Miami at Virginia: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule
The No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers survived a scare from N.C. State on Tuesday night and now return home to host the Miami Hurricanes.
TV Schedule: Saturday, February 2 at 2 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra
Location: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia
The No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers survived a scare this week from N.C. State, coming out of Raleigh with a narrow 66-65 overtime win. It was UVa’s worst game of the season as the Cavaliers struggled on the boards, with turnovers and only connected on four three-point field goals. Fortunately for the Hoos, they return to Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon to host a struggling Miami squad.
Virginia currently sits atop the ACC in a three-way tie with Duke and Louisville with a 7-1 mark in league play. Conversely, Miami enters Saturday’s game in a three-way tie in last place with a 1-7 ACC record.
So, this begs the question: Can Miami give the Cavaliers a competitive game?
Miami is on a four-game losing streak and has lost seven of its last eight games. It’s only win was over fellow ACC bottom-feeder, Wake Forest. The Hurricanes‘ list of non-conference wins is even less impressive as they hold wins over Stephen F. Austin, Bethune-Cookman and Houston Baptist, among others.
The ‘Canes feature primarily a seven-man rotation and are led by guards Chris Lykes, Zach Johnson and Anthony Lawrence II. These three guards are Miami’s leading scorers and the 5’7″ Lykes averages almost 17 points per game. He could big UVa point guard Ty Jerome some trouble with his quickness.
The Wahoos are led by Jerome, Kyle Guy and De’Andre Hunter. Guy is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, while Jerome runs the team with precision. He also happens to be an outstanding shooter, too. Hunter is one of the better players in the country and gets it done at both ends of the court. He’s taken his offensive game to another level this season.
Virginia and head coach Tony Bennett are best known for its suffocating Pack-Line defense. Miami’s best low-post threat is sophomore center Ebuka Izundu and he will likely have a long day against UVa’s frustrating defense. However, if the Hurricanes are to have any shot at pulling off this major upset they’ll need to be especially proficient from beyond the arc or this one could be over rather quickly.