No. 2 Virginia Travels to Syracuse for Big Monday Battle
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 2 Virginia (26-2, 14-2 ACC) travels to Syracuse (19-10, 10-6 ACC) for an ACC men’s basketball battle Monday (March 4). Tipoff at the Carrier Dome is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
For Openers
• UVA (14-2) is tied for first in the ACC, while Syracuse (10-6) is sixth.
• The Cavaliers have 26 or more wins in five of the last six seasons.
• UVA has 14 or more ACC wins for the fourth time in school history.
• UVA clinched its ACC-leading fifth double bye for the 2019 ACC Tournament (since 2014).
• The Cavaliers have a two-game winning streak vs. Syracuse.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Syracuse game will be televised on ESPN and streamed online on ACC Network Extra (WatchESPN.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 245-88 (.736) mark in 10 seasons at Virginia and 314-121 (.722) 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 in the National Statistical Rankings
• As of March 3, UVA ranks first nationally in scoring defense (54.1 ppg), fewest turnovers (257), turnovers per game (9.2) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.7%), second in fewest fouls (402), third in scoring margin (17.7) and winning percentage (92.9%), fourth in field goal percentage defense (37.4%), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.57) and 3-point field goal percentage (40%), seventh in personal fouls per game (14.4), 22nd in rebound margin (6.2) and 27th in free throw percentage (75.5).
Five Cavaliers Among ACC Leaders
• As of March 3, Kyle Guy ranks first in the ACC in 3-pointers (3.1), third in 3-point percentage (43.9%), 10th in minutes (33.9) and 13th in scoring (15.1).
• Ty Jerome ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0), third in assists (5.0) and 19th in minutes (32.4).
• De’Andre Hunter ranks third in the ACC in field goal percentage (54.7%), fifth in free throw percentage (80%) and 12th in scoring (15.2).
• Mamadi Diakite ranks ninth in blocked shots (1.54) and Braxton Key ranks 22nd in rebounding (5.7).
UVA Ranked No. 2 in AP Poll
• UVA is ranked a season-high No. 2 in the latest AP poll.
• UVA has been ranked in the AP top six in 26 consecutive polls.
• UVA has been ranked in the AP for 32 straight polls and has been ranked in the top 10 in each of the past 28 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 17 points to lead No. 2 Virginia to a 72-49 win over Pitt on March 2.
• Ty Jerome added 13 points and De’Andre Hunter chipped in 12 points and five assists as Virginia improved to 26-2, 14-2 ACC.
• The Cavaliers used a 16-0 run to gain a 39-19 halftime lead.
• UVA shot 58.5 percent from the floor and went 9 of 16 from 3-point range in its sixth consecutive win.
• Kihei Clark added six points and four assists.
• Pitt (12-17, 2-14 ACC) was led by Jared Wilson-Frame’s 15 points.
All-Time vs. Syracuse
• UVA is 6-5 all-time against Syracuse, including a 5-1 mark in ACC action, in the series that dates back to 1983-84.
• The Cavaliers swept a two-game series vs. Syracuse last season, posting a 68-61 win in Charlottesville and 59-44 win in Syracuse.
• UVA is 2-2 vs. the Orange at the Carrier Dome, including last season’s win and another (59-47) coming during the 2014-15 season.
• The Cavaliers have held the Orange to 68 or fewer points in each of the last seven meeting between the teams.
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 5-2 all-time against Syracuse.
Last Time vs. the Orange
• De’Andre Hunter scored 15 points, Kyle Guy added 14 as then-No. 2 Virginia smothered struggling Syracuse 59-44 on Feb. 3, 2018.
• Virginia, which beat the Orange 68-61 in January of 2018, won its 14th straight for its best start in conference play since the 1980-81 team started 12-0.
• The Orange shot under 40 percent in the January loss to the Cavaliers and fared worse the second time around. Syracuse finished 17 of 51 (33.3 percent) and its 44 points were its fewest ever in the Carrier Dome.
• Mamadi Diakite matched a then-career best with 12 points as UVA owned a 27-0 advantage in bench points.
• Isaiah Wilkins matched a season high with four blocked shots.
•UVA had 19 assists on its 23 made field goals.
• Tyus Battle (15 points) and Frank Howard (11 points) combined to shoot just 10 of 34 from the field for the Orange.
On the Horizon
• No. 2 Virginia hosts Louisville during Senior Day on Saturday, March 9. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 4 p.m. on ESPN.