FSU Basketball: Seminoles renew rivalry with Gators in Gainesville

The Seminoles men’s basketball team heads to Gainesville to take on the Gators tonight on ESPN2.

Game #12: Florida State (9-2, 0-0 ACC) vs. Florida (8-3, 0-0 SEC)

Where to Watch: 7:00 PM EST, ESPN2 / WatchESPN / ESPN app

Last Game:

Florida State: Win, 75-64 vs. Charleston Southern (Dec. 21)

Florida: Win, 89-65 vs. Jacksonville (Dec. 22)

The Low Down

The annual Florida State-Florida men’s basketball matchup shifts to Gainesville this year and is finally upon us, with tip off scheduled for 7 PM tonight inside the Gators’ O’Connell Center.

Leonard Hamilton’s Seminoles have come storming out of the gates with a 9-2 record, and are currently riding a five-game winning streak. Their last loss was way back on December 2, a 78-75 defeat at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes in the ACC/B1G Challenge.

Freshman guard Dwayne Bacon is enjoying consecutive ACC Rookie of the Week honors following a 20 point, 10 rebound performance in the Charleston Southern win. He also dropped 23 and three with four steals in the prior matchup against FAU, and is averaging a cool 17.2 points per game on 52.5% shooting so far this season.

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Of course, the Seminoles are getting no appreciation in the polls despite the solid start. However, that could change once conference play begins on Saturday. If Florida State can knock off some quality ACC opponents — their conference schedule begins with a trip to Clemson, followed by hosting North Carolina then consecutive trips to Miami and N.C. State — look for them to land solidly within the top 25.

As for the Gators, they’ve knocked off the early-season nobodies as you would expect, but haven’t fared so well against power schools in coach Michael White’s first half-season at the helm. Earlier this month they were dismantled by Miami and then beaten by a quality Michigan State squad. Granted, both teams are currently ranked and the Spartans are the #1 team in the country — their other loss was to Purdue on a neutral court, another ranked school — but there are certainly some question marks surrounding this Gators roster that includes 10 top 100 recruits (!), but just three seniors.

Prediction

The Gators’ defense has been its strong point, clocking in at third in the nation in defensive efficiency. Florida State has scored less than 75 points just once this season, so it will be intriguing to see which unit prevails tonight.

I predict the ‘Noles offensive powerhouse led by Bacon and sophomore guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes will put up big numbers against the Gators. But the game is taking place inside the always-loud O’Connell Center in Gainesville, and regardless of what sport, the Florida fans always make it difficult when the ‘Noles are in town. I think it will be another close one in this rivalry, but it probably won’t end quite like last year’s iteration did:

As with all road games, FSU will have to limit the turnovers and take smart shots. Both teams have had a full week to rest up, which should render this a close, entertaining matchup. This will obviously be the last chance for FSU’s five seniors to knock off the hated Gators, and I think they will come up big in front of a national audience: and if they do, just maybe they’ll crack the top 25 for the first time this year.

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