtime to Virginia Tech on Feb. 10, 2018 in a Commonwealth Clash match at John Paul Jones Arena. 
• Kerry Blackshear rebound basket gave Tech the one-point lead, but Ty Jerome misfired on a 28-footer at the other end to secure the win for the Hokies.
• Justin Robinson led the Hokies with 20 points and seven assists, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 12 points.
• Devon Hall had 16 points for Virginia, but missed a pair of free throws in the final 31 seconds. 
• De’Andre Hunter added 14 points and Kyle Guy 13 for the Cavaliers, who shot a season-low 34.4 percent, making 21 of 61 shots.
 
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• Virginia is led by the quartet of Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter and Jack Salt. 
• Jerome, Guy and Hunter have started all 15 games, while Salt has started 12 and anchors UVA’s defense.
• Jerome, Guy or Hunter have led or tied for the UVA scoring lead in each of its 15 contests, accounting for 58 percent of the Cavaliers’ scoring.
• Alabama transfer Braxton Key is averaging 7.4 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds, while Mamadi Diakite has averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds.
• Newcomer Kihei Clark has started four games and is second on the team in assists (2.5). Clark broke his left wrist against Morgan State, but hasn’t missed a game while playing with a cast.
• Marco Anthony, Jay Huff, Kody Stattmann and Francesco Badocchi provide depth and Francisco Caffaro is redshirting the 2018-19 season.
• Manager Grant Kersey has appeared in seven home games.
 
UVA in the National Statistical Rankings
• As of Jan. 14, UVA ranks first nationally in scoring defense (51.2 ppg), turnovers per game (8.9), fewest turnovers (133), 3-point field goal percentage defense (24.5%) and winning percentage (100%), third in field goal percentage defense (36.6%) and scoring margin (22.6), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.66), seventh in free throw percentage (77.2%), ninth in fewest fouls (230), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.8%), 20th in personal fouls per game (15.3), 24th in turnover margin (3.9) and 27th in rebound margin (6.7).
 
Cavalier Quartet Among ACC Leaders
• As of Jan. 14, Kyle Guy ranks first in the ACC in 3-pointers (3.1), third in 3-point percentage (46%), ninth in minutes (33.1) and 12th in scoring (15.3).
• Ty Jerome ranks third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8), fourth in assists (4.4), eighth in 3-point percentage (39.7%), ninth in steals (1.9) and 22nd in minutes (30.8). 
• De’Andre Hunter ranks eighth in free throw shooting (81%) and 20th in scoring (14.0).
• Braxton Key ranks 19th in rebounding (5.9).
 
UVA vs. the Commonwealth of Virginia
• UVA is 2-0 against teams from the Commonwealth of Virginia, posting wins against VCU (57-49) and William & Mary (72-40).
• UVA has a 66-15 record against teams from Virginia since 1999-00.
• UVA has won 19 of its last 22 games against teams from Virginia.
• The Cavaliers went 3-1 vs. the Commonwealth last year.
 
More on the Commonwealth Clash
• The Commonwealth Clash encourages a friendly, statewide rivalry between the two schools across all school-sponsored sports with 21 individual event points on the line. 
• The school that accumulates 11 points or more will be crowned the winner and take home the Virginia529 Commonwealth Clash trophy.  
• The UVA-VT game is worth a half point in the Clash and the Hokies lead this year’s Clash 4-2.5.
• UVA captured the Clash in 2015 and 2016, while Virginia Tech has won the Clash the past two seasons.
 
On the Horizon
• No. 4 Virginia travels to top-ranked Duke on Saturday, Jan. 19. Tipoff at Cameron Indoor Stadium is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN. College GameDay Covered by State Farm returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium prior to the game. The pregame show will air on ESPN at 11 a.m.