The Virginia men's basketball team, fresh from its epic win over Duke on Wednesday night, will leave the friendly confines of University Hall behind and take to the road again this weekend. Their destination is sunny Tallahassee, Fla., for a 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon matchup against the beleaguered Florida State Seminoles.
The 91-89 upset the No. 12 Cavaliers (17-6, 6-6 ACC) pulled off Wednesday night instantly entered the annals of Virginia basketball history as the one of the Cavaliers' biggest victories since the perennial glory days of the Ralph Sampson era.
But memories from last year have tempered the team's celebration and focused them on the upcoming game. Last year, Virginia traveled to Chapel Hill and upset North Carolina, 90-76, only to follow the triumph with a nightmarish 71-64 loss in Tallahassee.
"We just have to put this win behind us and prepare to go to FSU," Cavalier forward Chris Williams said. "Last year we won big at home against UNC and then lost at FSU. We have to remember that and make sure it doesn't happen again."
While the Cavaliers are 12-1 at home, they are only 5-5 on the road. Recent away losses to N.C. State on Feb. 7 and Georgia Tech on Feb. 11 have dropped Virginia into a four-way tie for third place in the ACC.
Guard Roger Mason Jr., said the Cavaliers still have much to prove.
"I think we need to stop all the talk about our home-court advantage and go on the road, and show we're capable of winning some games and showing some character," Mason said.
Virginia coach Pete Gillen concurred, and mentioned the squad's maturation process as a top 10 team.
"The FSU game is important and a big test for us," Gillen said. "We're not at that consistent level yet mentally or physically. We can beat anybody, but we can also lose to anybody."
The Seminoles (7-17, 2-9) are coming off their biggest win of the season Wednesday night, an upset victory on the road against No. 17 Maryland, 74-71. Taking an early lead, Florida State extended its advantage to as much as 12 points and never trailed the Terps after that. The win was its first in 10 games against Maryland and moved the Seminoles out of the ACC cellar.
A trio of guards lead the Seminoles: junior Monte Cummings and seniors Adrian Crawford and Delvon Arrington. Arrington leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 points, 4.9 assits and 2 steals a game. Cummings and Crawford add 11.3 and 10.6 points a game, respectively.
In Virginia's unpredictable conference journey this year, big wins have often been followed by anemic defeats. This trend must change - and change soon - if the Cavaliers are to have any meaningful post-season success.
"If we can't win at Florida State on Saturday, it's like we're giving this one away," Mason said. "If we're going to be the team we want to be, this has to be a beginning. It can't be an end. We can't let another letdown happen again"
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