The Virginia Cavaliers had a week off to rest up in advance of their showdown with the Miami Hurricanes, who played an emotional contest at North Carolina on Saturday. The Cavs have a chance to sweep the Canes in the season series after posting a cover win at home on Jan. 12.
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HOW THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
With so much parity in college basketball there is no clear cut favorite to win the national championship. And with the Cavaliers having such an outstanding season, they have as good a chance as anyone to win the national title.
Virginia had its seven-game winning streak snapped on Feb. 13 in a controversial loss to Duke, but responded with a 20-point rout of North Carolina State for its eighth win in nine tries. This is by far the deepest team Tony Bennett has coached in his seven seasons in Charlottesville. The Cavs go 10 deep and again have one of the best defensive clubs in the nation.
While defense is a key, the difference this season is the offense. Led by seniors Malcolm Brogdon, Anthony Gill and London Perrantes, the Cavs have a balance that drives opponents nuts. They’re deadly accurate knocking down nearly 50 percent of their field goals and 40.5 percent of their threes.
The catalyst is Brogdon, who leads the team with 17.8 points per game and is one of the best players in the country. His ability to slice through the defense on the dribble then score at the rim or kick the ball out for an open look, will keep Miami defenders at bay.
HOW THE MIAMI HURRICANES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Miami is decidedly better at home than on the road this season. The Canes also should have guard Ja’Quan Newton back in the lineup. Those are two things that make the Hurricanes a much better team and improves their odds of winning.
Quality guard play is a must against the Cavaliers. In angel Rodriguez, Davon Reed and Sheldon McClellan, Miami has three guards who can break down a D off the dribble. Those three lead the team in scoring and take turns dismantling defenses, a must against UVA’s frenetic pressure.
Tonye Jekiri has blossomed into a force in the middle for Miami and has earned praise for his defensive efforts. He’s not a big scorer, but he doesn’t need to be with four players averaging in double figures. But Jekiri is a shot-altering presence in the post and at 7-foot, he’s athletic enough to defend Anthony Gill down low.
The Canes have had difficulty holding on to the basketball lately. And while they got away with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio against Virginia Tech last week, live ball turnovers to Virginia absolutely cannot happen if Miami wants to win.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Virginia has everything needed to win a title. They possess veteran guards who don’t crack under pressure and quality big men that you need down low. Brogdon and Perrantes do most of the ball handling, but a trio of guards on the bench is more than capable of filling in when needed. Mike Tobey, Isaiah Wilkins and Jarred Reuter control the key with Gill. In addition, freshman Jack Salt showed he’s talented enough to play at this level right now. Following their showdown in Chapel Hill on Saturday, and with a short turnaround, one could expect the Hurricanes to have a bit of a letdown when facing Virginia. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers had a full week off between games to rest ahead of their trip to south beach. It will be a close game throughout, but expect the Cavs to pull away in the second half against an emotionally drained Hurricanes squad.
Virginia 67, Miami 63
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