Vermont vs. Virginia: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Neil Adler
Two unbeaten teams will do battle on Tuesday evening, as Vermont travels to Charlottesville to face the defending national champions, Virginia.
TV schedule: Tuesday, November 19, 7:00 pm ET. ACCNX.
Arena: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia, the defending March Madness title-holder and rated No. 7 in the latest AP top-25 poll, is hosting a talented Vermont crew on Tuesday night from John Paul Jones Arena, where the Cavaliers are extremely difficult to defeat. UVA (3-0), in its most-recent affair on Nov. 16, bested Columbia on the Cavaliers’ own turf, 60-42, behind 13 points each from senior forward Mamadi Diakite and junior forward/center Jay Huff.
Additionally, Virginia put forth an impressive showing in its 2019-20 stanza-opener, an Atlantic Coast Conference clash, when the Cavaliers went into the Carrier Dome and limited Syracuse to an abysmal 34 points in a 14-point conquest.
The Catamounts (4-0) are a perfect 3-0 on the road, including a dramatic 70-68 triumph over Big East Conference member St. John’s in New York City on Nov. 16, as sensational senior forward Anthony Lamb nailed a jumper in the waning seconds to propel Vermont to victory. The Catamounts, a group that is in the “others receiving votes” category of the AP and the USA Today coaches’ ballots, have also conquered Bucknell and St. Bonaventure away from home.
This defensive-minded duel between Vermont and Virginia is a campus encounter of the 2019 Air Force Reserve Tip-off Tournament, and it could prove a somewhat ugly bout. So far in the 2019-20 term, the Catamounts are averaging 64.8 points per contest and allowing 59.3 points. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are producing 57.7 points a game and giving up a paltry 36.7 points, which is a ridiculous number.
Furthermore, both units connect on about 20.0 percent from beyond the arc and less than 40 percent from the field as a whole. It’s safe to say that rebounding, particularly on the offensive glass, is a vital component for success.
UVA, as we all know by now, claimed the grand prize in this past spring’s Big Dance, finishing the 2018-19 campaign at 35–3. Vermont, as a No. 13 seed in the 2019 NCAA tourney, hung tough with No. 4 seed Florida State in the first round before bowing out, 76-69, to wrap things up at 27–7.
In the ACC preseason poll for 2019-20, the Cavaliers are slotted at No. 4, and the Catamounts are the unanimous favorite in the America East Conference preseason ballot. This duo of schools only has one previous match-up on the books, with Virginia handling Vermont, 90-72, to commence the 2007-08 stanza.
Next. Top 25 power rankings. dark
Interestingly enough, the Cavaliers are colliding with their inaugural America East foe since UVA’s historic loss as a No. 1 seed to No. 16 seed UMBC during the round of 64 in the 2018 March Madness. Versus the Catamounts, I don’t anticipate a similar outcome. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index pegs the Cavaliers with an 84.7 percent chance to prevail, and Virginia should take care of business against Vermont.