With the full schedule now available, let’s preview some of the major in-conference games for Virginia men’s basketball this upcoming season. While not listed, the ‘Hoos will also take on Cal and Stanford — both on the road — in the span of four days. Some acclimatization to West Coast travel will be required with the additions of these two California schools to the ACC, alongside Dallas’ SMU.
In its first ACC contest of the year, Virginia will notably face a new entrant to the conference in SMU. This will also be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. I’m not quite sure what to expect from the Mustangs as they transition from a thin American Athletic Conference to a juggernaut in the ACC, so this isn’t necessarily a pick based upon matchup excitement. Led by ex-USC head coach Andy Enfield, the Dallas-based school’s basketball program has notably upped its NIL standards as it makes the move to a major conference.
The Mustangs are relatively bereft of postseason accomplishments and are overshadowed by the tradition of the football program, yet Dallas boosters won’t allow the team to flounder — even in the hoops-rich ACC. However, I do feel for Enfield having to take on Bennett — the pinnacle of success among current ACC coaches — in his first in-conference outing. It can’t be fun taking on the Pack Line.
Of note: SMU is 11th in the ACC in terms of scoring % returned from 2023-24 (30.7%), yet they are second behind Louisville in total minutes played at the college level (18,101). For reference, the ‘Hoos are eighth (36.9%) and 14th (8,921) in those same categories.
The ‘Hoos must atone for their sins, i.e. last season’s 34-point defeat in Blacksburg. Now, Virginia Tech looks mighty thin after the departures of their top five scorers, yet Virginia has lost four consecutive games in Cassell Coliseum since 2021. Only Duke — having won four straight over UVA in Cameron Indoor from 2011 to 2016 — can compete with that sort of home court domination during Bennett’s time at Virginia. When the time comes for the second rendition of the Commonwealth Clash, I’d expect the ‘Hoos to carry a better record into enemy territory. However, it rarely goes by the book against the Hokies — at least on the road.
The two teams have split the yearly series over the past three seasons, with Virginia holding court in Charlottesville and Virginia Tech dominating Blacksburg. Don’t be surprised if the trend continues, but the Hokies’ personnel losses should provide hope for a win on the road. This is an opportunity to exorcise some demons.
Of note: Virginia Tech is losing two mainstays in the backcourt — guards Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla — who were three and two-year starters, respectively. Coach Mike Young is essentially starting from scratch in his sixth year at the helm.
Luckily, the ‘Hoos won’t have to travel to Cameron Indoor to take on a preseason top-10 team in Coach Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils. The heir to Mike Kryzyzewski, Scheyer has won 54 games in his first two seasons as head coach and holds a 2-1 advantage over Bennett thus far. Duke’s roster, moreover, looks the part of a National Championship contender, as the nation’s No. 1 high school prospect — forward Cooper Flagg — is carrying sky-high expectations as the next great freshman to grace Durham. To no one’s surprise, their recruiting class is second to none on paper.
There’s always the question of cohesion on Duke teams with so much talent, but the transfers — upperclassmen Sion James (Tulane), Mason Gillis (Purdue), and Maliq Brown (Syracuse) — will add that veteran leadership that many Blue Devils have lacked. Point guard Tyrese Proctor — a two-year starter — has also stuck around, once a rarity in the one-and-done era at Duke. Complementing the freshman stars will be essential.
Of note: Virginia sophomore forward TJ Power will take on his former team and will look to prove his worth after averaging only 6.7 minutes per game last year.
In the last successful outing at the Dean Dome (2020), former Virginia guard Tomas Woldetensae pump-faked, sent a defender into the air and canned a buzzer-beating three-pointer to topple a struggling North Carolina. Granted, they’ve only played twice in Chapel Hill since, yet the Tar Heels beat the ‘Hoos by an average of 12 — and both weren’t as close as the score indicates.
Virginia fans will be delighted to hear that center Armando Bacot will not be returning to Chapel Hill for one more year, yet defending ACC Player of the Year — fifth-year guard RJ Davis — remains. With a backcourt featuring Davis and some young playmakers, Virginia might be well-suited attacking Carolina in the frontcourt; if Virginia can see some development from sophomore Blake Buchanan and redshirt freshman Anthony Robinson, they could be poised to take advantage of the Heels’ (likely) small-ball approach. This is contingent upon 6’10’’ junior Jalen Washington not taking a leap without Bacot in the fold. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if they end up rolling out a 6’8’’ forward at the five spot and rely heavily on the guards.
Of note: Virginia’s matchup against Carolina is wedged between a home date against Duke and an away date at Wake Forest. This is a crucial stretch of conference play for the ‘Hoos.
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