SMU (12-4, 3-2 ACC) at Virginia (8-8, 1-4 ACC)

9pm, ACCN

After a disappointing trip to the west coast and riding a three-game losing streak, UVa is looking to get back on track tonight, when they host SMU (9pm, ACCN). Virginia sits at 8-8 and 1-4 in ACC play, and are just a game above last place Miami (0-5). The bottom two teams in the conference standings will miss the ACC Tournament this year, so the Cavaliers have work to do to ensure a place in a postseason tournament.

SMU enters 12-4, and 3-2 in ACC play. The Mustangs had a seven-game winning streak snapped earlier this month with back-to-back losses to Duke and UNC, but got back on track Saturday with a blowout victory over Georgia Tech at home. There’s a long way to go, but right now SMU is in contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Wednesday’s game is the second meeting between UVa and SMU. The Mustangs rallied to take the first meeting 63-51 at home back on December 7th. Virginia led that game by seven in the second half, but faded late, losing their first ACC opener since 2007. SMU scored one point per possession in the win, and shot 60 percent on two pointers, while the Cavaliers made just eight of 28 attempts from inside the arc.

SMU ranks #50 in Kenpom, and Wednesday will be UVa’s eight game against a top-50 team this season. The Mustangs rank #27 in offensive efficiency and have been quite strong on that end of the floor this year. They rank 63rd nationally in effective field goal percentage, 13th in offensive rebound rate, and 25th in three point shooting at 38.2 percent. In the first game with Virginia, SMU had a strong finish with 22 points in the final 10 minutes of the game, and despite making just 6-of-24 three-point tries, played a rather efficient game offensively.

SMU ranks 95th nationally in defensive efficiency. The Mustangs’ biggest weakness defensively is perimeter defense, where they’ve allowed opponents to make 35.7 percent of their three point tries. SMU’s interior defense has been quite strong though. The Mustangs have allowed opponents to make just 44.8 percent of their two-pointers, and UVa certainly had a lot of trouble scoring around the rim in the first meeting.

Boopie Miller, Guard

SMU’s leading scorer, Boopie Miller is averaging 14.6 points and 5.9 assists per contest. The former Wake Forest and Central Michigan guard had nine points in the first game against Virginia, and went 0-for-5 from three, but did dish out four assists. Miller has scored just 13 points in his last two games, but had back-to-back 20+ point games against Longwood and Duke prior to that.

Kario Oquendo, Guard

Although he’s not one of SMU’s top scorers, UVa didn’t have answers for senior guard in the first meeting. Oquendo scored a game-hihg 21 points and was red hot from three, knocking down four of six three point tries. On the season, Oquendo is averaging 9.6 points per game, and since the 21-point outburst against UVa, Oquendo has scored 10+ points just once, dropping 12 on Saturday against Georgia Tech.

Samet Yigitoglu, Center

Virginia had a really tough time defending 7-foot-1 center Samet Yigitoglu in the first meeting with the Mustangs. Yigitoglu went for 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, making 7-of-8 two point tries. On the season, the Turkish big man is averaging 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. Yigitoglu has been quieter of late, scoring just 24 points over his last five games.

After how UVa has looked in the previous three games, we’re not picking them to win this one. SMU could certainly end up being a contender for one of the top seeds in the ACC Tournament, while UVa is just trying to get back on track. Virginia was competitive in the first game with the Mustangs, but as they often have this year, they struggled to play a complete 40-minute game.

We’re going with SMU to complete the season sweep of the Hoos, though there’s no doubt that UVa needs the game a lot more.