FSU Basketball: Quick takeaways from 2018-19 schedule release

FSU basketball now knows when they will play each game during the upcoming season, and these are the key things to know about what’s to come.

Coming off their third ever visit to the elite eight in program history, the FSU basketball team knew they were going to have quite an uphill battle to return this upcoming season with a schedule of games that includes the always tough ACC foes as well as the traditional scheduling of non-confernce games that head coach Leonard Hamilton doesn’t shy away from.

With that being said, there is a decent chance that the Seminoles might be playing the toughest slate of games they have ever faced in a regular season after the complete list of games was released this week by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Now only will FSU basketball be taking on potentially 11 teams who played in the NCAA tournament last season, they will be taking on their biggest rival just to start things off. Here’s a look at the three things to know about what you will see this coming season.

No. 1 – FSU basketball has their work cut out even before the conference slate starts

It was already known that the Seminoles are going to have quite the mountain to climb to avoid a rough start – as their first game is at home against rival Florida and they will have to face Sweet 16 foe Purdue by the end of November. But don’t forget that the Seminoles have to go to Orlando and possibly play teams like LSU and defending champ Villanova over Thanksgiving weekend.

The ACC’s release also gave away the fact that the Noles will again be playing in the Orange Bowl Classic on December 22nd in Sunrise against St. Louis (something that isn’t even on the Seminoles’ own site as of Saturday), again giving fans in South Florida multiple chances to see FSU basketball live.

No. 2 – The opening slate of conference games might be the most brutal in FSU basketball history

It doesn’t matter for the most part when you have to play teams like Virginia, Miami and Duke – all who went to the NCAA Tournament last season – since they will be there no matter what. But considering the fact that the Seminoles have to start the season with all three teams (luckily with the Canes and Blue Devils at home) means that someone likes playing mean tricks.

No. 3 – Over two thirds of the games for FSU basketball this season will be in the state of Florida

While the Seminoles have gone on the road multiple times before, just two of the teams 13 non-conference games will be played outside the Sunshine State (at Tulane and vs. UConn in Newark, NJ) while playing an ACC game at Miami means that only 10 of the team’s 31 total games in the regular season will be taking place somewhere outside of Florida.

Will all that home cooking help or hurt the Seminoles should they make it to the NCAA Tournament – assuming they don’t get sent to the first and second round games in Jacksonville? Only time will tell.