North Carolina Tar Heels at Florida State Seminoles
Donald L. Tucker Center – Tallahassee, Florida
Monday, February 17, 2014, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN
Opening Line: Florida State -1
Current Line: Florida State pick
Opening Total: 143
Current Total: 143
Opening Money Line: Florida State -115 / North Carolina -105
Current Money Line: Florida State -120 / North Carolina +100
After a shaky 1-4 start in ACC play, the North Carolina Tar Heels have since won 6 straight games to improve to 7-4 and 17-7 overall. The Tar Heels are fourth in the conference behind Syracuse, Virginia, and Duke. North Carolina will travel to the 15-10 Florida State Seminoles Monday night. Florida State is 6-7 in conference and tied for 8th with Maryland.
North Carolina leads the series against Florida State 45-12 including 15-5 in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels won all three meetings last year against the Seminoles, the last two by 21 points each in Chapel Hill and in the ACC quarterfinals in Greensboro, NC. This is the only scheduled meeting between UNC and FSU this season.
North Carolina is coached by Roy Williams. The Tar Heels have losses to Belmont, at UAB, Texas, at Wake Forest, Miami-(FL), at Syracuse and at Virginia. UNC has key wins over Oakland, Richmond & Louisville in a tournament in Connecticut, at Michigan State, Kentucky, Davidson, Boston College, Clemson, at Georgia Tech, NC State, Maryland, at Notre Dame, and Saturday against Pittsburgh 75-71. North Carolina had a home game with Duke scheduled for last Wednesday, but it was postponed due to bad weather and rescheduled for this Thursday. The Tar Heels are 13-11 ATS and the total is 11-12 this season.
North Carolina is outscoring teams 76-68 this season. The Tar heels are shooting 45.5% from the field and 32.3% from 3 point range. UNC is #346 out of 351 teams nationally in free throw shooting at 62.3% from the line. Tar Heel opponents are shooting 39.5% from the field and 30.7% from 3 point range. North Carolina is in the top 40 nationally in both categories. The Tar Heels average 41.2 rebounds a game and give up 32.4 to opponents. UNC is #8 in rebounding nationally. The Tar Heels average 15.7 assists, 12.5 turnovers, 7.8 steals and 5.3 blocks per game. Opponents average 11.3 assists, 14.2 turnovers, 6.3 steals and 4.1 blocks per game.
UNC guard Marcus Paige averages 17.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Forward James Michael McAdoo averages 15.3 points, 7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game. Guard Leslie McDonald averages 10.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Forward Brice Johnson averages 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. Forward J.P Tokoto averages 8.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Forward Kennedy Meeks averages 7.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Guard Nate Britt averages 5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Florida State is coached by Leonard Hamilton. The Seminoles have losses to Michigan in a tournament in Puerto Rico, at Florida, at Minnesota, Virginia twice, at Duke, at NC State, Clemson, at Maryland, and Miami. Florida State has key wins at Central Florida, VCU & Northeastern in Puerto Rico, Charlotte, UMass, at Clemson, Maryland, at Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Saturday at Wake Forest 67-60. The win over Wake Forest snapped a 2 game losing streak for FSU. The Seminoles are 13-10 ATS and the total is 8-14-1 this season.
Florida State is outscoring teams 71-65 this season. The Seminoles are #47 nationally in points allowed. FSU is shooting 46.7% from the field and 36.9% from 3 point range. FSU makes 71.1% from the free throw line. Seminole opponents are shooting 38.6% from the field and 32.3% from 3 point range. Florida State is #11 in opponents’ field goal percentage. The Seminoles average 36 rebounds per game and opponents average 30.4. FSU averages 11.6 assists, 14.3 turnovers, 6.2 steals and 5.8 blocks per game. Opponents average 11.2 assists, 13 turnovers, 6.5 steals and 3.7 blocks per game.
Guard Aaron Thomas averages 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Guard Ian Miller averages 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Forward Okaro White averages 12.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 block per game. Guard Devon Bookert average 8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Guard Montay Brandon averages 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Center Boris Bojanovsky averages 6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Robert Gilchrist, Michael Ojo, and Jarquez Smith will also get time in the rotation. Guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes and center Kiel Turpin are both out for the season.
North Carolina is 6-0 ATS overall, against ACC teams, and against teams with winning records, 5-0 after a win and a cover, and 10-4 in Monday games. The over is 6-2 in the last 8 in this series.
Florida State is 9-4 ATS in Monday games, and after a straight up win, 2-7 overall and in ACC games, and 1-6 against teams winning records. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games in this series.
North Carolina looked to be on the verge of missing the NCAA tournamnet with their slow start in the ACC, but now they appear to be safely in according to most experts. Florida State, on the other hand, is on the bubble and needs to make a run to get in to the dance. The Seminoles have been very inconsistent lately and I think north Carolina wins on the road.
