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The No.2-seeded Virginia Cavaliers (25-6) take on the No.3-seeded Miami (FL) Hurricanes (25-6) in the fourth round of the ACC tournament at the Verizon Center. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Cavaliers won big over Georgia Tech 72-52 in the 3. Malcolm Brogdon was the game’s high scorer with 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are coming off an 88-82 win over Virginia Tech in the 3. Angel Rodriguez played well, posting 19 points, nine assists, and three steals.
Over the last five games, Brogdon has been playing at a high level for the Cavaliers. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers. On the other side, the Hurricanes have been led by Davon Reed. He has been on fire, averaging 16.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers in the same time frame.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Virginia ranks 12th in the nation in defensive efficiency (97.6), while Miami (FL) is 29th (100.7). Also, the Hurricanes commit the fifth-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.0%), while the gambling defense of the Cavaliers causes the 14th-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.7%).
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Cavaliers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a blowout 72-52 win. Brogdon scored a game-high 26 points.
Notes
In its last game, Virginia won by a margin of 20 points. Miami (FL) is 7-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Virginia has an 8-0 record in blowouts.
The Miami (FL) Hurricanes rank 17th for their offensive rating of 115.7. The Virginia Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 97.6 (ranked 12th).
The Virginia Cavaliers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the nation with a FG% of 49.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Miami (FL) Hurricanes have an underachieving 2-4 record.
The Virginia Cavaliers average 14.0 three point attempts per game and have a losing 1-2 record when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes average 19.0 attempts and have a stellar 13-3 record when attempting 20 or more.
The seventh-ranked team in the category, Virginia has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.56 this season. Miami (FL) ranks 72nd with an A/TO of 1.24.
Virginia is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 19.7% (ranked 14th). Miami (FL) has a 3-2 record SU when its TO% reaches 19.7% or greater.
