Changed the wording on the headline for you there, because I’m concerned about Florida State, which sucked as recently as a couple of weeks ago, but has won four of its last five, the loss being a tight one at SMU.
The ‘Noles (11-12, 4-6 ACC, NET: 95), under first-year coach Luke Loucks, turn opponents over (ranking 40th nationally in defensive turnover rate), and they play fast (ranking 19th nationally in tempo).
The fun stretch for Virginia (20-3, 9-2 ACC, NET: 16) begins this weekend in Nashville against Ohio State, which will be the first of five games against Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponents in the closing stretch.
Can you say, trap game?
The FSU rotation
Loucks, like his mentor, Leonard Hamilton, plays a lot of guys – nine of his players are averaging at least 14 minutes per game.
That’s why Florida State teams don’t have guys with numbers that blow you away – nobody on this year’s roster is averaging more than 28.0 minutes per game.
That guy is 6’4” senior point guard Robert McCray (14.4 ppg, 6.2 assists/g, 45.0% FG, 31.3% 3FG).
Chauncey Wiggins, a 6’10” senior, splits his minutes between the four and five spots (12.9 ppg, 4.0 rebounds/g, 44.3% FG, 34.3% 3FG, 27.3 minutes/g).
Lajae Jones, a 6’7” senior, gets minutes at the three and four spots (11.3 ppg, 5.6 rebounds/g, 40.1% FG, 30.4% 3FG).
Key contributors
- 6’3” senior Kobe MaGee: 9.4 ppg, 38.4% FG, 32.8% 3FG, 21.6 minutes/g
- 6’3” sophomore Martin Somerville: 8.8 ppg, 35.2% FG, 36.1% 3FG, 25.7 minutes/g
- 6’9” senior Alex Steen: 7.4 ppg, 5.9 rebounds/g, 60.4% FG, 18.2 minutes/g
- 6’8” freshman Thomas Bassong: 5.7 ppg, 3.5 rebounds/g, 45.2% FG, 27.0% 3FG, 17.4 minutes/g
- 6’2” freshman Cam Miles: 5.5 ppg, 35.0% FG, 20.3% 3FG, 14.2 minutes/g
- 6’6” sophomore AJ Swinton: 4.3 ppg, 41.7% FG, 32.5% 3FG, 14.8 minutes/g
Analytics: offense
Data: KenPom; rankings: among 365 D1 teams
Points per possession
FSU: 1.135 PPP (94)
Virginia: 1.230 PPP (19)
Twos
FSU: 53.5% (110)
Virginia: 56.1% (50)
Threes
FSU: 31.6% (290)
Virginia: 35.7% (77)
Rebounds
FSU: 32.3% (131)
Virginia: 40.2% (3)
Turnover rate
FSU: 15.9% (112)
Virginia: 15.6% (93)
Analytics: defense
Data: KenPom; rankings: among 365 D1 teams
Points per possession
FSU: 1.054 PPP (110)
Virginia: 0.974 PPP (22)
Twos
FSU: 53.9% (264)
Virginia: 45.3% (13)
Threes
FSU: 33.81% (174)
Virginia: 30.2% (29)
Rebounds
FSU: 67.0% (289)
Virginia: 70.8% (109)
Turnover rate
FSU: 19.7% (40)
Virginia: 16.4% (223)
Analytics: Game play
Data: KenPom; rankings: among 365 D1 teams
Tempo
FSU: 71.5 (19)
Virginia: 65.2 (284)
Possession length: offense
FSU: 15.3 (13)
Virginia: 17.5 (173)
Possession length: defense
FSU: 17.3 (161)
Virginia: 18.6 (353)
Bench minutes
FSU: 34.0% (137)
Virginia: 34.3% (127)
Game Details
Virginia (20-3, 9-2 ACC, NET: 16) at Florida State (11-12, 4-6 ACC, NET: 95)
Day/Time: Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU (John Schriffen & Chris Spatola)
Forecast
KenPom: Virginia 81-72
BartTorvik: Virginia 80-72
ESPN BPI: Virginia +7.6
UVA Basketball archives
- UVA Basketball: Virginia grinds out win against tough Syracuse team
- UVA Basketball: They should have done the Tony Bennett thing at the Pitt game
- UVA Basketball: Still counts, but Boston College made that one ugly
- ‘Hoos 100, Notre Dame 97: Odom, Virginia learn how to win by going small
- UVA Basketball: Carolina attacked the paint, ‘Hoos had no response
- UVA Basketball: Virginia slugs out 72-68 win at SMU to improve to 16-2
- UVA Basketball: McKneely goes for 23, but ‘Hoos get the Top 25 road win
- UVA Basketball: ‘Hoos clamp down on D on Stanford in 70-55 win
- UVA Basketball: ‘Hoos stifle Cal with gritty second half D, win 84-60
- UVA Basketball: Virginia blows out NC State, 76-61, in Saturday ACC matinee
- UVA Basketball: Hokies ride advantage at stripe to upset of #21 ‘Hoos
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Chris Graham
