The No. 2 seed Virginia Cavaliers have played their worst basketball over the last couple of weeks, but they'll get a chance to get back on track against the No. 15 seed Belmont Bruins on Friday afternoon.
The Cavaliers (29-3) started the season 19-0 before falling to Duke at home thanks to a couple of late three-pointers by Quin Cook and Tyus Jones. They rattled off another nine straight victories before losing to Louisville on the road by two and then fell to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinal. But the Cavaliers now have guard Justin Anderson back after he was out for over a month with a broken finger.
Head coach Tony Bennett hopes to lead the Cavaliers deeper into the tournament this year after getting in as a No. 1 seed last year and having their journey ended by No. 4 seed Michigan State in the Sweet 16. The regular season ACC champs are led by junior guard Malcolm Brogdon, who averages 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Junior forward Anthony Gill is also one of the team's top players and should continue to play a big role in the tournament (11.5 ppg and 6.6 rpg).
On the other hand, the Belmont Bruins snuck into the big dance with a one-point victory over Murray State in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament final. The victory prevented Murray State from getting a bid despite their 28-5 record (16-0 in the OVC). However, Belmont is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament and has made an appearance in six of the last nine seasons, including 2011-2013.
They've never earned a win in the annual March Madness event, but top scorers Craig Bradshaw (18.1 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.7 rpg and 1.7 spg) and Evan Bradds (14.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg) look to change that. While a No. 15 seed over a No. 2 seed is highly unlikely, Florida Gulf Coast gave the underdogs hope two years ago when they took down the No. 2 seed Georgetown Hoyas in the first round. While Belmont is on a seven-game winning streak and coming off a conference championship, the Virginia Cavaliers lost two of their last three after appearing to be virtually unbeatable for much of the year.
Here are some crucial statistics to know before tip-off at 3:10 p.m. ET in Charlotte, NC.
Virginia | Belmont |
RPI - .6533 (7th overall) | RPI - .5312 (105th overall) |
SOS - 25 | SOS - 263 |
Points Per Game - 65.3 (225th overall) | Points Per Game - 74.5 (32nd overall) |
FG% - .463 (53rd overall) | FG% - .476 (25th overall) |
Points Allowed Per Game - 50.8 (1st overall) | Points Allowed Per Game - 70.3 (277th overall) |
Turnovers Per Game - 9.5 (5th overall) | Turnovers Per Game - 13.7 (280th overall) |
Season Rank - 7 | Season Rank - 105 |
Check out the game's live stream here as well as the live radio broadcast here. The game will be televised on truTV.
