No. 2 Virginia at Syracuse, 4 p.m. ACC Network (NBC29 in Cville area)
UVa fended off another challenge Wednesday against Louisville and beat the Cardinals, 74-64. What started as a defensive slugfest -- as expected -- turned into a bit of a shootout by Virginia's standards as the Cavaliers outscored the Cardinals 42-38 in the second half.
Going into the contest, it was unclear if or how much Devon Hall (flu symptoms), De'Andre Hunter (ankle), and Mamadi Diakite (flu symptoms) would play. They all ended up playing, but backup point guard Nigel Johnson did not. Just before the game, it was announced that he will miss three contests because of a violation of team rules, so he has two more to go.
Kyle Guy led the way with 22 points, and he made 2 of 4 3s and shot 10 of 21 overall, with the 21 attempts being his most in a game this season. Ty Jerome had 16 points and once again came through in the clutch, hitting two 3-pointers in the closing minutes after the Cardinals had cut a 14-point lead to five. Hall looked no worse for the wear and had a typical game with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting
with a rebound, two assists, and two steals. I wrote before the game maybe someone unexpected would step up, and that did indeed happen. With Johnson out, true freshman guard Marco Anthony saw his most extended minutes of the year, 18, and scored 10 points with two 3s. With the ball, he looked poised, unlike a true freshman. He will see more time with Johnson out, and even if he doesn't overtake Johnson in the rotation once the suspension is over, it's good knowing what he is able to do. Hunter didn't look 100 percent but did play and contributed six points. Diakite had six points as well. Isaiah Wilkins, as he did against Duke, struggled to score, putting up just two points, but he did grab 10 rebounds. Virginia did a good job on the boards against one of the best rebounding teams in the country, only getting edged by one board, 26-25.
Virginia gets its first ACC rematch today, and it comes against Syracuse, which UVa beat, 68-61, on Jan. 9. in Charlottesville. Following that loss, the Orange lost in overtime at Florida State, 101-90, won three in a row against Pitt (twice) and Boston College, and, on Wednesday, lost at Georgia Tech, 55-51. The Orange (15-7, 4-5) finds itself, seemingly every year, on the NCAA tournament bubble, and ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has it there again right now as the first team in "next four out," meaning it is five spots away from the field.
Syracuse was down to just seven scholarship players against the Yellow Jackets because of injuries, and Matthew Moyer, who scored six points against UVa in the first meeting, only played two minutes off the bench after missing the previous game against Pittsburgh. Freshman forward Bourama Sidibe, who had barely scored in ACC play, much like Anthony for UVa, got 31 minutes and scored 18 points against Pitt, but then had just three points in 19 minutes against the Yellow Jackets.
In the first meeting in Charlottesville, Guy had 22 points, Hunter finished with 15, and Hall had 13. UVa made 9 of 27 3s and 19 of 22 free throws. Frank Howard led Syracuse with 18 points, Oshae Brissett scored 16, and Tyus Battle recorded 12. The Orange got no bench points. Virginia
led, 64-50, before turnovers helped the Orange get to within five with 29 seconds to play. UVa composed itself, though, to finish out the victory.
Hunter was a key to the win, sparking UVa in the first half when the offense was slumping. If he is healthy and feeling good, I think UVa can have pretty good success against the 2-3 zone again. Jim Boeheim is a great coach, though, so it is easy to imagine him tweaking some things and seeing the Orange pull off the upset. But Syracuse's depth figures to be an issue, meaning a lot is going to fall on the shoulders of Howard, Brissett, and Battle. Syracuse overcame a 12-point deficit in the Carrier Dome last season to top Virginia, 66-62. I'm not sure if the Orange has the firepower to upset UVa this year. It made some circus shots just to get within seven in the Jan. 9 meeting, and that game was headed toward a double-digit win for Virginia until the final minute. I'll take UVa, but wouldn't be shocked if Syracuse pulls this one out in front of what is supposed to be the biggest college basketball crowd so far this season.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
UVa fended off another challenge Wednesday against Louisville and beat the Cardinals, 74-64. What started as a defensive slugfest -- as expected -- turned into a bit of a shootout by Virginia's standards as the Cavaliers outscored the Cardinals 42-38 in the second half.
Going into the contest, it was unclear if or how much Devon Hall (flu symptoms), De'Andre Hunter (ankle), and Mamadi Diakite (flu symptoms) would play. They all ended up playing, but backup point guard Nigel Johnson did not. Just before the game, it was announced that he will miss three contests because of a violation of team rules, so he has two more to go.
Kyle Guy led the way with 22 points, and he made 2 of 4 3s and shot 10 of 21 overall, with the 21 attempts being his most in a game this season. Ty Jerome had 16 points and once again came through in the clutch, hitting two 3-pointers in the closing minutes after the Cardinals had cut a 14-point lead to five. Hall looked no worse for the wear and had a typical game with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting
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| Kyle Guy led Virginia's effort against Louisville with 22 points. |
Virginia gets its first ACC rematch today, and it comes against Syracuse, which UVa beat, 68-61, on Jan. 9. in Charlottesville. Following that loss, the Orange lost in overtime at Florida State, 101-90, won three in a row against Pitt (twice) and Boston College, and, on Wednesday, lost at Georgia Tech, 55-51. The Orange (15-7, 4-5) finds itself, seemingly every year, on the NCAA tournament bubble, and ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has it there again right now as the first team in "next four out," meaning it is five spots away from the field.
Syracuse was down to just seven scholarship players against the Yellow Jackets because of injuries, and Matthew Moyer, who scored six points against UVa in the first meeting, only played two minutes off the bench after missing the previous game against Pittsburgh. Freshman forward Bourama Sidibe, who had barely scored in ACC play, much like Anthony for UVa, got 31 minutes and scored 18 points against Pitt, but then had just three points in 19 minutes against the Yellow Jackets.
In the first meeting in Charlottesville, Guy had 22 points, Hunter finished with 15, and Hall had 13. UVa made 9 of 27 3s and 19 of 22 free throws. Frank Howard led Syracuse with 18 points, Oshae Brissett scored 16, and Tyus Battle recorded 12. The Orange got no bench points. Virginia
Hunter was a key to the win, sparking UVa in the first half when the offense was slumping. If he is healthy and feeling good, I think UVa can have pretty good success against the 2-3 zone again. Jim Boeheim is a great coach, though, so it is easy to imagine him tweaking some things and seeing the Orange pull off the upset. But Syracuse's depth figures to be an issue, meaning a lot is going to fall on the shoulders of Howard, Brissett, and Battle. Syracuse overcame a 12-point deficit in the Carrier Dome last season to top Virginia, 66-62. I'm not sure if the Orange has the firepower to upset UVa this year. It made some circus shots just to get within seven in the Jan. 9 meeting, and that game was headed toward a double-digit win for Virginia until the final minute. I'll take UVa, but wouldn't be shocked if Syracuse pulls this one out in front of what is supposed to be the biggest college basketball crowd so far this season.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
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