First Clash with Virginia Tech Set for Wednesday Night at JPJ
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (11-5, 2-3 ACC) hosts in-state rival Virginia Tech (10-6, 2-3 ACC) in a Smithfield Commonwealth Clash on Wednesday (Jan. 17). Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU and Virginia Sports Radio Network. The game is sold out.
For Openers
• Virginia (11-5) and Virginia Tech (10-6) are tied for seventh in the ACC at 2-3.
• UVA owns the nation’s second longest home win streak at 19 games.
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game is part of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash, which is a head-to-head, points-based athletics competition between the schools.
• UVA has held 44 straight ACC opponents to fewer than 70 points at John Paul Jones Arena.
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Virginia Tech game will be televised on ESPNU and streamed online at WatchESPN.com.
• The game will also be broadcast on 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
• Dean and Markel Families Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tony Bennett has a 352-130 mark in 15 seasons at UVA and 421-163 career mark in 18 seasons as a head coach.
• Bennett passed the late Terry Holland (326-173, 16 seasons) as UVA’s winningest coach with the win over Syracuse (1/7/23) and recorded his 400th win at Wake Forest (1/21/23).
• Bennett has guided the Cavaliers to six ACC regular-season titles (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023), two ACC Tournament titles (2014 and 2018) and one NCAA national championship (2019).
• The three-time National (2007, 2015 and 2018) and four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) guided UVA to its 11th consecutive postseason berth in 2022-23.
• 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.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
• We play defense, take quality shots, pass the basketball, limit turnovers and transition points, rebound and play more defense.
• UVA returns one starter – Reece Beekman (12.7 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.1 rpg & 2.1 spg) – from last season’s ACC regular-season champion and NCAA tournament team that finished 25-8.
• Beekman, who earned All-ACC third-team honors last season, needs 29 steals to pass Othell Wilson (222 steals from 1981-84) for first all-time at UVA.
• Ryan Dunn (9.9 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg), and blocked shots (2.1 bpg).
• Isaac McKneely (11.6 ppg) leads the team in 3-pointers (38) and 3-point percentage (48.1%).
• McKneely averaged 6.7 points and shot a team-best 39.2 percent from 3-point range last year, while Dunn tallied 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game.
• Jake Groves (7.3 ppg), Andrew Rohde (5.8 ppg & 3.1 apg), Leon Bond III (5.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Elijah Gertrude (3.8 ppg), Blake Buchanan (3.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg), Dante Harris (3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Taine Murray (2.9 ppg, 44.4% 3FG) and Jordan Minor (2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) are main contributors.
• Harris has missed the last 10 games with an ankle injury and Gertrude had his redshirt lifted against Texas A&M.
• UVA is shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from 3-point range and 65.6 percent from the free throw line.
All-Time vs. Virginia Tech
• Virginia is 97-59 all-time vs. Virginia Tech, including a 42-13 mark in Charlottesville, in the series that dates to 1914-15.
• The teams split a two-game series last season.
• UVA has a four-game home win streak vs. the Hokies at JPJ.
• The Cavaliers are 2-3 in their last five games against the Hokies and 6-4 in their last 10.
• Head coach Tony Bennett is 18-9 all-time vs. Virginia Tech.
Last Time vs. the Hokies
• Then-No. 6 Virginia had its seven-game win streak snapped at Cassell Coliseum on Feb. 4, 2023, as Virginia Tech defeated the Cavaliers, 74-68.
• Jayden Gardner registered his 38th career double-double with 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
• Kihei Clark (17 points, 5 rebounds) and Reece Beekman (15 points, 5 assists) also scored in double figures for the Cavaliers.
• Virginia Tech’s Sean Pedulla tied his career high with 22 points and Justin Mutts finished with 17 points and eight assists.
• The Hokies, which never trailed in the contest, shot 50.9 percent and scored 40 points in the paint.
Last Time Out
• Hunter Sallis scored 21 points to lead Wake Forest to a 66-47 win over Virginia (11-5, 2-3 ACC) on Jan. 13 at Joel Coliseum.
• Andrew Carr added 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Demon Deacons shot 50 percent in the win.
• Sallis buried five 3-pointers as Wake Forest finished 10 of 21 from long distance.
• Reece Beekman led UVA with 10 points as the Cavaliers suffered their fifth loss of 16 or more points.
• Jordan Minor had nine points and five rebounds in his first start.
Hoos in the National Rankings
• UVA ranks first nationally in turnovers per game (8.3), second in scoring defense (57.7 ppg), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.86), sixth in turnover margin (5.5), ninth in fouls per game (13.4), 25th in field goal percentage defense (39.4) and 34th in blocks per game (4.9).
More on the Commonwealth Clash
• The Smithfield Commonwealth Clash is a rivalry between Virginia and Virginia Tech 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 of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash trophy.
• The UVA-VT game is worth a half point in the Clash and the Cavaliers lead this year’s Clash 5-1.
• UVA captured the Clash in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023, while Virginia Tech has won the Clash in 2017, 2018 and 2022. The 2020 and 2021 clashes were canceled due to the pandemic.
On The Horizon
• Virginia travels to Georgia Tech for an ACC contest on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tipoff at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network.