FSU Basketball has complicated history against Miami Hurricanes

FSU basketball will get back on the court Sunday against their rivals form South Florida, a team who they have never really been able to fully dominate.

While many fans of the Florida State Seminoles have more of a genuine hatred for the rival Florida Gators (like myself), it is actually the Miami Hurricanes who have been playing the Noles for a longer period. While the football teams met for the first time in 1951 – seven seasons before FSU met Florida – FSU basketball also played the ‘Canes on the court one season before meeting UF.

Over the nearly seven decades since the Seminoles and Hurricanes met for the first time in December of 1950, the teams have had quite an interesting – and for a portion of time – interrupted history that has seen neither team really be able to dominate for a sustained period of time.

Since Miami joined the ACC during the 2004-05 season, FSU basketball has been able to pull out a slight edge with a 17-12 lead in the series heading into Sunday’s game in Coral Gables – a place the Seminoles have played just .500 ball (7-7) over that span while being 9-5 in Tallahassee, site of their win earlier this month, and 1-0 in their neutral site game during the 2009 tournament.

The Noles did have dominance over one span when Miami won just five games over Florida State in a 20 year period – of course, 15 of those years the Hurricanes didn’t have a program before restarting it in 1986. Over 18 seasons, the teams met just eight times with FSU basketball winning five of those games.

For nearly two decades following their first meeting, the ‘Noles and ‘Canes were an almost twice a season standard in the Sunshine State – but again, the Seminoles were only able to edge out a 23-21 series lead over that span as part of their overall 45-36 series lead.

Over the last eight seasons, the teams have split their two games in four of those years – while the Seminoles and ‘Canes have swept the other team twice each over that same span. Needless to say, it doesn’t get more equal than what has taken place over this past decade.

The shared history of course is highlighted by the mutual connection of Leonard Hamilton, the all-time wins leader for coaches in FSU basketball history who held that same spot for the ‘Canes following his stint there. Hamilton holds a 19-12 record over UM with the Noles but never faced FSU while coaching at Miami.

So, what does this mean for Sunday’s game between the two teams? It means that nothing can be taken for granted and FSU basketball knows it must bring its best game even with Miami having a down year in what was supposed to be a season ending in the NCAA tournament.