Tarleton State vs Virginia Prediction - College Basketball Picks 11/6/23

The Tarleton State Texans will play the Virginia Cavaliers in a non-conference game on Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tarleton State finished right in the middle of the pack in the WAC standings, while Virginia was tied for first in the ACC with Miami. 

Tarleton State Preview

The Tarleton State Texans were 17-17 (9-9) last year and they finished seventh in the WAC standings. Tarleton State almost upset Arizona State in their opener last season and they did beat Boston College in the Paradise Jam. The Texans defeated UTRGV in their first game of the WAC Tournament, but they lost to Utah Valley by a score of 72-58 in their second game. Tarleton State did play in the CBI, where they lost in their first game against Radford. Tarleton State scored 71.9 points per game with 31.6 rebounds per game and 12.9 assists per game, while allowing 67.9 points against per game last year. The Texans do return their second and third leading scorers, Lue Williams and Jakorie Smith, which accounted for about 21 points per game last season. Tarleton State shot 45.4% from the field, 70% on free throws, and 33.8% on three pointers last year. 

Virginia Preview

The Virginia Cavaliers went 25-8 (15-5) last season and they finished tied for first place in the ACC with Miami. Virginia was one of the best teams in the country during the regular season, but they had a very disappointing end to their season. The Cavaliers defeated North Carolina and Clemson in the ACC Tournament, but they lost to Duke by a score of 59-49 in their third game. Virginia went into the NCAA Tournament with plenty of expectations, but they lost to Furman in the First Round. Virginia scored 67.8 points per game with 32.2 rebounds per game and 15.7 assists per game, while allowing 60.5 points against per game last year. Virginia did lose their top three leading scorers from last season, but they do return Reece Beekman, who averaged 9.5 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, and 5.3 assists per game. Virginia shot 44.9% from the field, 70.1% on free throws, and 35.3% on three pointers last year.