Bethune Cookman (2-6, MEAC) at Virginia (5-4, 0-1 ACC)

7pm, ACCN

Virginia went 0-2 last week, and now, they’ll look to get off the mat before their exam break. The Hoos host Bethune Cookman tonight at JPJ, then have six days off before a challenging home game with Memphis on the 18th. UVa hasn’t been .500 or worse in December since having a 4-4 record after a road loss to Auburn on December 7th, 2010. If they somehow lose a stunner tonight, they’ll be 5-5 through mid December.

Virginia’s opponent, BCU, enters with a 2-6 record. They’ve scored wins over South Carolina State and North Dakota, and have lost their last two by double digits heading into tonight’s game. BCU has already faced off against a number of power conference opponents, losing to Texas Tech, Nebraska and Minnesota; the WIldcats did give Nebraska a bit of a scare, only losing by five in Lincoln.

The Wildcats are in their fourth year under the direction of former New Mexico State and Cal State Northridge coach Reggie Theus, who is still looking for his first winning season in Daytona.

Bethune Cookman comes into tonight’s contest ranked #288 in Kenpom. The Wildcats have been terribly inefficient on offense, ranking 329th nationally in efficiency. They’ve struggled in pretty much every area, shooting a 46.2 percent effective field goal percentage, and just 45.2 percent on two-point field goals. They also rank outside the top 200 nationally in turnover rate, free throw percentage, steal rate, free throw attempts per possession and offensive rebound rate.

Defensively, BCU has been a bit better. The Wildcats rank 190th in efficiency, and have done a good job in a few key areas. They rank 116th in turnover rate, and 111th in two-point field goal percentage allowed, at 48.5 percent. They’re also just outside the top 100 in block and steal rate. The bad news is that opponents have made 35 percent of their three-point tries and BCU is 346th in offensive rebound rate allowed, meaning that second-chance points are available.

Brayon Freeman, Guard

A DMV native, Freeman is leading the Wildcats in scoring this year. Freeman, a 6-foot-2 senior from Oxon Hill, Maryland, is averaging 16.5 points per game, shooting 41.5 percent from the field. Freeman is now on his fourth school, after stops at Coastal Carolina, Rhode Island, and George Washington. His 16.5 points per game are a career high, but he’s averaged 10+ points per game in three of his four seasons.

Trey Thomas, Guard

Another DMV product, Trey Thomas played two years at Hampton before heading to Florida to play at BCU. Thomas is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per contest, and has started four of BCU’s eight games. A 40 percent three-point shooter, Thomas is coming off of an 18-point effort at Minnesota on December 1st.

Reggie Ward, Forward

A 6-foot-6 senior from Chiago, Reggie Ward is BCU’s third and final player averaging 10+ points per game. Ward is scoring 11 per contest and hauling in 7.8 boards, playing at the four spot. Ward has recorded double-doubles in each of his last two games, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards at Minnesota, and going for 14 and 11 against Gardner Webb in Cancun.

BCU seems to be a slight step up from the worst non-conference competition the Hoos have faced, but Virginia should win this one, and comfortably. The staff and players have had nearly a week to digest their ACC-opening loss at BCU, and with this being their only game in a 10-day stretch, there’s an opportunity to play good basketball for 40 minutes, and potentially keep the key players rested and win this one comfortably. Anything less than a double-digit win would be a disappointment.