Cavaliers Return to ACC Play Against Clemson
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (7-4, 1-0 ACC) hosts Clemson (8-4, 0-1) in ACC action on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena has been moved to 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
For Openers
• Virginia (7-4, 1-0 ACC) returns to ACC action for its first of two meeting against Clemson (8-4, 0-1).
• UVA has an 11-game winning streak in the series against Clemson.
• UVA ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (55.2 ppg) and 16th in turnovers per game (10.2).
• UVA has limited its foes to 49.6 points per game, 33.1 percent field goal shooting and 25 percent 3-point shooting in its seven wins.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Clemson game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed online at WatchESPN.com and ESPN App.
• The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
• Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
The Head Coach
• Dean and Markel Families Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tony Bennett has a 302-107 (.738) mark in 13 seasons at UVA and 371-140 (.726) career mark in 16 seasons as a head coach.
• Bennett won his 300th game at Virginia with the 61-43 victory against Lehigh on Nov. 26, 2021.
• The three-time National (2007, 2015 and 2018) and four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) guided the Cavaliers to their 10th ACC regular-season championship in 2020-21.
• In 2018-19, Bennett led the Cavaliers to their first NCAA national championship, a share of their ninth ACC regular-season title and a school-record 35 wins.
• Bennett has led UVA to 10 consecutive postseason appearances (2012-21) and seven consecutive NCAA tournaments (2014-21).
• UVA is 150-62 (.708) in ACC play (85-21 at home) under Bennett.
• Bennett ranks third all-time in winning percentage (.708) among ACC head coaches with 100 or more ACC wins.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• The Cavaliers play defense, take good shots, share and take care of the basketball, rebound, and play more defense.
• UVA is led by its returning backcourt of Kihei Clark (9.8 ppg & 4.2 apg) and Reece Beekman (6.1 ppg, 4.6 apg & 2.1 spg), and the additions of transfers Jayden Gardner (15.3 ppg & 8.3 rpg) and Armaan Franklin (11.4 ppg).
• Clark has played 104 games at UVA and is averaging career-highs in field goal percentage (42.4%), 3-point percentage (40.9%) and free throw percentage (90%).
The Cavaliers added transfers Gardner (East Carolina) and Franklin (Indiana) to fill the void left by standouts Sam Hauser (16 ppg), Jay Huff (13 ppg) and Trey Murphy III (11.3 ppg).
• Gardner averaged 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in 79 career games at East Carolina, while Franklin averaged 11.4 points and shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range in 2020-21.
• Kadin Shedrick (6.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg & 2.6 bpg) and Francisco Caffaro (3.8 rpg) anchor the paint, while Taine Murray (42.7% 3FGs), Igor Miliĉić Jr. (42.1% 3FGs), Carson McCorkle (33.3% 3FGs), Malachi Poindexter and Kody Stattmann provide perimeter depth.
Virginia All-Time vs. Clemson
• Virginia is 79-52 all-time vs. Clemson, including a 45-16 home mark, in a series that dates back to 1935-36.
• UVA defeated the Tigers 85-50 in the lone meeting last season at Littlejohn Coliseum
• UVA has an 11-game winning streak in the series, limiting the Tigers to 50 or fewer points in six of the wins.
• The Cavaliers have an eight-game winning streak against the Tigers in Charlottesville.
• UVA is 13-2 in its last 15 meetings against the Tigers.
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 13-3 all-time vs. Clemson.
Last Time vs. The Tigers
• Sam Hauser and Tomas Woldetensae led five players in double figures with 14 points apiece as then-No. 18 Virginia (9-2, 5-0) routed No. 12 Clemson 85-50 on Jan. 16, 2021.
• Virginia started the game on an 18-2 run, drilled 15 3-pointers and outrebounded the Tigers 33-21.
• Woldetensae had season highs in points and 3-pointers (4) as the Cavaliers scored 80 or more points in back-to-back ACC games for the first time since 2006-07.
• Trey Murphy III added 13 points and Kihei Clark and Jay Huff each added 12, respectively.
• Huff added seven rebounds and career-high five assists.
• Virginia shot a season-high 60.7 percent, including 55.6 percent from downtown.
Last Time Out
• Jayden Gardner scored a season-high 29 points as Virginia (7-4) closed nonconference play with an 82-49 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 18.
• Gardner went 14 of 18 from the field and 1 of 1 from the free throw line en route to his 29 points.
• UVA shot a season-high 61.8 percent and went 9 of 17 from 3-point range.
• Armaan Franklin had 12 points and Igor Miliĉić Jr. and Carson McCorkle added each added nine points, respectively.
• Devon Dunn led FDU (0-10) with 16 points and Brandon Rush added 14.
On The Horizon
• Virginia travels to Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 1. Tipoff at Carrier Dome is set for 8 p.m. on ACC Network.