Cavaliers Return to the Road at Georgia Tech Saturday Night
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (12-5, 3-3 ACC) travels to Georgia Tech (9-8, 2-4 ACC) for an ACC contest on Saturday (Jan. 20). Tipoff at McCamish Pavilion is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network and Virginia Sports Radio Network.
For Openers
• Virginia (12-5) is tied for sixth in the ACC at 3-3, while Georgia Tech (9-8) is tied for ninth at 2-4.
• UVA is 2-5 away from home (0-4 in true road games), suffering three 20-point losses (Wisconsin, Memphis and Notre Dame) in the same season for the first time since 2010-11 (Stanford, 81-60, No. 13 Washington, 106-60, Maryland, 66-42).
• All five of UVA’s losses have been by 16 or more points.
• Reece Beekman has an eight-game double figure scoring streak and needs two steals to become the third Cavalier with 200 career steals.
• Jordan Minor has averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in his last two outings (both starts).
Broadcast Information
• The Virginia-Georgia Tech game will be televised on ACC Network 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 353-130 mark in 15 seasons at UVA and 422-163 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 (12.9 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.1 rpg & 2.2 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 25 steals to pass Othell Wilson (222 steals from 1981-84) for first all-time at UVA.
• Ryan Dunn (9.5 ppg) leads the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg), and blocked shots (2.0 bpg).
• Isaac McKneely (11.4 ppg) leads the team in 3-pointers (38) and 3-point percentage (46.9%).
• 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 (7.2 ppg), Andrew Rohde (5.5 ppg & 3.0 apg), Leon Bond III (5.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Elijah Gertrude (3.8 ppg), Blake Buchanan (4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg), Dante • Harris (3.7 ppg), Taine Murray (2.7 ppg, 44.4% 3FG) and Jordan Minor (3.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) are main contributors.
• Harris missed 10 games with an ankle injury, and Gertrude had his redshirt lifted against Texas A&M.
• UVA is shooting 44.3 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from 3-point range and 65.8 percent from the free throw line.
Hoos in the National Rankings
• UVA ranks first nationally in turnovers per game (8.2), second in scoring defense (57.6 ppg), third in assist/turnover ratio (1.90), sixth in turnover margin (5.6) and fouls per game (13.3), 25th in field goal percentage defense (39.4), 47th in blocks per game (4.8) and 50th in steals per game (8.6).
All-Time vs. Georgia Tech
• Virginia is 47-40 all-time vs. Georgia Tech, including a 16-24 mark in Atlanta, in the series that dates to 1947-48.
• The Cavaliers have a 10-game winning streak in the series, including a four-game winning streak at McCamish Pavilion.
• Georgia Tech’s last win vs. the Cavaliers in the series was a 68-64 victory in Atlanta on Jan. 9, 2016.
• Virginia is 18-2 in its last 20 games against Georgia Tech, including a 17-2 mark under head coach Tony Bennett.
Last Time vs. the Yellow Jackets
• Then-No. 13 Virginia closed 2022 with a 74-56 win at Georgia Tech.
• UVA used a 25-0 run spanning halftime, holding the Jackets scoreless for 8:36 to gain the win.
• Kihei Clark led the Cavaliers with 15 points and eight assists, and Jayden Gardner (14), Kadin Shedrick (11) and Armaan Franklin also reached double figures.
• UVA drilled 10 of 22 3-pointers and posted a season-high 14 steals, most since 16 vs. NC State in 2008.
• The Cavaliers scored 30 points off 23 Georgia Tech turnovers.
Last Time Out
• Reece Beekman and Jordan Minor each scored 16 points to lead Virginia to a 65-57 win over in-state rival Virginia Tech on Jan. 17.
• UVA improved to 12-5, 3-3 ACC with its nation-leading 20th straight home win, while Virginia Tech fell to 10-7, 2-4.
• Minor recorded season highs in points, rebounds (5) and minutes (26) in his second consecutive start.
• Dante Harris returned to action with five points and five assists and helped limit the Hokies to 38.9 percent shooting.
• UVA shot 62.5 percent in the second half and owned a 36-20 advantage in points in the paint.
• Sean Pedulla led the Hokies with 18 points.
On The Horizon
• Virginia hosts NC State in ACC action on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network.