The Cavaliers (8-0) are off to their best start since winning the National Championship in 2018-19. Houston (9-1) ranked him No. 1 in his Associated Press polls for the second week in a row, but last Saturday at home he trailed No. 4 Alabama 71-65. defeated.
It will be the third time the Cavaliers have faced a ranked opponent this season, and the second time they will face the No. 5 team in the nation.first result is 86-79 victory over Baylor Round 1 of the Main Event tournament on November 18th in Las Vegas.
Virginia coach Tony Bennett said of the grueling non-conference schedule: “And while everyone is mostly good in college basketball, these games create a unique environment that you’ll want to have as the season progresses.”
virginia coming down Beat James Madison, 55-50, on December 6, at home to avoid two consecutive losses to Commonwealth rivals. However, the win came at a price, as guard Reese Beekman missed most of the match due to injury. His status on Saturday is unknown.
The 6-foot-3 Jr. limped off the court after playing James Madison in 3:47 of the first, giving the advantage to his right foot. Athletic training staff examined Beekman in his room on the bench and locker and determined that his best course of action was to keep him away.
Beekman sat in a chair and grabbed his right thigh shortly after he was injured when he stole a pass and swooped in for a quick layup. While returning to defense, Beekman stood up and frowned in pain.
Beekman did not speak to reporters afterward, but Bennett suggested the problem could be a hamstring strain. He injured his right ankle in the first half of the game against Michigan, but was treating it.
“He rolled his ankle against Michigan. That was the problem,” Bennett said. “Then he had a problem with his hamstring and I don’t know if he liked it. After the first media timeout he was told that it was. Doctors said, ‘You We will probably have to detain him.” ”
Beekman has emerged as the Cavaliers’ most disruptive on-ball defender and savvy facilitator with 12 steals, the second-most on the team. His assists count (37) ranks him second only to Kihei Clarke (40), with whom he shares guard duties, and he ranks first in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.8).
Virginia seemed out of sync against the Dukes at times when Beekman went to the bench, forcing Bennett to play guard Isaac Maneely and forward Ryan Dunn far more than usual. rice field.
A 9-1 burst in the second half allowed the Cavaliers to hold on even after James Madison cut the margin to 52-50 with 1:01 to play. A contested field goal by Dunn with 35.1 seconds left and a free throw from Clarke with 8.6 seconds left sealed the win.
Virginia shined again on defense, further broadening its trend this season with players now more comfortable executing Bennett’s pack line. JMU leads his ACC in earned run average (57.9), and he shot 27.3% against the Cavaliers, who ranks first in field goal earned run average (39.4).
Meanwhile, the Cougars lead Division I in both categories, scoring 49.4 points and allowing 31.6 percent shooting per game. He’s also second in defense coordinated, according to Advanced Analysis from. Kenpom.com.
Virginia lost to Houston 67-47 last season away. The Cavaliers shot 34.9% and shot 4-of-19 from 3-point range (21.1%) and missed all seven of his attempts in the second half.
“The next opponent is Houston. “I know these young guys haven’t experienced what it’s like to play in Houston, but they’re very tough and physical.”
