CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia — Styles will clash today when Memphis basketball squares off against Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena.
Penny Hardaway’s 22nd-ranked Tigers (8-2) are among the most up-tempo teams in the country, averaging 16.2 seconds per possession. The Cavaliers (6-4) are the most deliberate team in all of Division I this season, averaging 20.5 seconds per possession.
Memphis also has one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, putting up 118.1 points per 100 possessions. Virginia, on the flip side, is scoring almost 13 points fewer than the Tigers per 100 possessions, which ranks 189th.
The Cavaliers are 5-0 at home this season. Their best win at John Paul Jones Arena came last week against Bethune-Cookman, which was 290th in KenPom entering Tuesday.
Memphis defeated Virginia 77-54 at FedExForum last season in what turned out to be Tony Bennett’s final season as the Cavaliers’ coach.
“They started off really well. Then, they just started losing recently,” Hardaway said of Virginia. “They’re playing extremely hard. It’s a team that has a lot of pride. It’s a revenge game for the guys that were here last year. Every game is tough, especially against a storied program like Virginia.”
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Memphis basketball vs Virginia score updates
PJ Haggerty has scored 11 second-half points to help Memphis close the gap against Virginia. With 11:57 remaining, the Tigers lead the Cavaliers 41-39.
The Cavaliers are leading the Tigers 30-21 at halftime. Virginia is shooting 39%, while Memphis is hitting just 29% of its shots. But the difference in the game so far is the Tigers’ turnovers (seven) and what the Cavaliers have done with them (14 points off turnovers).
Dain Dainja has 9 points and 6 rebounds in the first half for Memphis.
Penny Hardaway will stick with his usual starting lineup: Tyrese Hunter, PJ Haggerty, Colby Rogers, Nicholas Jourdain and Moussa Cisse.
Meanwhile, the Hoos will roll out Isaac McKneely, Dai Dai Ames, Elijah Saunders, Andrew Rohde and Jacob Cofie.
What time does Memphis basketball vs Virginia play today?
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 18
- Time: 6 p.m. CT
- Location: John Paul Jones Arena (Charlottesville, Virginia)
What channel is Memphis basketball vs Virginia game on today?
TV channel: ESPN2 (Kevin Brown, play-by-play; Chris Spatola, color analyst)
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 98.9-FM The Roar (Dave Woloshin, play-by-play; Matt Dillon, color analyst)
Memphis vs. Virginia will be live streamed on ESPN+.
Memphis basketball vs Virginia predictions
Penny Hardaway is convinced his Tigers now understand they have to bring full energy and effort to the table in every game − not just some of them. They’ll need to against the Cavaliers. And because they will, Memphis will win.
Memphis basketball vs Virginia betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Tuesday:
- Spread: Memphis -4.5
- Over/under: 130.5
- Moneyline: Memphis -200, Virginia +165
Memphis basketball vs Virginia injury updates
Memphis guard Tyrese Hunter is still dealing with a nagging knee injury, but he has not missed any game time yet because of it.
Virginia guard Dai Dai Ames (ankle) did not play against Bethune Cookman. Interim coach Ron Sanchez did not go into specifics on a timeline for his return but said he does not think the injury is “long-term.” Guard Christian Bliss, who has not yet played this season, is considered “day-to-day.”
Memphis basketball upcoming schedule
Tipoff times not yet set (unless otherwise noted)
- Dec. 21: vs. Mississippi State (11:30 a.m., CBS, FedExForum)
- Dec. 28: vs. Ole Miss (1 p.m., ESPN2, FedExForum)
- Jan. 2: at FAU (6 p.m., ESPN2, Eleanor P. Baldwin Arena)
- Jan. 5: vs. North Texas (4 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2, FedExForum)
- Jan. 11: vs. East Carolina (1 p.m., ESPN+, FedExForum)
Virginia basketball upcoming schedule
All times central
- Dec. 22: vs. American (1 p.m., ACC Network)
- Dec. 31 vs. NC State (11 a.m., ESPN2)
- Jan. 4: vs. Louisville (3 p.m., ACC Network)
- Jan. 8: at Cal (10 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU)
- Jan. 11: at Stanford (3 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU)
Memphis basketball news
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
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