Virginia

Clemson Basketball Preview: Clemson vs Virginia Tech

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2025

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Clemson Basketball Preview: Clemson vs Virginia Tech

Clemson (16-4, 8-1 ACC) vs Virginia Tech (8-11, 3-5 ACC)

Blacksburg Virginia, Cassell Coliseum

Saturday, January 25th, 5 PM

ACC Network

This isn’t a good Virginia Tech team. Mike Young’s squad has struggled all season against any team with a pulse. Their win over NC State on January 15 is their only victory over a team in the KenPom top 100, and NC State is ranked 97th. On top of not beating good teams, they have a few head-scratching losses on their resume, including a home loss to Jacksonville and an away loss to Georgia Tech last time out in a battle of bottom-tier ACC squads.

I will say this for the Hokies: they’ve managed to cobble together three ACC wins over Miami, Cal, and the aforementioned NC State. They are currently on a two-game losing streak, including a nine-point home loss to Wake Forest. If the Hokies are going to salvage anything from this season, knocking off Clemson at home could be the impetus to turn things around during the back half of the ACC schedule.

Turnovers have been one of the primary issues for Virginia Tech. Their turnover percentage of 20.7% ranks 332nd in the country (out of 364 teams). Meanwhile, Clemson’s defensive turnover percentage of 20.5% is good for 48th in the country. Virginia Tech is terrible at holding onto the ball, and Clemson is pretty good at taking it away. If that trend holds, it’s going to be tough for the Hokies to win this game.

Giving a team as efficient on offense as Clemson (currently 26th in the nation in terms of offensive efficiency) extra chances to score is a bad idea. The Hokies lost the turnover battle 17-10 to Georgia Tech in their loss in Atlanta and 14-7 in their home loss to Wake Forest. Forward Tobi Lawal and guard “Little Poppa Pump” Bradon Rechsteiner have both struggled with turnovers this season, coughing the ball up around 2.5 times a game. Look for Clemson’s sticky defense to force Tech to go the long way around on offense. The Tigers are the best team in the nation in terms of forcing opponents to use clock on offense. The longer Tech has the ball and the more passes they attempt, the better it is for Clemson.

Inside scoring is another spot where the Tigers should have a decisive advantage. Tech is allowing teams to shoot 54.8% from two (302nd in the nation) this season. Clemson isn’t great at scoring inside the arc, hitting 51.8% (153rd) from two, but the combination of Ian Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin should find the going easier against Virginia Tech. Their frontcourt combination of Tobi Lawal (6’8”) at power forward and Mylyjael Poteat (6’9”) at center leaves a lot to be desired in terms of rim protection. Look for the Clemson guards, led by Chase Hunter, to attack the paint all game.

This could also be an opportunity for Ian to polish his post-game ahead of the back half of the ACC schedule.

Virginia Tech is going to need help from Clemson in this game. If the Tigers play anything close to their “B game” on Saturday, I don’t think the Hokies have much of a chance. The Tigers are too good on offense, and Virginia Tech isn’t particularly good on defense.

The only way forward I see for Tech is to play a game similar to the one they played in their win over NC State. They put enough points on the board in that one because they got hot from three, hitting 11-22 from behind the arc, including a 3-3 performance from leading scorer Tobi Lawal and a 3-4 performance from Jaden Schutt.

The three-point line is the one place where Tech could potentially hurt the Tigers. They’re currently hitting 36.2% (70th) of their three-point attempts. That’s not great, but that—along with offensive rebounding (72nd)—are the only two areas where they are ranked in the top 100 in KenPom.

The problem they run into is that Clemson is currently shooting 39.2% (8th) from behind the arc. Still, shooting on the road can be tricky in college basketball and can act as a great equalizer. Clemson shot 33% (8-24) from three in their road loss to Louisville and would need to replicate something similar—both in terms of volume and percentage—to lose on the road in Blacksburg.

As long as they don’t fall in love with a three-point shot that isn’t falling and remember to work inside-out on offense to get quality outside looks, the Tigers should win this game.

Prediction

KenPom

Clemson – 72

Virginia Tech – 63

Confidence – 80%

Drew

Clemson – 77

Virginia Tech – 63

Clemson is the better team and has handled its business on the road against opponents ranked outside of the KenPom top 100 this season. Virginia Tech is ranked 170th and hasn’t exactly been stellar at home this season. The Tigers are too talented and experienced to get drawn into the kind of rock fight Tech needs to win this game.

As long as Clemson breaks 70, they should be bringing a dub back home to Tiger Town. I think they put up 77 and force Tech’s offense into an unsustainable number of turnovers.

Of course, I could also be totally wrong.

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Virginia

How to buy Virginia vs. TCU women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

Published

8 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

How to buy Virginia vs. TCU women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

The Virginia Cavaliers continue to thrill as they’re moving on to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament!

UVA is the first double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16 in the women’s bracket since 2022, and it’s the Cavaliers’ first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2000.

After a fourth quarter surge to push overtime, the No. 10 Cavaliers took over in double overtime, stunning No. 2 Iowa with a 83-75 win. It was a group effort on the floor, but the Cavs were led by Kymora Johnson with 28 points.

SHOP: Virginia women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

After advancing to the Sweet 16, the Cavaliers will face No. 3 TCU in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, March 28.

Knowing that matchup is set, here is everything you need to know to buy Virginia vs. TCU Sweet 16 March Madness tickets.

Shop Virginia vs. TCU Sweet 16 tickets

Virginia vs. TCU March Madness Sweet 16 tickets

Virginia women’s March Madness Sweet 16 opponent

Virginia reached the Sweet 16 after upsetting No. 2 Iowa on Monday afternoon. Now, they’ll play No. 3 TCU in the Sweet 16.

Virginia vs. TCU women’s March Madness Sweet 16 schedule

Virginia will take on the TCU Horned Frogs after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday afternoon. The game will be played on either Friday, March 27 or Saturday, March 28. Shop Virginia vs. TCU Sweet 16 tickets now.

More March Madness: Everything fans need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament

Virginia vs. TCU women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

Limited UVA vs. TCU women’s Sweet 16 tickets are still available. Get your Virginia vs. TCU March Madness Sweet 16 tickets now starting at $39.

Shop UVA Sweet 16 tickets

UVA women’s basketball Sweet 16 game locations

Virginia will play its Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., against TCU on Saturday, March 28. Shop your Virginia NCAA Tournament tickets now.

When is March Madness 2026?

The First Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament tipped off the 2026 March Madness tournament on Wednesday, March 18. The two rounds run between Friday, March 20 and Monday, March 23. The tournament concludes with the Final Four on Friday, April 3 and the National Championship game on Sunday, April 5.

Shop ALL March Madness tickets

March Madness 2026 full schedule for the women’s tournament

March 20-21: First round
March 22-23: Second round
March 27-28: Sweet 16
March 29-30: Elite 8
April 3: Final Four
April 5: National Championship

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Virginia

How Tennessee used regular season blunders to fuel March Madness win vs Virginia

Published

20 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

How Tennessee used regular season blunders to fuel March Madness win vs Virginia

PHILADELPHIA − Maybe all those blown leads in the regular season were good for Tennessee basketball?

While it didn’t surrender a double-digit big lead, Tennessee fans certainly felt pangs of anxiety when Virginia pulled ahead late at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

This time, though, instead of collapsing, the No. 6 Vols (24-11) banded together and pulled off the 79-72 victory over No. 3 Virginia (30-6) in the Men’s NCAA Tournament on March 22.

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes guided the program to its fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The road gets tougher for the Vols against No. 2 Iowa State (29-7) at the United Center in Chicago on March 27 (10:10 p.m. ET, TBS).

How did Tennessee avoid a meltdown? Well, Barnes isn’t really sure.

He just knows they won.

“We found a way,” he said. “We found a way to get it done. These guys, they’ve worked hard for us all year and worked hard competing against each other every day.”

Tennessee believe it needed regular season heartbreak

Tennessee largely bottled up Virginia’s leading scorer Thijs De Ridder through much of the game. However, the 23-year-old freshman from Belgium found his rhythm late in the game and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Cavaliers a 71-70 lead with 2:03 remaining.

In the huddle, Tennessee sophomore guard Bishop Boswell knew they’d be fine. He cited increased “poise” gained from months of SEC trials.

“We have been in these situations time in and time out, and I’ve seen us come out on top, so I know how tough we are,” he said. “Being in those situations helps you for times like this. The SEC is so tough, its such a tough league, you’re going to be in a bunch of close games. We were able to come out with some wins, and we were able to come out with some losses that we were able to learn from.

“We’ve been battled-tested.”

Forward J.P. Estrella believes those tests were necessary.

“I don’t think so,” he said if Tennessee would’ve won this game a month ago. “I feel like these past couple months have been huge for us playing some tough games, playing in the SEC Tournament, playing the game the other night. These games are crucial for us. When we keep playing basketball with each other it builds confidence and we keep winning.

“The momentum keeps going and I feel like it’s going to keep on rolling into Chicago.”

Tennessee’s defense papers over late mistakes

The Vols were anything but mistake-free in the closing minutes of the game.

Freshman Nate Ament ran the baseline after a missed shot. Senior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie threw an inbounds pass into the second row. A defensive breakdown left Virginia’s Jacari White wide-open for a 3-pointer with seconds remaining.

It was the defense, though, that kept Tennessee afloat. The Vols kept one of the ACC’s top offenses under its 80.4 points per game average. Their frontcourt physicality bothered Virginia all game.

“I thought we played great,” Estrella said about Tennessee’s frontcourt. “We’re all just some dogs on offense and defense. We got stops when we needed them. I feel like we could’ve gotten a couple rebounds − me in particular, I could’ve grabbed a couple with two hands − but other than that, we were just some dogs tonight and I feel like we need to be that every single night.”

The Cavaliers had 26 points in the paint, but they shot under 50% on layups. Tennessee 6-foot-11 center Felix Okpara registered four blocks and often deterred Virginia players from entering his domain.

“Felix Okpara, that’s the best five-man in the country,” junior Jaylen Carey said about his teammate. “Best shot blocker in the country.”

Okpara credited the entire frontcourt for the standout defensive performance.

“That’s our identity right there,” he said. “That’s Tennessee basketball right there.”

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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Virginia

Obituary for Virginia (Haines) James | Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Obituary for Virginia (Haines) James | Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home

Virginia Haines James, age 85, of Vidalia, who’s sunrise was October 13, 1940 and sunset was Friday, March 20, 2026, at Appling Healthcare in Baxley after an extended illness. She as a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. Vernon and was a 1958 graduate of Montgomery County High School. She married her married her husband in 1958, he was in the Army, and as a military family they lived in several places, including Okinawa, Japan, France, and Germany. Upon his retirement, they moved to Vidalia where she lived the rest of her life. She joined the Mt. Vernon Methodist Church on December 14, 1951 and later was a member of the First Baptist Church of Vidalia and where she sang in the choir. She was Bethany Home Administrator for more than twenty years. She enjoyed sewing, the outdoors, yard work, gospel music, singing, collecting ladybugs, genealogy, and traveling to cemeteries all over south Georgia. She loved buying Bibles and giving them to her family and friends.

She is preceded in death by the love of her life, Roscoe James; parents, William Elijah Haines and Mary Elizabeth Byrd Haines; one brother, William Haines; and two sisters, Sarah Haines Bishop and Ann Haines.

She is survived by two children, Roscoe David James and wife Lorie of Baxley, and Virginia Beth James Smith of Wilmington Island; four grandchildren, Jessica James and Drew James of the Center Community, Levi James (USN) of Charleston, South Carolina, and Connor Smith and wife Hannah of Rincon; one brother, James “Jimmy” Haines and wife Daisy of Treutlen County; one sister, Naomi Jean Haines Duckworth and husband Bruce of Mt. Vernon; and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 25th, 2026, at 3:00 in the chapel of Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home with her nephew, Pastor Daniel Caraway officiating. Interment will follow at the Long Pond Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 until just prior to the service.

Flowers are accepted, or those desiring can help continue her legacy by donating to The Gideons International, PO Box 156, Vidalia, GA 30475.

The family would like to express their appreciation and gratitude to the nurses and staff of Appling Nursing and Rehab Pavilion for their loving care and support.

Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia is in charge of arrangements.

To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Virginia (Haines) James, please visit our floral store.

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