Virginia and Georgia Tech will open the second round of action at the ACC Tournament on Wednesday at noon in Charlotte as the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets look to extend their seasons and earn the right to take a shot at No. 1 Duke in the quarterfinals.

Read on for a full preview of Virginia vs. Georgia Tech, including game details and notes, an opponent scouting report, what to watch for, and a score prediction for Wednesday’s second round matchup at the ACC Tournament.

First, here’s a look at the bracket for the 2025 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Who: No. 9 seed Virginia Cavaliers (15-16, 8-12 ACC) vs. No. 8 seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (16-15, 10-10 ACC)

When: Wednesday, March 12th at 12pm ET

Where: Spectrum Center (17,500) in Charlotte, North Carolina

How to watch: ESPN

Commentators: Dave O’Brien (Play-by-Play), Cory Alexander (Analyst), Angel Gray (Reporter)

How to listen: SiriusXM 81, SXM App 81 | Virginia Sports Radio Network | Georgia Tech Sports Network

All-time series: Virginia leads 50-40

Last meeting: Virginia defeated Georgia Tech 75-61 on February 8th, 2025 in Charlottesville.

2024-2025: 16-15, 10-10 ACC

Since suffering a 14-point loss at Virginia on February 8th, Georgia Tech has finished strong, winning five of its last seven games including a sweep of the West Coast members of the league and victories over Pitt, NC State, and Miami. Both of the losses came on the road, as the Yellow Jackets fell at Boston College 69-54 and then at Wake Forest 69-43 in the regular season finale.

In that first meeting between Virginia and Georgia Tech, the Cavaliers celebrated Tony Bennett Day at John Paul Jones Arena by defeating the Yellow Jackets 75-61. Both teams shot the ball well from three-point range, with Georgia Tech hitting eight threes on 44.4% while Virginia hit 11 threes on 40.7%. UVA won the game by outrebounding Georgia Tech 38-24, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 34-28 in the paint and 10-4 in bench points, and turning eight Georgia Tech turnovers into 13 points and 13 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points. Virginia’s front court played well in the first meeting and that will have to be the case again as the Hoos look to contain 6’9″ forward Baye Ndongo (13.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and prevent the Yellow Jackets from getting revenge. Though Virginia won the first game by double-digits, expect the rematch to be more closely-contested.

The aforementioned Ndongo was named to the All-ACC Third Team after finishing third in the league in field goal percentage (53.8%) and fourth in rebounding (9.1 rpg). Ndongo has posted eight double-doubles in his last 10 games and averaged a double-double in ACC play.

6’8″ forward Duncan Powell finish second in voting for ACC Sixth Man of the Year, but he has started each of the last nine games. Powell led the Yellow Jackets in scoring in ACC play (13.9 ppg) and shot just under 37% from three in ACC play as well. Rounding out the starting front court is 6’9″ redshirt freshman forward Ibrahim Souare, who leads Georgia Tech in overall field goal percentage at 59.0% from the floor.

Headlining the back court is 6’3″ sophomore guard Naithan George, who was an All-ACC honorable mention and finished fourth in voting for the ACC’s Most Improved Player. Even that might be slightly underrating him as George led the ACC in assists this season (6.5 apg). In the first meeting with Virginia, George had 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists and knocked down five three-pointers.

Joining George in the back court is 6’3″ redshirt senior Lance Terry, who has scored in double-figures 21 times this season and scored 20+ in nine games this season. Terry is Georgia Tech’s leading scorer at 15.0 points per game and best volume three-point shooter at 35.6% on more than six attempts per game.

Injuries have derailed what otherwise could have been a very successful season for the Yellow Jackets. Four players have been sidelined for several weeks or months, significantly restricting Georgia Tech’s rotation. Freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf returned after missing six games and has averaged just under seven points per game since his return.

Front Court Battle
Virginia’s front court had one of its best games of the season against Georgia Tech the first time around. The Cavaliers won the rebounding battle 38-24, scored 16 second-chance points, and outscored the Yellow Jackets 34-28 in the paint. Can the Hoos do that again? Anthony Robinson has been getting better with each game; particularly if Blake Buchanan or Jacob Cofie continue to struggle, maybe it’s time Robinson gets more than 10-15 minutes per game? But Elijah Saunders will be crucial as well, as UVA needs to handle the versatility of Baye Ndongo, who shoots 36.8% from three in addition to being a double-double machine.

What’s at Stake
Neither team is going to make the NCAA Tournament unless either Virginia or Georgia Tech replicates the NC State-like run from last year’s ACC Tournament. But the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets could play themselves into consideration for an NIT bid depending on how this week in Charlotte goes. There is a bit more optimism for Georgia Tech, who has wins over Louisville and Clemson this season and is hoping to build momentum towards next season as year 2 under Damon Stoudamire comes to a close. For Virginia, on the other hand, all signs point to a full-on changing of the guard and a brand new coaching staff coming in to usher UVA basketball into a new era… barring a miraculous run for the Hoos in March.

I would be surprised if this game goes as well as it did for Virginia the first time around, when the Hoos coasted to a win at home. The rematch will likely be a lot closer, but I think the Cavaliers still get it done coming down to the wire and earn the right to get crushed by Duke in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Score prediction: Virginia 68, Georgia Tech 65

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