2. After missing FSU’s last game, Balsa Koprivica turned heads against the Cavaliers
If there is one individual player that can be picked out from Florida State’s performance and regard as the “key” to the Seminoles’ success against Virginia, then Balsa Koprivica may have the best case. That could be crucial for the Seminoles moving forward, particularly in their hunt for the ACC title.
Not that Florida State’s struggles can necessarily be tied directly to him, but it is no coincidence that – in the one game that Koprivica missed – the Seminoles struggled mightily with Wake Forest, in their February 13th meeting. In his first game back on the floor, the 7-1 sophomore was huge – and was a substantial cog in Florida State’s dominance over the Cavaliers.
Koprivica did not necessarily stuff the stat-sheet – he recorded just nine points on perfect shooting clips (2-2 on 2PT, 1-1 on 3PT, and 2-2 on FT) while hauling down three boards and blocking one shot – but no other player in the game recorded a better offensive rating than Koprivica, who maintained an offensive rating of 226. The next closest was FSU’s Sardaar Calhoun, who came in at 147.
In just 14 minutes of play, Koprivica was a +16 for the Seminoles – the third-highest mark of any Florida State player in this game, just trailing Scottie Barnes and Calhoun. No better example of Koprivica’s impact can be made than what occurred in the second half, where Virginia – with Koprivica on the bench – started the second half on an 18-8 run to cut it within 10 before Koprivica checked in at the 13:16 mark. Within five minutes of Koprivica being on the floor, FSU’s lead had ballooned to 25 – capped off, naturally, by a Koprivica three-pointer.
The sophomore is no stranger to reaching double-digits, having done so six times already – but he has yet to score more than 15 points in a game for his career. He has an incredibly bright future ahead under Leonard Hamilton – and should only get better as the season, and his career, progress.