WASHINGTON - The final non-conference test of the season will take American University men's basketball to No. 23/22 Virginia for a second year in a row, as the Eagles and Cavaliers are set to play in Charlottesville on Monday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m.

Quick Info

• Date/Time: Monday, December 22; 6 pm
• Site: Charlottesville, Va. (John Paul Jones Arena)
• Series History: Virginia leads, 6-1
• TV: ACCNX
• Talent: Mike Corey, Dan Bonner

Series History

• Virginia has a 6-1 lead in the all-time series after a five-point win exactly a year ago, but this will be just the third meeting in the modern era.
• The Cavaliers pulled out a close, 63-58 win on their home court last year, also Dec. 22. Prior to that, they won 91-70 on their home court on Dec. 28, 2006 in the only other "recent" meeting between the two programs.
• AU and UVA played five times between 1938 and 1951, with the Eagles winning only the last of those in the only game in D.C., 69-54 on Feb. 3, 1951.

What to Know About American

• The Eagles went 7-1 at home in non-conference play, but have yet to win on the road this season in four tries. 
• Virginia is the first ranked team AU will face in 2025-26, and the third Power Four team after Wake Forest and Rutgers.
• AU's recent loss at VCU snapped a three-game win streak that included an exciting comeback win over Drexel after trailing by 13 at halftime.
• Despite five players reaching double digits in scoring for AU, the Eagles were out-played on the glass lost 105-83 at VCU on Dec. 18. Junior Wyatt Nausadis led AU with 17 points, senior Geoff Sprouse scored a season-high 16, and sophomore Julen Iturbe finished with 15.
• Freshman Madden Collins was the PL Rookie of the Week on Dec. 8 after scoring 19 points vs. Drexel and leading AU with 14 ppg in a 2-0 week. Collins leads AU this season with 13.0 points per game.
• Five different players—Wyatt Nausadis, Collins, Kade Sebastian, Greg Jones, and Dean Hogans—have been leading scorers so far.
• The Eagles have hit 14 triples in two straight games and three times this season, all tying for fourth in a single game in program history.
• AU currently has six players averaging 8.5 ppg or more, which no other AU team in the past 25 years can boast.
• Individuals ranked in the top five after the opening 11 games of the season are Matt Mayock in FG percentage (5th, .565) and 3-pt FG percentage (1st, .516), Sebastian in 3-pt FG percentage (3rd, .469), and Collins in steals (5th, 1.7 per game).

What to Know About Virginia

• The Cavaliers are 10-1 overall and moved into the national rankings in early December, currently standing in 23rd in the AP Poll and 22nd in the Coaches Poll.
• Virginia is averaging 18.5 points per game more than its opponents, ranking fourth in the ACC. The Cavaliers lead the ACC in 3-point field-goal percentage and offensive rebounds. Their 86.5 points per game are the second-most in school history.
• UVA has scored 80 or more points in 10 games, the most since nine during the Cavaliers' championship season in 2018-19.
• Thijs De Ridder leads UVA with 15.1 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. Three others also average in double digits in scoring for the Cavaliers.
• Ryan Odom was named head coach in March after spending two seasons at VCU, leading the Rams to a 52-21 record and a 2025 NCAA Tournament berth.

Keep Up With Us

• For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Instagram (@au_mbasketball), X (@AU_MBasketball), and Facebook (/AU.MBasketball).