Wahoos are heavy underdogs to Tennessee tonight

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia is a 12-point underdog heading into tonight’s clash with Tennessee in the late game (9:30 p.m. start) of the Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, the Bahamas (CBS Sports Network and streamed online at paramountplus.com).

The Cavaliers (3-0) will be facing the No. 9 Volunteers (4-0) in a game of contrasting styles. UVA, while having upped its tempo slightly, is still ranked the third-slowest pace in the nation according to KenPom.com. While the Vols can grind it out, they prefer a more brisk style of play.

Virginia will face either No. 15 Baylor (3-1) or No. 21 St. John’s (4-0) on Friday.

UVA will see a familiar face in UT’s Igor Milicic, Jr., who started his career at Virginia in 2021-22, when he averaged 2.1 points and 6.3 minutes in 16 games. Milicic transferred to Charlotte and played two seasons, one for Ron Sanchez (2022-23) before transferring to Rick Barnes’ Tennessee program, where he has flourished. Milicic is averaging 14 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23 minutes per game, including a 23-point performance against Austin Peay.

Virginia hasn’t played since dominating Villanova, 70-60, in last Friday’s action in Baltimore. The Cavaliers, who made 14 of 25 attempts from the 3-point arc in that contest, are No. 8 nationally in 3-point shooting.

Tennessee will be missing one of the players from its guard rotation in 6-foot-6 Cam Carr, who is out with a thumb injury. However, the Vols have numerous guards, including Jahamai Mashack, who was dominant defensively in a rout of Louisville recently. Mashack can guard every position on the floor.

Carr averaged 4.8 points and 10.5 minutes per game, much less than four other Vols guards, who average at least 25.5 minutes per game.