Virginia takes on Dayton in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis today at 4 p.m. on ESPN, with a chance to play for a sixth straight holiday tournament title Friday on the line.

The No. 4 Virginia basketball team nearly got its first triple-double since Ralph Sampson in 1979 as the Cavaliers knocked off Middle Tennessee, 74-52, in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas.

Fourth-ranked Virginia (3-0) tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday night on ESPN2 against Middle Tennessee (3-1) in the opening round of the 2018 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Virginia sophomore forward De’Andre Hunter’s skill set was on full display as the Cavaliers moved to 3-0 on the season with an easy 97-40 win over Coppin State Friday night at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Coppin State Eagles (0-3) come to John Paul Jones Arena Friday night looking for their first win of the 2018-19 season after finishing 5-27 last year.

Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett said on the team’s media day two weeks ago that forward Mamadi Diakite has shown signs of improvement in the offseason, and added that he believes Wahoo fans will see those improvements on the court.

Sunday was one of those early season, Rent-A-Victim games, that coaches like Tony Bennett love for a couple of reasons.

The backcourt duo of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome was too much for George Washington to handle at John Paul Jones Arena Sunday against No. 5 Virginia. The pair combined for 40 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and eight 3-pointers as the Cavaliers (2-0) never trailed in a 76-57 romp of the visiting Colonials.

Scott Ratcliffe breaks down Sunday’s hoops game pitting #5 Virginia and George Washington.

Tony Bennett opened his 10th season at Virginia in style on Tuesday night as the fifth-ranked Cavaliers blew out visiting Towson, 73-42.

Virginia’s 73-42 win over Towson on Tuesday. Photos by John Markon.

Virginia’s season opener against Towson got off to a slow start Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena, but junior guard Ty Jerome caught fire and sparked his teammates offensively as the Cavaliers cruised to a 73-42 win.

Virginia freshman point guard Kihei Clark has always played with an added edge, a desire to prove he belongs with the big boys. Officially listed at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, Clark is often oversized, but don’t get it twisted — this kid can ball.

Scott Ratcliffe breaks down Tuesday’s season opener between Virginia and Towson.

Entering his third year, Virginia point guard Ty Jerome is approaching the upcoming season just like he would any other.

With so much versatility dotting Virginia’s basketball roster heading into Tony Bennett’s 10th season as the Cavaliers’ coach, I couldn’t help but ask if this team reminded him of any he has coached or if it was unique.

The great Tom Petty once sang how the waiting is the hardest part. For Virginia junior Braxton Key, waiting months and months for a decision from the NCAA on whether he’d be eligible to play this season wasn’t easy, but now that he’s cleared and ready to contribute, he can look back positively on the experience.

One prominent national sportswriter was munching on his lunch during a break at Wednesday’s ACC Operation Basketball media day in Charlotte, when he shared that he had moved Virginia up to No. 1 on his ACC preseason ballot.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Entering his final season as a member of the Virginia basketball team, center Jack Salt is excited to get back on the court — this time as a senior captain.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tony Bennett walked into the Spectrum Center on Wednesday. He was wearing a smile.