How to watch: Florida State men's basketball at Virginia Cavaliers

Carter Karels, Tallahassee Democrat
·2 min read

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Who: FSU (1-8) at No. 3 Virginia (6-0)

When/Where: Saturday, 2 p.m.; John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.

TV/Radio: ESPN2/101.5 FM.

More FSU men's basketball:Seminoles fall short in gritty effort against No. 5 Purdue

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More FSU football:What Florida State football coordinators Alex Atkins, Adam Fuller and John Papuchis said Thursday

Three-pointers: FSU has a 4-1 record in its last five games against Virginia and leads the all-time series, 28-26. The Seminoles defeated the Cavaliers in their last meeting with them, winning 64-63 on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from guard Matthew Cleveland on Feb. 26. … Cleveland tallied a season-high 20 points in a 79-69 loss to No. 5 Purdue on Wednesday. … FSU coach Leonard Hamilton has an NCAA-record 55 wins over ranked teams while his teams were unranked. … Led by center Naheem McLeod, the Seminoles top the ACC in blocked shots with 43. McLeod ranks fourth in the ACC with 1.9 blocks per game. … Virginia continues to operate at a deliberate pace, ranking third-to-last (361st) nationally in possessions per 40 minutes (60.5). … The Cavaliers also come in at No. 3 in three-point percentage (45.2%), No. 6 in assist/turnover ratio (1.74), No. 9 in turnovers per game (9.5), No. 20 in field goal percentage (50%) and No. 3 in scoring defense (59.3 points allowed per game).

What FSU needs to do to win: Coming off four straight double-digit losses, the Seminoles cannot afford to fall behind by much in this one. Virginia rarely blows double-digit leads and often smothers teams with its signature pack-line defense. The downside to the Cavaliers’ patient style, though, is that they can keep inferior teams within striking distance for too long. FSU must take advantage of that dynamic and make the most of its limited possessions. For the Seminoles to pull off a stunning upset, a lot of other things will need to go right for them. Near the top of the list is Cleveland having another one of his best games. He came through against Virginia last season, and he’s fresh off an impressive performance.

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How to watch: FSU Seminoles basketball at Virginia Cavaliers