Louisville @ Virginia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2018 ) Louisville 75, Virginia Tech 68

No. 11 Virginia Tech will have a difficult time matching its last defensive effort, but the Hokies need another strong performance on that end of the court when they host 16th-ranked Louisville on Monday night in an ACC contest. Virginia Tech held North Carolina State to 16.7 percent from the field - the lowest mark in ACC history - and 24 points, the least by a Division I team in a conference game since 2008, in Saturday’s win.

“It still doesn’t seem real,” Hokies leading scorer Nikeil Alexander-Walker told reporters after the 47-24 victory in Raleigh, N.C. “. … It was one of those days for them where they couldn’t make (shots) and we just kept getting stops. And we just kept getting more confident and growing more powerful.” However, Virginia Tech will be shorthanded with second-leading scorer Justin Robinson (foot) out indefinitely as it goes for its first ACC win against Louisville, which was rolling along with six straight victories overall before suffering a 79-69 setback against 10th-ranked North Carolina at home Saturday. The Cardinals, who average 79.1 points, fell behind by 16 at halftime and could not recover - losing for the first time since Jan. 9. “We didn’t come out with much fire,” Louisville coach Chris Mack told reporters. “It was a great environment, and to essentially end the half with no offensive rebounds and let Carolina dismantle us on the glass, I can’t tell you how disappointed in that effort alone.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (16-6, 7-2 ACC): Sophomore forward Jordan Nwora, the team’s leading scorer (17.9) and rebounder (7.7), was held to 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting Saturday after averaging 21.4 over the last five games. Junior forward Dwayne Sutton scored 19 on Saturday to raise his season mark to 10.6 while senior transfer guard Christen Cunningham (10.4 points, team-high 4.6 assists) scored 15 and dished out nine assists against North Carolina. Junior center Steven Enoch (9.3 points, 56.2 percent shooting) did not score Saturday in 16 minutes after averaging 11.5 the previous four games.

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (18-3, 7-2): Robinson (14.4 points, team-high 5.4 assists) missed Saturday’s game and it showed offensively as the Hokies managed to shoot just 35.6 percent from the field. “We can tell that we miss some of his poise,” junior forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. told reporters after recording 13 points and 13 rebounds Saturday. “But I think each and every person stepped up. It wasn’t a single person who picks up what he does. It takes all of us and it’s going to take all of us.” Alexander-Walker tops the team in scoring (17.5) and steals (2.3) while shooting 53.5 percent from the field.

TIP-INS

1. Louisville sophomore C Malik Williams is averaging 11 points over the last five contests and leads the team in blocks per game overall (1.5).

2. Virginia Tech senior G Ahmed Hill is averaging 14.3 points in league action (13.4 overall), scoring at least 15 in five of the nine ACC games.

3. The Hokies are off to their best start in ACC play since joining the league in 2004-05, but the Cardinals won all five meetings in that stretch.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 62, Louisville 60