FSU Basketball: Three takeaways from 2017-18 schedule for Noles
By Jason Parker
FSU basketball now knows its schedule of games for the upcoming season – and here are the top three things to know for the Seminoles entering the season.
In just over two months, the FSU basketball team will take to the court inside the Tucker Center to open their 2017-18 season. It’s a year that will be interesting as the Seminoles will be looking to capitalize off a NCAA tournament bid last season – while trying to get back to that point in the postseason replacing four of the five starters from last year’s squad.
Head coach Leonard Hamilton will be looking to replace the top three scorers from last year’s team – including two NBA draft picks in Jonathan Isaac and Dwayne Bacon – while once again having to deal with a brutal schedule in both the ACC and the non-conference slate.
The entire schedule can be found here, and if you are a fan of FSU basketball you are going to be in for a fun season. The conference did the Seminoles no favors this season – and that’s just one of the three biggest takeaways from the 2017-18 schedule.
No. 1 – The first part of the conference schedule for FSU basketball is beyond brutal
For a team that finished second in the conference last season, the folks in Greensboro decided to have a little fun with the Noles this season. The first five games of the conference schedule are ones that will give Hamilton headaches: at Duke, vs. defending champs North Carolina, at Miami, vs. Louisville and vs. Syracuse.
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Wow. That is a slate of games that is even tough by ACC standards. Much like last season’s slate of games against ranked teams for Florida State, this is going to be the make or break part of the season – and it’s very early on.
No. 2 – The final part of the schedule is made for the Seminoles to pad their resume
While the first five games of the conference season are mind boggling, the final five games of ACC play are much more manageable. The Seminoles have two games against Clemson, plus home contest with Pittsburgh and Boston College as well as a road game at N.C. State.
While the ACC is a tough conference and most games are going to be a challenge, this series of games is perfect for a FSU basketball team that might be on the bubble at that point in the season. A strong finish is something that looks good to the committee.
No. 3 – Florida State fans across the state will get a chance to watch their team
The Seminoles will be playing plenty of games inside the friendly confines of the Tucker Center – starting with their November 14th opener against George Washington – but if you can’t make it to Tallahassee for a game this season, there are still plenty of chances to see the garnet and gold in action.
The Sunshine State swing starts on December 4th when the Noles take on the hated Florida Gators in Gainesville. Six days later, it’s off to Tampa for a game against Tulane while six days after that, FSU basketball will be in South Florida to take on Oklahoma State in Sunrise as part of the Orange Bowl Classic.
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The final home state away game will be on January 7th when the Seminoles head to Coral Gables for that battle with the Hurricanes – a team that some think might make a run at the ACC crown this season, something Florida State would love to prevent.