Virginia Cavaliers vs Florida State Seminoles: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Donald Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, FL

When: Wednesday, January 15th at 7 pm EST

How (TV): ESPN2

Virginia Cavaliers (Away)

Road test tomorrow night in Tallahassee!
? No. 9 Florida State
? Wednesday, Jan. 1⃣5⃣
⏰ 7 p.m.
? @FSUTuckerCenter
➡️ https://t.co/YlcDNzQdhW
?⚔️? #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/LpYniO3kxs

— Virginia Men’s Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 14, 2020

Head Coach: Tony Bennett {Overall: 11-4 | Conference: 3-2, T-3rd in ACC}

The Virginia Cavaliers begin a two-game road trip having lost their last two games.

With key contributors like Kyle Guy and DeAndre Hunter in the pro ranks, the Cavaliers have struggled to put points on the board this season, as they have yet to reach 70 points in a single game.

However, as consistent with seasons past, Tony Bennett has made defense a top priority with his program with proven results, as the Hoos rank first in the nation in points allowed, opponent field goal percentage, and opponent free throw attempts.

The Cavaliers are coming off a tough home loss to Syracuse last Saturday, falling 63-55 in overtime. Seven-foot-one junior forward Jay Huff led Virginia with 16 points and ten boards in a game that saw his team get dominated in the overtime period. Virginia allowed the Orange to put up 20 points in the extra frame after limiting Jim Boeheim’s team to 19 in the second half.

Protect the crib#MarchOn #PackTheTuck pic.twitter.com/Q4B6xFe3gf

— FSU Hoops (@FSUHoops) January 14, 2020

Head Coach: Leonard Hamilton {Overall: 14-2 | Conference: 4-2, T-2nd in ACC}

Arguably the best team in the ACC not named Duke, the Florida State Seminoles are off to a strong start in search of their first regular-season conference title.

With a rotation that routinely goes ten plus deep, the Seminoles have been able to keep top scoring options Trent Forrest and Devin Vassell fresh late in games.

FSU is currently riding a seven-game winning streak since suffering a beat down to Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on December 3rd.

The Seminoles also benefit from having a week off, with last Wednesday’s win at Wake Forest being their most recent game.

Leonard Hamilton’s squad took care of business in Winston-Salem, coming out on top 78-68 behind double-digit performances from Vassell (17), M.J. Walker (15), and Forrest (14).

Virginia vs Florida State All-Time Series

These two schools have faced off on the hardwood 50 times prior to Wednesday night’s game, splitting the all-time series 25 games apiece. Virginia has had the edge in recent years, winning seven of the last ten meetings.

The two ACC foes most recently faced off in last season’s ACC tournament semi-finals, with the Seminoles winning 69-59 in Charlotte behind 14 points from reserve David Nichols.

This will be the first time the Seminoles will have played an unranked Virginia team at home since 2014.

FSU’s last win in such a game came in the season prior, with the Noles beating the Joe Harris-led Cavaliers 53-51.

Virginia Roster Notes

There are no injuries or roster changes to report for Virginia.

Florida State Roster Notes

Freshman centre Balsa Kopricova is listed as doubtful with a back injury that forced him out of action against Wake Forest last week.

Kihei Clark

Point Guard | 5-9, 155lb | Taft Charter HS | Woodland Hills, CA | Sophomore

10.1 PPG | 5.9 APG | 4.5 RPG | 1.1 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 3.1 TOV | .348 FG% | .393 3P%

A key contributor to last year’s national title team, Kihei Clark has grown into a larger role within Virginia’s offense.

After serving as a facilitator as a freshman, Clark has received the green light to be more of a scorer, although his shooting percentages leave a lot to be desired. Despite his diminutive size, Clark is a tenacious defender who is more than willing to body up a ball-handler in a full-court press. Additionally, the California native is an underrated rebounder given his height.

Trent Forrest

Shooting Guard | 6-4, 210lb | Chipley HS | Chipley, FL | Senior

12.2 PPG | 3.9 APG | 3.9 RPG | 1.6 SPG | 0.6 BPG | 2.9 TOV | .468 FG% | .333 3P%

With three-point shooting being emphasized in college basketball, players like Trent Forrest often struggle to make a niche for themselves.

Despite his shortcomings as a perimeter shooter, Forrest has made up for it with his strong perimeter defense and basketball IQ.

More importantly, Forrest has shown that he is capable of stepping up against opponents the Seminoles can expect to face in March with a 20 point outing against Louisville on January 4th and a 17 point game against Purdue on November 30th.

Virginia at Florida Odds

The latest odds for Virginia at Florida are provided by Unibet NJ and 888Sport NJ.

Money Line