Vermont @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 11, 2007 ) Vermont 72, Virginia 90

Defending national champion Virginia will get a stiff test Tuesday night when it hosts mid-major power Vermont in an intriguing non-conference affair between two unbeatens. The sixth-ranked Cavaliers have limited their first three opponents to an average of 36.7 points and held Columbia to 28.6 percent shooting in a 60-42 win Saturday at home.

"I think there were really good stretches today of defense and really good stretches of offense," Virginia coach Tony Bennett told reporters. "There were some moments where, whether it was personnel based or inexperience based, we weren't as good as we can be, but we want to just keep making it hard for opponents to score against us." The Catamounts have stifled opponents on the defensive end as well, allowing 59.3 points per game, and enter the matchup on a high following a thrilling 70-68 win at St. John's on Saturday, with star senior Anthony Lamb hitting a jumper in the closing seconds to win it. "Not to diminish all the really good stuff we've done, but this is a Power Five school, one I grew up and watched and respected," Vermont coach John Becker told the Burlington Free Press following the team's first win over a current Big East team since 1924. "The fashion that we did, it's special. We should really enjoy this for the next 24 hours." Lamb, the reigning America East Player of the Year, had 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists against the Red Storm.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra

ABOUT VERMONT (4-0): Lamb is averaging 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds to lead the team, and his pull-up jumper to stun the Red Storm was a fitting result for one of the program's all-time greats. "It wasn't exactly what we drew up, but we got the ball to the guy we wanted to," Becker told the Free Press. "I'm so proud of (Lamb) and he deserved that, we deserved that. It was unbelievable." Fellow senior Everett Duncan (11.3) and sophomore forward Ryan Davis (10.3) are the other two Catamounts averaging in double figures in scoring, while junior guard Stef Smith (9.0) had a season-high 17 points against St. John's.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (3-0): Senior forward Mamadi Diakite (14.7) is the team's top scorer, while 7-1 junior Jay Huff (11.7) is shooting 72.7 percent and causing matchup nightmares for opponents. "He definitely makes my job a little bit easier," sophomore point guard Kihei Clark told reporters of Huff, who hit his first 3-pointer of the year Saturday. "He can also space the floor and shoot the three, so that makes it hard on defenders for sure." Senior swingman Braxton Key averages 10 points and a team-high 9.7 rebounds while Clark leads the way with six assists per contest.

TIP-INS

1. Lamb is 3-for-25 from 3-point range after making 36.5 percent from long distance last season.

2. Diakite, Huff and Key combine to average 27 rebounds per game but are 12-for-23 from the foul line as a group.

3. Virginia won the only prior meeting in 2007.

PREDICTION: Virginia 58, Vermont 46