CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Part of Boston College coach Earl Grant’s preparation for Saturday’s game against No. 17 Virginia apparently did not include tuning in for the Cavaliers’ Tuesday night double-overtime win at Notre Dame.

Despite having the week off before hosting UVA in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Saturday, Grant told Cville Right Now he wasn’t planning to watch that contest.

“For whatever reason, I don’t like watching games live,” Grant said. “I like to watch them on film away from the commentators. I don’t watch a lot. Every now and then I might take a peek.”

The odd scheduling quirk sent Virginia to Notre Dame for its mid-week game, then to Boston College for Saturday’s tilt, making Saturday’s opponents extra familiar with each other.

For both teams, their last outing was against Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish beat Boston College 68-64 on Jan. 24 in South Bend, Ind. UVA outlasted Notre Dame 100-97 in double-overtime Tuesday.

That should help some in scouting UVA, Grant said.

“It is a benefit because you’re fresh off of that game,” Grant said. “You can see which ways each team is trying to attack each other. What’s working. What’s not working. But you’re going to end up watching four games of your next opponent so you’ll have a feel from a lot of different schemes of how teams tried to attack them or defend them. But it never hurts when you played a team so recently to watch them against your next opponent because you can learn a lot of things that way.”

First-year Virginia coach Ryan Odom felt the same way.

“It’s always helpful. It’s top of mind when the next opponent, you’re able to watch them in a hotly contested game against competition that’s going to be very familiar,” Odom said. “The second game is probably the game that it would help more with. All in all, it really comes down to, and it’s the same for Notre Dame, how do you wrap your arms around the game? And what do we do to make the opponent uncomfortable and compete to win?”

UVA has won 15 of the last 18 meetings in the series, including a 72-68 victory in its last trip to Chestnut Hill, Feb. 28,

The Cavaliers are 6-6 against the Eagles in Chestnut Hill, including a 72-68 win in their last trip to Conte Forum on Feb. 28, 2024.