Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers

The Cardinals take on the Cavaliers in their first ACC rematch of the season.

Virginia Cavaliers (14-5, 5-3 ACC) at Louisville Cardinals (6-13, 1-7 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, January 27 at 12:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: The CW Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Virginia -6.0
- All-Time Series: Virginia leads 23-5
- Last Meeting: Virginia won 77-532 on Jan. 3, 2024 (John Paul Jones Arena - Charlottesville, Va.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G Skyy Clark (6-3, 205, So.)
• G Tre Whte (6-7, 205, So.)
• G/F Mike James (6-5, 200, R-So.)
• G/F Curtis Williams (6-5, 205, Fr.)
• F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 240, Jr.)

Virginia

• G Reece Beekman (6-3, 194, Sr.)
• G Isaac McKneely (6-4, 188, So.)
• G Andrew Rohde (6-6, 202, So.)
• G Ryan Dunn (6-8, 216, So.)
• F Jacob Groves (6-9, 211, Gr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Cavaliers, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Virginia

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville has used eight different starting lineups and is 3-5 when using a new starting lineup. The Cardinals have started 12 different players this season among an initial roster of 15 players.
• Louisville is entering the final game of a stretch of five straight matchups against teams in the top six in the ACC standings – NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia. Those teams are a combined 28-11 in league play.
• Over the last six games, the Cardinals are 43-for-105 (41%) from 3-point range. Louisville has had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in six of the last nine games after only accomplishing the feat in two of the first 10 games. The Cardinals have shot 45% or better from the field in six straight games.
• UofL’s Kenny Payne and Virginia’s Tony Bennett are two of 29 Division I head coaches in the country who were NBA Draft picks. Payne was selected 19th by the 76ers in 1989, while Bennett was the Hornets’ second-round pick in 1992.
• In the last six games, redshirt sophomore Mike James is averaging 17.8 points per game, while shooting 50.7% from the field (35 of 69), 59.1% from 3-point range (13 of 22) and 80% from the free-throw line (24-30).
• Over the last 10 games, junior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 62.8% from the field (59 of 84). After registering two double-doubles in the first 68 games of his career, he has five in his last 10 games.
• Last time out: Louisville played it close to Duke for the majority of the second half, but eventually fell 83-69 at the KFC Yum! Center.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: With Louisville trailing 24-18, the Blue Devils reeled off a 14-2 run between 9:47 and 5:25 to extend their lead to 38-20. The Cardinals followed with a 7-0 burst, cutting the deficit to 38-27 with 3:33 remaining in the half.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: The Cards opened the second half on a 10-2 run that elapsed 4:40, coming within three, 47-44, with 15:20 to go. Beginning at 7:37 and with Louisville trailing by just five, the Blue Devils recorded a 9-3 run to take command at 74-63 with 3:52 left in the game.
• UofL shot 24 of 52 (46.2%) from the field, 5 of 17 (29.4%) from 3-point range, and 16 of 24 (66.6%) from the free-throw line.
• The Cards made 15+ free throws for the 10th time this season.
• The Blue Devils out-rebounded the Cardinals 43-28, including 15 on the offensive glass that translated to 21 second chance points.

Virginia

• UVA is on a three-game win streak and has an eight-game win streak vs. Louisville, including a 77-53 win on Jan. 3 at John Paul Jones Arena.
• UVA is 1-4 in true road games and has suffered all five of its losses by 16 or more points away from JPJ.
• Reigning ACC Player of the Week Reece Beekman has a career-high 10-game double figure scoring streak.
• Isaac McKneely ranks third nationally and first in the ACC in 3-point percentage at 46.5 percent. McKneely’s 12 3-pointers in back-to-back games against Syracuse and NCCU (career-best 6 in each game) were the most at UVA in a two-game span since Kyle Guy made 13 in 2019.
• UVA has totaled 247 stocks (154 steals + 93 blocks). UVA is averaging 13.0 stocks per game (4.9 blocks and 8.1 steals) since 1976 when steals and blocks were first kept at UVA and 1985-86 when recognized by the NCAA.
• Reece Beekman ranks first in the ACC in assists (6.1 apg), steals (2.3), and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (3.1).
• Isaac McKneely ranks first in 3-point percentage (46.5%) and fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.6).
• Ryan Dunn ranks first in blocked shots (2.3 bpg), fifth in steals (1.8 spg) and 11th in rebounding (7.1 rpg).
• UVA ranks second nationally in scoring defense (57.8 ppg), sixth in fouls per game (13.1), 16th in field goal percentage defense (39.4) and 31st in blocks per game (4.9).
• The Cavaliers have ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense in each of the past three seasons.
• The Cavaliers have forced 13 shot clock violations and have averaged 27.6 shot clock violations since 2018-19.
• UVA has been out-rebounded in eight contests, and is 4-4 in those games.
• UVA is 9-0 when out-rebounding its opponents and has limited 17 of its 19 foes to less than 50 percent shooting.
• Bennett-coached teams have led the nation in scoring defense seven times and finished in the top-five nationally 11 times.
• Virginia is 165-11 all-time when scoring 70 or more points under Tony Bennett. UVA is 8-0 when scoring 70 or more points in 2023-24.
• UVA is 113-2, including a 4-0 mark in 2023-24, when limiting foes to fewer then 50 points during the Tony Bennett era.
• Bennett-coached teams are 138-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points (25-1 in 3 years at Washington State).
• The Cavaliers are 28-0 when holding foes to fewer than 40 under Bennett.
• Last time vs. Louisville: Isaac McKneely scored 18 points and Ryan Dunn added 15 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double in Virginia’s 77-53 win over Louisville on Jan. 3. Taine Murray scored 12 points off the bench and Reece Beekman chipped in 11 points and eight assists as UVA increased its home win streak to 19 games.

(Photo of Mike James: Geoff Burke - USA TODAY Sports)

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