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The aspect of tonight's Virginia Tech-Virginia game in Charlottesville that is most intriguing to me will be what happens in the backcourts. And when I say backcourts, I am really just referring to the position of guard. It's what these backcourts are able to do in the lane and close to the basket that might ultimately decide who wins this game.

There will be 3-pointers, there will be steals on the perimeter and there will be missed perimeter shots that turn into second-chance points. But what can Tech's Zabian Dowdell and UVa's Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds do when they try to penetrate? How this turns out could well be a determing factor in this game.

Recently against Boston College, Dowdell kept Tyrese Rice at least 15 feet from the basket except for one drive late in the game when Tech had a huge lead. Dowdell and Jamon Gordon have to do that tonight. Singletary or Reynolds in the lane creates opportunities for themselves and their teammates.

UVa has to do the same. Dowdell doesn't get to the rim that much, but he is great at backing down the defense then hitting the eight-footer even if he has to fall away on the shot. He did it to BC, and if he does it regularly to UVa it will make a difference.

Tonight you will see the best offensive backcourt (Singletary, Reynolds) in the ACC against the best defensive backcourt (Dowdell, Gordon) in the ACC. But what makes this matchup so great is that these backcourts are probably 1-2 in the league on both ends of the floor. There is little separation either way.

If the backcourts play to a stalemate, then what? Both teams have other players capable of big nights, but you never know who is going to step forward. For Tech, the X factors are clearly A.D. Vassallo and Deron Washington, especially Washington. If Washington is hitting jumpers, it will be a good night for Tech. For UVa, the X factors are Mamadi Diane, Adrian Joseph and Jason Cain. All are capable of being the third scorer, and one of them will need to be.

So who wins? Probably comes down to which team can hit a late 3-pointer or which guard can get in the lane and score when the score is tied in the final minute. UVa is 15-1 at home and has scored late when it has had to many times this season, so I'm guessing it will be Reynolds or Singletary.

The one thing I don't have to guess about is that this will be terrific game no matter who wins.