After going 1-1 in their first week of action, the Virginia Cavaliers head out on the road Tuesday night for a major non-conference showcase against the Houston Cougars (8pm, ESPN). Virginia heads into the road tilt as an underdog, facing a Houston team ranked 15th in the AP Poll.

The Cougars are off to a 2-0 start to their season, having escaped a close call against Hofstra in their opener before dismantling cross-town rival Rice 79-46 on Friday night. Houston has ascended as a program under head coach Kelvin Sampson, and are coming off of a 28-4 season that finished with a Final Four trip last spring. Houston was picked as the preseason favorite in the AAC, after winning the league’s regular season and conference tournament titles in 2020-21.

Virginia scheduled this game knowing that it would be a major test and resume builder. After already suffering a disappointing loss, the Cavaliers have even more to gain by beating a top 15 team on the road.