Well, as expected Charleston Southern seized on its one advantage and managed to force Florida State into 21 turnovers. Of course, it didn’t matter: The Seminoles locked down and held its Monday night opponent to 29.9% from the field while shooting 48.4% on its end. It was a 15-point victory, but it felt like the margin was bigger considering how quickly Florida State jumped to a big lead.
Tonight, we have a couple of nice gut-check games and then the equivalent of an angry child getting their aggression out by punching a pillow a bunch of times.
The Main Event
- Memphis at Miami at 9:00 PM on ESPN2
Even without Reggie Johnson, Miami has been pretty good this year. A loss to Purdue and an overtime road loss to Mississippi are understandable, but they are also blown chances at really putting the Hurricanes on the national map. With a faltering Memphis team coming to Coral Gables, the team has a good chance at a nice signature win. Without a strong front court presence, Miami has struggled to rebound effectively, but Memphis has been fairly terrible at rebounding so far this season too, giving the Hurricanes an opening. In terms of weaknesses, Miami’s mediocre perimeter defense will have to hold strong against a Tigers team that has shot 44.2% from beyond the arc. The game may come down to pace as Miami tries to slow it down against Josh Pastner’s run-happy team. In any case, this should be a pretty entertaining game this evening.
The Undercard
- George Mason at Virginia at 7:00 PM on ESPN3.com
Rivals between in-state teams are always a lot of fun in my book, and though Clemson might disagree, this should be a good opportunity for Virginia to get a quality win against a skilled George Mason team that looks poised to be the class of the Colonial Athletic Association. Former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt is now at George Mason, perhaps giving GMU a slight edge in terms of the coach’s familiarity with his opponents. Despite this, Virginia’s tough defense will be a challenge for the Patriots and Mike Scott has provided steady production for the Cavaliers despite being keyed in on by opposing defenses. Virginia should win this one, but George Mason has the means to keep this game close.
For Fans Only
- Evansville at North Carolina at 7:00 PM on ESPNU
Despite a nice season-opening win against Butler, Evansville will be hard pressed to win this game. The Purple Aces are not a very good team, particularly when it comes to rebounding. North Carolina is smarting from a one-point loss to Kentucky, where the only thing that came between the Tar Heels and an impressive road victory was Anthony Davis’ impeccably placed hand. The Purple Aces are simply overmatched in this one, particularly if North Carolina plays angry. Considering Harrison Barnes‘ lackluster performance against the Wildcats, this game seems ripe for a vicious, dominant takeover performance. It won’t really mean anything in particular, but it will feel good for Barnes and North Carolina’s fans.