Basketball

Virginia will return to the cozy comforts of John Paul Jones Arena Wednesday night to host NC State after dropping two road games last week. The Hoos are in search of a win to right the ship after the pair of tough losses, and the Wolfpack will provide an ample opportunity to get one. The loss to Duke also means that Virginia has dropped off Florida State’s pace in the ACC title race. The Hoos will have to win their remaining three games and hope that the Seminoles drop one of their last four. A win against NC State would be the start of that streak, and it would help build momentum heading into the conference and national tournaments. Read the rest of the preview here.

Virginia concluded a two-game away stretch with a loss to Duke, falling in the closing seconds as Kihei Clark came up short on a desperation three. The lead seesawed throughout the game, neither team leading by more than six points. It was another close UVA-Duke game in what has become a fascinating annual battle between two of the ACC’s powers. Here are four takeaways from Virginia’s second consecutive loss.

After an embarrassing loss at Florida State on Monday, Virginia will travel to Durham for a matchup with Duke. The Hoos will look to put Monday’s blowout in the rearview mirror and bounce back against a Duke squad that has barely cleared .500 for the season. A win is essential, both for NCAA Tournament seeding and the ongoing ACC title race. Check out the preview ahead of another important game.

Monday’s loss to Florida State had bigger consequences than the embarrassment of being blown out on a national stage. It also got the Seminoles on level terms with Virginia in the ACC loss column, refueling a title race that a Wahoo win could have ended. Virginia now sits at 11-2 in the conference, closely followed by 8-2 Florida State. In a year in which conference champions will be calculated by win percentage, Virginia still controls their own destiny. But the Noles are hot on their heels, and one slip-up in the final four games could cause the regular-season championship banner to hang in Tallahassee for a second straight year. Read on for more on the ACC title race and other topics.

A furious start to the second half proved fruitless as Virginia was unable to recover from a 20-point halftime deficit at Florida State on Monday. The Hoos were absolutely pummeled in the loss, first by the Seminole big men and then by a barrage of threes that was capped off by seven-footer Balsa Koprivica hitting the first triple of his career. For Virginia, it was a squandered opportunity to finally pick up a quality win, something they have tried and failed to do multiple times throughout the season. Here’s what the loss says about the Hoos.

With an 11th ACC win safely secured on Saturday, Virginia will head to Tallahassee for a pivotal conference matchup. It will be a chance to add a quality win to the resume, the Hoos having lost their only two games to teams currently ranked in the top 25. The ACC’s two best teams will be pitted against each other as well, both looking to advance their goals of a regular season conference title. The Seminoles are not far removed from a lengthy COVID-19 break, taking the court for the first time in two weeks last Saturday against Boston College. As has been the case throughout the season for various teams, the Noles seemed to have dropped off because of the hiatus. But they rallied from behind against Wake Forest, a Scottie Barnes layup tying the game just before the buzzer to send it to overtime. Florida State proceeded to dominate the extra period, outscoring the Demon Deacons by seven for a 92-85 win. Virginia is no stranger to teams coming off long breaks. They obliterated Clemson in the Tigers’ first game back from one, and will look to take advantage again of an FSU team still finding its feet after being sidelined for a couple of weeks. A win would give Virginia their fourth Quad 1 win of the season, and it would also effectively hand them the ACC regular season trophy. Here are three keys to a Wahoo victory.

Jay Huff and Sam Hauser combined for 35 points, North Carolina was held to just 48, and Virginia notched their seventh straight win over the Tar Heels to improve to 11-1 in ACC play. The Hoos controlled the game from start to finish, going on a 13-0 run after falling behind 2-0. The confident play they had exhibited weeks ago was back, Virginia looking the part of their top-10 ranking for the first time in a while. It was a reassuring performance, putting fans slightly at ease after a series of close games against weaker opposition. The win also boosts Virginia’s resume, tacking on another Quad 2 win and giving the Hoos a better chance to move up the seed list. NCAA Tournament implications aside, here are three takeaways from the latest Wahoo victory.

After coming away from a trip to Georgia Tech with their 10th ACC win, Virginia will return home to host North Carolina. The Hoos grinded out the victory over the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday, finding a way to win amongst difficult circumstances. Now they will go toe-to-toe with a Carolina team playing their best basketball of the season. The contrast in styles will make for an interesting game between two ACC powerhouses. Check out the game preview:

In what surely must have felt to the players like their first true road game of the season, Virginia grinded out a tough 57-49 win over Georgia Tech. The 1,200 people that filled McCamish Pavilion to 14% capacity certainly made their presence felt, urging their Yellow Jackets on as they kept it close with the Hoos for the second time this season. It wasn’t always pretty — far from it, in fact — but Virginia ultimately notched the win to improve to 14-3 on the season and 10-1 in the ACC. Here are three takeaways from the win.