Under Tony Bennett, the Virginia Cavaliers are 8-4 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games. That includes two consecutive losses with last year’s loss to Iowa. The average KenPom ranking of Virginia’s opponents in these games was 43, while the average KenPom rankings for the Wahoos was 24.
That discrepancy continues, as the fifth ranked Wahoo take on the 53rd ranked Michigan Wolverines. One of those previous ACC/Big Ten wins, way back in 2011, came against Michigan. The teams have not met since that game.
This Michigan team is led by 7’1” Hunter Dickinson, also last year’s leading scorer.