Virginia basketball vs. Florida State Game Preview, score prediction

2023-2024: 17-16, 10-10 ACC (8th)
2024-2025: 16-13, 7-11 ACC (10th)

The highlight of Leonard Hamilton's term in the state of Florida went hand in hand with Tony Bennett's summit in Virginia. In the year in which UVA 31-3 went, the NCAA tournament brought number 1 overall and lost in the first round against UMBC, the state Florida, drove to the elite as No. 9 as No. 9. The following year Florida State was one of only two teams who defeated Virginia throughout the season. In the semi -finals of the ACC tournament, she defeated Uva and climbed to Sweet 16, while the Cavaliers completed their redemption run to the national title. The year of the state of Florida seemed to be the next season. The seminols went 26: 5 and 16: 4 in the ACC game in the regular season, won the regular course of the regular season for the first time and were a favorite that not only won the title of the ACC tournament, but also reached the final four for the second time in the program history.

Instead, the NCAA tournament 2020 was canceled due to Covid-19 and the FSU program has gradually decreased since then. The Seminols made the sweet 16 again in 2021, but have not produced the NCAA tournament since then. A litter in a lawsuit by six former FSU players because of the failure of more than one million dollars of zero compensation, and now 76-year-old Leonard Hamilton is training his last games on the part of the state of Florida, as he announced in early February that he will step down at the end of this season. As a two-time Big East coach of the year and a three-time ACC trainer of the year, we can now add it to the growing list of ACC coaching sizes that can leave in recent years.

The State of Florida had a strong start this season and won 12 of its first 15 games, but victories against Miami and Syracuse were the only remarkable games that the seminols had won when they lost to Florida, LSU and NC State. After ACC played 4: 3, Florida State lost his next four games and has been 3: 8 since this solid start to the league game. The Seminols come to Charlottesville after losing their last three games in Louisville, at home against North Carolina and Duke last weekend.

Despite the turbulent season for the program, some things in Tallahassee never change. The only thing that almost never changes is that Leonard Hamilton has a deep rotation full of large, long and sporty wings. Florida State has 10 players who played in at least 25 of the 29 games and who played an average of at least 10 minutes per game. Of these ten players are seven at 6'7 “or larger and nine of them at least 6'5”. Kenpom lists Florida State as the most second -time team in the country.

Jamir Watkins is the leading scorer of the team. Watkins, a 6'7 “Redshirt -Senior Guard, is fourth in the ACC with 18.5 points per game and an average of 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game and shoots 32.9% from three. Watkins has recently been on one heating.

6'11 “Junior striker Malique Ewin, a transfer by Ole Miss, is the only other two-digit goal scorer in the team, although this is more of a product from FSUS Deep rotation. Ewin has an average of 14.0 points and 7.8 rebound per game and is currently the leader of ACC in the field goal. Attempts, including a perfect 10/10 in the victory against Miami.

At Ewin before the starting point is the 6,10 “Sophomore striker Taylor Bol Bowen, which is 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team with 1.5 blocks per game. Bol Bowen only achieved eight times in two figures this season, but the seminols are 7: 1 in these eight.

The third-fashioned scorer of the Florida state is a real newcomer and the shortest player in the rotation, 6'1 “Wachmann Daquan Davis, who scores an average of 8.8 points per game and is also the top moderator of the team, who is an average of 2.6 assists per game per game. Jackson is a full-time starter and scores an average of 6.9 points, 2.1 templates and a team with 1.3 Steals per game.

Then there is the bank mob, which is led by Jerry Deng of 6'9 “in the second year, which is an average of 7.0 points per game and shoots 37.9% from beyond the arch. Also the bank, Justin Thomas (4.7 ppg), 6'7” Senior Guard Bostyn Holt (3.1 ppg), 6'7 “, 6'7″, 6'7 ” “, 6'6”, and 6'6 “, 6'6”. Striker Alier Maluk (2.6 ppg).

Aggressive defense of the State Florida
Even the best offensive teams from Virginia had their fights against the switching, aggressive on-ball defense in Florida State. Thanks to their length, sportiness and depth, the seminols were always able to switch on almost every screen and continuously put pressure on the ball handler of the opposing team. This is the case again this season, since the FSU with 13.5 sales that were forced per game are the top priority. The seminols are also in the league in blocks and secondly in steals. Andrew Rohde and the Cavalier Guards have to be in their A-game in terms of ball safety, and the UVA front square must be physical and hard if they try to end the many shot blockers of the state of Florida on the edge.

Leonard Hamilton's last hurray
In the past two decades, only a few coaches have had a lot of success against Virginia like Leonard Hamilton with the state of Florida. Hamilton has been 19-16 against Uva, since he arrived in Tallahassee, and against the Cavaliers in the John Paul Jones Arena 5: 7, a fairly impressive balance compared to most other ACC coaches, with the exception of coach K. Hamilton is the fourth all-time-ACC season victory and only needs a victory for 200 ACC-ACC-ACC-ACC in the regular season in the regular season. Just as Tony Bennett's retirement was an important action for this basketball season in Virginia, Leonard Hamilton's at the top of the Florida State Basketball program last season. Tuesday will probably be his last game coaching against the Cavaliers.

End of an era at JPJ
Speaking of sentimality … the game on Saturday against Clemson was a senior day, but the game on Tuesday is Virginia's last home game of the season, apart from the Cavaliers who organize a NIT game. We didn't know at the time, but Tony Bennett's last game on the edge in John Paul Jones Arena was almost a full calendar year ago, a 72-57 victory for Uva against Georgia Tech in the regular season finale. We cannot completely rule out the dwindling possibility that Ron Sanchez could be kept as a full-time head coach, but if he is not brought back and Virginia completely turns the site, this could be the last time we see Bennett Ball in the John Paul Jones Arena … and what a run it was.

This is a good matchup on paper. The state of Florida has the length and depth of disturbing Virginia, but the cavaliers have the shootout and the ball movement to beat the seminols if they expand too much. Both teams are tied to the 10th place in the ACC classification. If you want to have a chance to earn an Bye in the ACC tournament in the first round, this is a must for both teams. I see Virginia that wins a close.

Score Prediction: Florida State 60, Virginia 64

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