The Virginia Cavaliers have proven that they are again one of the most dominant programs in the NCAA, going 19-0 to start off the 2014-2015 season. Coming off of last season’s Sweet Sixteen run, where they fell to Michigan State in a heart breaker, Virginia had high expectations for this season. So far they have not disappointed and have climbed the rankings all the way to the number two spot in the country, behind also-undefeated Kentucky. Despite their successful campaign, the price of tickets for games at John Paul Jones Arena has remained quite low relative to the team’s level of success.
That trend has been turned upside-down with the number four-ranked Duke Blue Devils making a trip to Virginia on Saturday. The average price of a ticket to this contest is $485, a far greater price than their remaining home games. At $181, the get-in price for this game is also considerably higher than usual as well. With a relatively weak remaining home schedule, the Cavaliers biggest challenge will be when they take on Duke at home. Besides their clash with number 10 Louisville in February, tickets for the remaining Virginia home games start at considerably less than $100, with some games the get-in being as low as $10.
Charlottesville hotels have rooms available for as low as $80 with several options with rooms below $100. So it’s significantly less expensive to find a room in Charlottesville than it is to attend the game, so it’s very possible fans will be coming to town expecting to find cheap tickets and will be sorely disappointed. Other hotel options are available at Hipmunk if fans are looking to save even more by staying outside Charlottesville.
Virginia has been heralded for their efficient play on both sides of the ball this season. Their disciplined approach and execution has made them deadly on the road and at home. Their leading scorer, junior Justin Anderson, is averaging a team high 13.9 points per game and has shot the three ball extremely well, shooting over 50% from behind the arc. Despite having a low scoring game his last outing against Virginia Tech, junior guard Malcom Brogdon has been having a stellar January so far. Averaging 13.3 ppg, Brogdon netted 20 points against Boston College and scored 16 points in a route of Clemson.
For Duke (17-2, 4-2 ACC), this coming road game will be a chance for the Blue Devils to gain some ground on the ACC leaders, Virginia. Two and half games behind the Cavaliers, Duke have also been excellent this season despite stumbling in mid-January. Two straight losses to North Carolina State and the University of Miami have put them in an adverse situation. Freshman center Jahlil Okafor has made the transition from high school to the NCAA quite easily. The former five-star recruit is averaging 18.5 pgg and 9 rebounds per game.
