The Virginia men's basketball team will attempt to follow up its 87-79 upset victory against then-No. 15 Minnesota earlier this week with a win against rival Virginia Tech Sunday night. The Cavaliers will begin conference play on the road against the Hokies, who are coming off a narrow 58-55 overtime loss to Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Even though the Cavalier defense was exposed by a Minnesota team that recorded 50 percent from the field, Virginia (4-3, 0-0 ACC) managed an impressive offensive performance and was carried by its hot shooting. Led by freshman and senior guards Joe Harris and Mustapha Farrakhan, the team connected on 10-of-13 three-point attempts against the Golden Gophers.
"I just put up a lot of shots and know that I can play the game of basketball," Farrakhan said. "That's pretty much what it comes down to. I just need to be under control and play the game the right way."
During coach Tony Bennett's inaugural season last year, the Cavaliers suffered two defeats to the Hokies (4-3, 0-0). In January, the Cavaliers lost 76-71 in overtime at home after leading by as much as 12 before halftime. A month later, Virginia struggled late in the second half and fell in a 61-55 contest that included nine lead changes and 10 tied scores.
Although those losses have not been forgotten by the returning players, many of this year's Cavaliers were not a part of the 2009-10 team. For this year's seven freshmen, this weekend's game will be their first taste of conference action.
"Hopefully, playing against tough competition in different settings [has prepared] us," Bennett said. "Certainly, playing against ... a veteran-laden team, we'll have to play at a high level."
Senior forward Mike Scott, who led the Cavaliers in scoring in both games against Virginia Tech last year, will be relied on heavily to help the young Cavaliers adjust to playing in one of college basketball's most demanding conferences. This season, Scott ranks among the top six in the conference in scoring, rebounding and playing time. He is averaging nearly a double-double with 16.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Starting the conference schedule with a matchup against a team predicted to finish near the ACC's top will be a significant early-season challenge. Although the Hokies have dropped out of
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