Florida State’s title hopes are still very much alive after a heart-stopping win over the Clemson Tigers in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Wednesday. The Seminoles will have their work cut out for them in the next round however as standing in their way in the quarterfinals are the Virginia Cavaliers who are hell-bent on retaining their conference crown this season.
Who will emerge victorious in this all-important showdown? Read on below for a preview of this pivotal matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the ACC quarterfinal between Louisville and North Carolina here.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Florida State Seminoles vs. Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview
Where: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
When: Thursday, March 12, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Florida State Seminoles (+12.5) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (-12.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles barged into the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament with a nerve-wracking 76-73 win over the Clemson Tigers on Wednesday. Xavier Rathan-Mayes was the star of the show for the Seminoles, putting up 30 points, four rebounds and two assists to help Florida State seal a last-eight clash with Virginia.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Rathan-Mayes has been a vital cog to the Seminoles’ success this season, averaging 14.4 PPG and a team-best 4.4 APG. His scoring outburst against the Tigers was his third 30-point performance of the season as he shot an incredible 11 of 19 from the field including five three-pointers.
The Seminoles needed every bit of his offensive production as the Tigers unleashed a furious fight back late in the second half that nearly wiped out their 20-point advantage. One of the main reasons behind their late-game collapse was their inability to protect the basketball.
Florida State committed 17 turnovers against Clemson, way above their season average of 14.1 miscues per game. The Seminoles are one of the worst teams in the nation in terms of turning the ball over, as they are 316th in the entire NCAA in that department this season.
It won’t get any easier for the turnover-prone Seminoles as lying in wait in their next game are the defensive-minded Cavaliers. In fact, in their last meeting on February 22, the Seminoles committed 14 miscues against the Cavs en route to a 51-41 defeat.
With that being said, the Seminoles stand a good chance of upsetting the Cavaliers because of the way they are shooting the basketball right now. Florida State shot 54.5% from the field against Clemson, way above its season average of 45.9% (74th in the nation).
For them to score the upset, however, the Seminoles will need a more balanced production from their side. In their last game against the Cavs, only Rathan-Mayes scored in double-figures for Florida State with 13 points. The onus is on Devon Bookert (10.3 PPG) and Montay Brandon (11.9 PPG) to provide some offensive support to Rathan-Mayes. They combined for just 7 points in their last game against the Cavs.
The Seminoles are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games.
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Betting on the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia ended its regular season campaign on a sour note after suffering a surprise 59-57 defeat to the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday. Louisville center Mangok Mathiang broke the Cavaliers’ hearts with a clutch 15-foot jumper with 2.7 seconds remaining that not only gave the Cardinals the lead and the win but also snapped Virginia’s nine-game unbeaten run.
Regardless of that loss, head coach Tony Bennett will still feel bullish not only of his side’s chances of retaining the ACC title this week but also in advancing to the late stages of the national tournament. Why not? The Cavaliers are the best defensive team in the nation today, allowing just 50.3 points per game this season.
That defensive prowess was pretty much evident in their last meeting with the Seminoles where they held Florida State without a field goal in the final 10:32 to cruise to a 10-point win. The Cavaliers held the Seminoles to just 15 of 46 shooting from the field as they unleashed their vaunted pack-line defense.
That defense has been the savior for a Cavaliers team that has been decimated by injuries the past month or so. The top-seeded Cavaliers lost Justin Anderson to a broken finger on February 7 in a 52-47 win against Louisville. It was a bitter blow for the offensively-challenged Cavaliers who lost their second-leading scorer in the process with Anderson averaging 13.4 PPG this season.
Unsurprisingly, their offense dipped with Anderson out with Virginia averaging just 59.9 points in Anderson’s absence, 7.7 points fewer than in its first 22 games. Picking up the slack for the Cavaliers, however, during that time was their top-notch defense. They allowed an average of just 49.3 points per game during that period.
Their primary defensive assignment against Florida State will no doubt be Xavier Rathan-Mayes. The freshman has been on a scoring tear for the Seminoles as of late, averaging 20.3 points in his last seven games. The Cavs will fancy their chances of stopping him, however, as they held him to just 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting in their last regular-season meeting.
With Anderson’s return pushed back once again with his recent appendectomy, the Cavaliers will bank on Malcolm Brogdon to carry the offensive cudgels for the squad. He’s averaging a team-best 13.7 PPG this season. He scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in Virginia’s last regular-season encounter with Florida State.
Virginia is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Virginia (-12.5) wins, 59-46, to advance to the ACC semifinals.
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