Virginia College Basketball Wrap-Up & Updated KenPom Rankings (Dec. 30)

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Wednesday was loaded with Virginia college hoops action. There were eight games spread across the day, starting with VCU at noon and wrapping up with a few nighttime marquee matchups on national TV. It was like March Madness in the Commonwealth. Best of all, Virginia teams killed it. UVA and all three Atlantic-10 teams from Virginia won their conference openers, and both Radford and Hampton won to improve their Big South records to 3-0. Of the eight Virginia teams in action, only VMI and Longwood lost. Check out how everything went below, including results, notes, and updated KenPom rankings.

Results & Notes:

Virginia 66, Notre Dame 57

Sam Hauser and Kihei Clark earned their preseason accolades in the Wahoos (5-2, 1-0) conference opener. They both played well all game but when the game was on the line in the final two minutes, they delivered like the stars that they are. Clark finished with 19 points and five assists while Hauser had his first double-double as a Cavalier (13 pts, 10 rebs) and four dimes. Jay Huff had a great first half and finished with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting. On defense, they held the Irish to 25 percent shooting from beyond the arc and just 45 field goal attempts.

George Mason 93, UMass 92 (2OT)

Perhaps the best game of the night Virginia-wise, the Patriots (5-2, 1-0) got a favorable call at the end of regulation to pave the way for overtime, which they took advantage of. Freshman Tyler Kolek continued his impressive start, leading the team with 43 minutes played while scoring a career-high 19 points. He’s a winning player and GMU is lucky to have landed him. Jordan Miller led all scorers with 26 points. Oh yeah, it was also the conference opener so Mason is undefeated in A-10 play.

Richmond 80, Davidson 74

After getting upset by Hofstra, the Spiders (7-2, 1-0) got back on track in their conference opener. They shot 50 percent from deep (8-for-16) and got a game-high 22 points from Grant Golden (22 pts). Tyler Burton added a double-double (18 pts, 11 rebs) and Blake Francis chipped in 16.

Hampton 80, Gardner-Webb 69

Hampton (4-4, 3-0) pulled an upset over Gardner-Webb, a team ranked 125 spots higher by KenPom. It was their third straight win, all of which were Big South games. They’re one of four 3-0 teams in the conference. Davion Warren (31) and Chris Shelton (22) combined for 53 points.

Radford 71, Presbyterian 65

The state of Virginia is running the Big South! Radford (4-5, 3-0) is another Big South program with a perfect 3-0 record after their win on Wednesday. The Highlanders trailed at halftime but outscored the Blue Hose 39-29 in the second half to lock up the W. After starting 0-4, they have gotten on track.

VCU 80, St. Joseph’s 64

VCU (8-2, 1-0) won their A-10 opener to improve to 8-2 on the season. They have now won six consecutive games.

UNC Asheville 80, Longwood 73

The Lancers (1-8, 0-3) played well and led by double digits but it wasn’t enough to halt their losing streak. They have now dropped five in a row and have an 0-3 record in Big South play. Deshaun Wade, a transfer from East Carolina, tied his career-high with 19 points.

Samford 84, VMI 71

After trailing 56-37 at halftime, the Keydets (5-5, 0-1) lost their conference opener. As a team, they shot just 39.7 percent from the field. They have now dropped three in a row.

Notes, Quotes & More:

  • Liberty Flames head coach Ritchie McKay tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.

KenPom Rankings

  • #17 Virginia
  • #41 Virginia Tech
  • #56 VCU
  • #57 Richmond
  • #109 Liberty
  • #117 Old Dominion
  • #136 George Mason
  • #226 Norfolk State
  • #252 James Madison
  • #255 VMI
  • #292 Radford
  • #294 William & Mary
  • #320 Longwood
  • #325 Hampton