Three Players To Watch During No. 15 Virginia’s Matchup vs. Florida State

Which players should fans keep an eye on tonight?

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers are approaching their next matchup scheduled for later tonight in Tallahassee, Fla. They will be facing the Florida State Seminoles, who are currently 20-3 overall and 9-2 in conference play. To date, their only ACC losses have been to Virginia Tech (95-85) and North Carolina (85-80).

During their latest matchup, they clinched a 72-59 victory over Syracuse, extending their winning streak to four games. However, that was a home game at John Paul Jones Arena. UVA is now playing on the road, inevitably increasing the pressure.

Ahead of the 7 p.m. ET tipoff, here are three players that Virginia fans should keep an eye on.

Ugonna Onyenso

Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Onyenso has consistently been one of UVA's top three rebounders. Right now, Thijs De Ridder takes the lead with 6.5 per game, and Johann Grünloh follows up with 6.0 per game. Onyenso claims 4.7 per game, but over the weekend, and recorded eight rebounds. He is a major defensive asset for the Cavaliers, and his value will only increase if he can continue ramping up through this tough stretch of games.

Chance Mallory

Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

When Virginia faced the Orange, Mallory posted five points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals, while shooting 33.3% from the floor. He is not UVA's strongest contributor, but he's only a freshman. He undoubtedly brings a spark to the team, and head coach Ryan Odom can speak to this. As he stated during his postgame press conference:

"He's just a winner. He's just a winner. I mean, he started the initial run with this steal and the inbounds play, just tipping it and getting it, and then Sam gets the three in the corner. So, he made plays throughout the game and helped this team. He doesn't always have to score to be impactful, and he's just a good player."

Thijs De Ridder

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

De Ridder is typically a headliner for the Cavaliers, but his recent game was not his most productive. By the end of the night, he had logged just nine points, five rebounds and one assist, shooting 27.2% from the floor. Compared to his Jan. 27 contest against Notre Dame, in which he scored a shocking 32 points and posted eight rebounds, this was nowhere near his full potential.

Tonight, it will be interesting to see if De Ridder can bounce back just in time for his daunting string of games. Soon, Virginia will be facing Miami, NC State and Duke—now is not the time for their leading scorer to start slowing down.