Game Preview: Virginia Basketball vs. Miami

February 5, 2022 Admin

Game Details

Who: Virginia Cavaliers (13-9, 7-5 ACC) vs. Miami Hurricanes (16-6, 8-3 ACC)

When: Saturday, February 5th at 5pm

Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia

How to watch: ACC Network

All-time series: Virginia leads 13-12

Last meeting: Virginia defeated Miami 61-52 on March 1st, 2021

By the Numbers

Virginia Cavaliers vs. Miami Hurricanes
Virginia	By the Numbers	Miami
62.9	Points Per Game	75.3
59.6	Opponent PPG	71.3
45.0%	Field Goal %	46.6%
41.9%	Opponent FG %	45.4%
33.0%	Three-Point FG %	36.2%
35.1%	Opponent 3PT FG %	35.4%
+4	Rebounding Margin	-99
+28	Turnover Margin	+91
95th	NET Ranking	67th
111th	RPI	40th

Opponent Breakdown: Miami

Notable results: Alabama (96-64 L), Penn State (63-58 W), Clemson (80-75 W), NC State (91-83 W), Wake Forest (92-84 W), Duke (76-74 W), Florida State (65-64 L), North Carolina (85-57 W), Notre Dame (68-64 L)

Miami is in the midst of one of its better seasons in recent memory and the Hurricanes are right in the mix for their first ACC regular season title since 2013. Miami beat Duke in Durham on January 8th, but the Canes are a half a game behind the Blue Devils in the standings with nine games to play. Jim Larrañaga’s squad has picked up solid wins over Duke and Wake Forest and a 28-point victory over North Carolina on January 18th.

The Hurricanes are led by the guard duo of Kameron McGusty and Isaiah Wong. McGusty is averaging 17.5 points per game (6th in the ACC), 6.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting 47.7% from the floor, while Isaiah Wong is averaging 16.1 points per game (8th in the ACC) and 46.4% shooting from the field. Charlie Moore is also averaging double-figures at 12.5 points per game. Sam Waardenburg is 5th in the ACC in three-point shooting at 46.0%.

Miami has the fifth-best offense in the ACC at 75.3 points per game, but the 12th-best defense at 71.3 points per game allowed. The Hurricanes have won a lot of games this season by simply outscoring their opponents in shootouts. Virginia will likely need an above-average scoring night in order to keep up with Miami on Saturday.

What to Watch For

How UVA defends McGusty and Wong

Miami presents a significant challenge to its opponents defensively, as the Canes have two go-to scorers in Kameron McGusty and Isaiah Wong, who are both capable of creating and making their own shots. Virginia can deploy Reece Beekman on one of the two in order to slow that player down a bit, but that still leaves the other one to be guarded by either Armaan Franklin, who has struggled defensively at times this season, or Kihei Clark, who will certainly be at a size disadvantage against either McGusty (6’5″) or Wong (6’3″).

Another close game?

Virginia holds a 13-12 advantage over Miami in the all-time series, including an 8-4 record against the Hurricanes in Charlottesville. 12 of the last 13 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. Games seems to come down to the wire every time the Cavaliers and Canes get together. There is a lot on the line for both teams in this one, so expect this round to be no different.

Virginia aims for a statement win

Virginia’s NCAA Tournament hopes have been reduced to a long shot, but a victory over Miami on Saturday would go a long way towards propelling the Cavaliers to a strong finish down the stretch. UVA has a lot of tough matchups in its final eight games, including two games each against Miami and Duke, the top two teams in the ACC. How the Hoos fare in those four games will determine the fate of this UVA basketball season.