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The undefeated No. 13 Florida men’s basketball team looks to stretch its season-opening win streak to nine games Wednesday night against the Virginia Cavaliers at the O’Connell Center as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
UVA comes to town tomorrow ⤵️
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 3, 2024
Florida (8-0) is 4-0 at home and averages 86.5 points per game while outscoring each of their opponents by 22 points.
Florida’s Top Performers
Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. decided to come back for his second season with Florida. Clayton Jr. spent his offseason training for the NBA combine but ultimately decided to come back and play college basketball for another year. He’s dominant force on offense, shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 17.4 points and 3.6 assists per game.
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 1, 2024
For the Cavaliers (5-2), junior guard Issac McKneeley is averaging 13.3 points per game and 3.6 rebounds. He is a crucial weapon on both offense and defense, providing tense pressure.
Virginia’s Biggest Test
The Cavaliers have a number of players from last year’s team but are without their biggest member: coach Tony Bennett. A few weeks before the team’s season opener, Bennett announced he would be retiring from the sport. He expressed that the current environment of college basketball was the driving force behind his decision. Longtime assistant Ron Sanchez stepped in as the interim coach.
The Virginia offense has been struggling while Florida’s defense has been on a roll. It will be hard for the Cavaliers to get around a staggered Florida defense and slow their momentum.
https://twitter.com/GatorsMBK/status/1863722130308747483
Game Time
The series is tied at 2-2 after Virginia won 73-70 on Nov. 10, 2023, on a neutral floor in Charlotte, N.C. Wednesday’s tipoff is set for 7:15 with coverage on ESPN2, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.
Tuesday’s Challenge Results
- Georgia 69, Notre Dame 48
- South Carolina 73, Boston College 51
- Missouri 98, Cal 93
- Arkansas 76, Miami 73
- No. 3 Tennessee 96, Syracuse 70
- No. 22 Texas A&M 57, Wake Forest 44
- No. 21 Oklahoma 76, Georgia Tech 61
- No. 23 Ole Miss 86, Louisville 63
- LSU 85, Florida State 75
- Clemson 70, No. 4 Kentucky 66
Wednesday’s Schedule
- No. 10 Alabama at No. 20 North Carolina, 7:15 p.m., ESPN
- No. 2 Auburn at No. 9 Duke, 9:15 p.m., ESPN
- Texas at NC State, 9:15 p.m., ESPN2
- Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech, 9:15 p.m., ACC Network
- No. 18 Pitt at Mississippi State, 9:15 p.m., SEC Network
