Florida State vs. Virginia Tech: Game preview, TV schedule, prediction
Florida State already lost their first game of the week against a team unlikely to reach the NCAA Tournament. Can Virginia Tech make it a double-whammy?
TV schedule: Saturday, Jan. 20, 12:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.
In this week’s edition of Busting Brackets’ Bracketology, Florida State (13-5, 2-4 ACC) was listed as a No. 7 seed and safely in the Big Dance as of this moment. But a bad week could easily put a team back in the danger zone and the Seminoles might be on their way there.
On Monday, Florida State had a road game against Boston College, a team that beat Duke already at home. The Eagles claimed another victim in the Seminoles, winning 81-75 after leading by 21 points in the second half. Leonard Hamilton’s team made a furious comeback but ultimately came up short.
That now makes four losses in six games for Florida State, with the other two being a one-point win and a double-overtime victory. The margin of error is thin between the NCAA or the NIT tournament and the Seminoles are trending in the wrong direction.
They’ll now have to avoid another loss when they go on the road to face Virginia Tech 13-5 (2-3), who are lacking quality wins in their own right. The Hokies are coming off a loss of their own, a 94-86 shootout loss to Louisville. On one hand, it’s good to see a team whose struggled lately on offense find their groove, but giving up 90+ to the Cardinals is not good defense.
On the season, Buzz Williams’ team is very balanced, with five players averaging in double-figures. Guard Ahmed Hill is the lead scorer at 15.3 ppg, but it’s forward Kerry Blackshear that could make things difficult for the Seminole bigs. The junior forward has one of the best shooting percentages in the country at 62% and has the ability to spread the floor, shooting 10-for-20 from three-point range.
Next: Where are FSU and Virginia Tech in our ACC Power rankings?
This is a big game for both teams, as a win by Virginia Tech would put the Hokies back into the bubble conversation and put the Seminoles near that last four/first four discussion. Going 0-2 on the road would not be a good look for them. Both teams love to shoot the three and have multiple scorers, but I look for Blackshear to be the difference in this one.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 90 – Florida State 85 in overtime
Bonus prediction: Both Blackshear and FSU’s Braian Angola each have 30 points