Road Game at Miami Next for Virginia
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (16-10, 10-6 ACC) travels to Miami (19-7, 11-4 ACC) in ACC action on Saturday, Feb 19. Tipoff at Watsco Center is set for 5 p.m. on ACC Network.
For Openers
• Virginia is tied for fifth in the ACC at 10-6, while Miami is third at 11-4.
• UVA has a five-game winning streak vs. Miami.
• The Cavaliers received four votes in the latest AP poll and have not been nationally ranked since their No. 25 preseason ranking.
• UVA defeated the Hurricanes 71-58 in the first meeting between the teams on Feb. 5 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• Jayden Gardner is the reigning ACC Player of the Week after averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins over Duke and Georgia Tech last week.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Miami 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 311-113 (.733) mark in 13 seasons at UVA and 380-146 (.722) 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 159-68 (.700) in ACC play (90-23 at home & 69-45 away), 177-34 (.839) at home and 152-45 (.772) in non-conference action (86-9 at JPJ) under Bennett.
• Bennett ranks fourth all-time in winning percentage (.700) 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 (9.7 ppg & 4.0 apg) and Reece Beekman (7.8 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.3 rpg & 2.1 spg), and the additions of transfers Jayden Gardner (15 ppg & 7.1 rpg) and Armaan Franklin (11.8 ppg).
• 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.
• Francisco Caffaro (4.8 ppg & 4.5 rpg) and Kadin Shedrick (6.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg & 2.3 bpg) anchor the paint. Shedrick started the first 16 games, while Caffaro has started the last 10 contests.
• Kody Stattmann (38.5% 3FGs), Malachi Poindexter, Taine Murray, Igor Miliĉić Jr. and Carson McCorkle provide perimeter depth off the bench.
Virginia All-Time vs. Miami
• Virginia is 14-12 all-time vs. Miami in the series that began in 1965-66.
• UVA has a five-game winning streak vs. Miami, including a two-game winning streak at Watsco Center.
• The Cavaliers are 3-7 against the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, including a 46-44 win in their last visit to Watsco Center in 2020.
• Twelve of the last 14 meetings between the teams have been decided by 10 points or less.
• UVA has limited Miami to 58 or fewer points in each of the last six meetings.
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 11-6 all-time against Miami.
Last Time vs. The Hurricanes
• Armaan Franklin scored a game-high 22 points to lead Virginia to a 71-58 win over Miami on Feb. 5 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• Jayden Gardner added 12 points and Kihei Clark added 11 as the Cavaliers (14-9, 8-5 ACC) shot 60 percent in the win.
• Reece Beekman added a game-high 10 assists.
• Kameron McGusty led Miami (16-6, 8-4) with 21 points.
Last Time Out
• Keve Aluma scored 24 points and blocked four shots to lead Virginia Tech to a 62-53 win over Virginia in a Commonwealth Clash at Cassell Coliseum on Monday, Feb. 14.
• Jayden Gardner recorded his sixth double-double of the season with team highs in points (17) and rebounds (15).
• UVA went 0 of 9 from 3-point range, failing to make a 3-pointer for the first time in 176 games (Nov. 15, 2016 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn).
• Virginia Tech shot 43.5 percent from the field, while Virginia shot 40 percent (30% in the second half).
• UVA outrebounded the Hokies 33-26.
• The Hokies made five 3-pointers and went 17 of 21 from the free throw line.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts No. 9 Duke on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is 7 p.m. on ESPN.