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FSU basketball: Keys to victory against Louisville Cardinals

By Kelvin Hunt

Jan 25, 2020; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard MJ Walker (23) shoots the ball over Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward John Mooney (33) during the second half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2020; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard MJ Walker (23) shoots the ball over Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward John Mooney (33) during the second half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports /
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FSU basketball (7-2, 3-1 ACC) returns to action Monday night against the No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (9-2, 3-1 ACC).

The Noles are coming off an exciting win against North Carolina Saturday for their second consecutive win in 2021.

Both teams have quick turnarounds, with Louisville is coming off a 78-72 loss against Miami Saturday.

It’s a game the Noles are slight underdogs, coming in at +1.5, according to The Action Network.

The over/under for the game is 140.5, so oddsmakers are expecting a 71-69 type gave in favor of the Cardinals.

FSU Basketball Keys To Victory

  • Take Good Shots
  • Limit Turnovers
  • Rebound

The Noles have done a better job of not settling for jump shots, especially forcing three-pointers. The times they struggled offensively against North Carolina was when they forced three-pointers. When they attacked the rim, it allowed them to get to the free-throw line and several And1 conversions.

FSU started the UNC game sloppy with several turnovers early. They finished the game with 17, and that’s too many if they plan to beat a good Louisville team. They are averaging 13.8 per game and ideally need to stay at or below that mark Monday night.

Rebounding is something the Noles did well against North Carolina, who’s a great rebounding team. Louisville has three players that average six rebounds per game or more, and about 25 percent of their rebounds are of the offensive variety.

Parting Thoughts

FSU basketball has played well offensively the first two games of the year and saw their defense kick it up a notch at times against North Carolina. The latter will need to continue Monday night. Louisville doesn’t shoot the three-pointer well aside from guard David Johnson. The Noles need to guard well off the perimeter and force the Cardinals to settle for jump shots.

The FSU big men need to play big as they did against North Carolina and limit Louisville’s offensive possessions. I’m not sure if Scottie Barnes will play, as he missed the North Carolina game. If not, RaiQuan Gray and MJ Walker need to continue attacking off the dribble, with Anthony Polite continuing to be NBA Jam hot from three-point range. This game is winnable if the Noles play like they’ve been playing the last two games. See you guys Monday night!

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