Who’s Playing
Virginia @ North Texas
Regular Season Records: Virginia 20-13; North Texas 25-6
What to Know
The North Texas Mean Green and the Virginia Cavaliers are set to clash at 6 p.m. ET March 20 at The Super Pit in the second round of the NIT. North Texas is out to keep their eight-game home win streak alive.
The Mean Green earned some postseason bragging rights after a successful outing on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out the Texas State-San Marcos Bobcats 67-63. North Texas got double-digit scores from four players: guard Mardrez McBride (24), guard Rubin Jones (15), forward Thomas Bell (10), and guard Tylor Perry (10).
Speaking of close games: the Mississippi State Bulldogs typically have all the answers at home, but on Wednesday Virginia proved too difficult a challenge. Virginia skirted past MSU 60-57. Kudos to the oddsmakers for accurately forecasting both the winner and the close margin. Virginia’s guard Reece Beekman was one of the most active players for the squad, picking up 14 points and six assists. Beekman’s performance made up for a slower matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels last week.
A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: The Mean Green come into the game boasting the fewest points allowed per game in college basketball at 55.2. The Cavaliers are not quite as good, but they are no chumps, either: they rank seventh in college basketball when it comes to points allowed per game, with only 60.1 on average.
How To Watch
- When: Sunday at 6 p.m. ET
- Where: The Super Pit — Denton, Texas
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Series History
This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.
