FSU basketball (3-1) returns to action on Friday night, hosting a non-conference game against the Georgia Southern Eagles (3-2). The Noles notched another win earlier this week, besting UT Martin on Tuesday night as they honored FSU legendary coach Leonard Hamilton.
FSU was without starter Chauncey Wiggins, but eventually pulled away from a young UT Martin team that was lighting it up from the three-point line. FSU struggled on offense, only shooting 43 percent overall and 57 percent from the free-throw line.
FSU also got outrebounded, and their lack of size was evident at various points in the game. Georgia Southern is a team similar to UT Martin. They score a lot of points and shoot well from the three-point line. They also struggle from the free-throw line and don’t rebound it as well as UT Martin.
The Eagles have four players averaging double figures, but they are not a very deep team. It’s a game FSU should easily win, as they are -17.5 betting favorites with the over/under points total at 175.5. Those odds imply a 97-79 victory for the Noles.
FSU only had six turnovers against UT Martin, which is an outstanding performance. The hope is they’ll make more of their open looks, rebound it better, and improve at the free-throw line. They do a good job of creating turnovers and turning those into points.
How well FSU plays this year will come down to those little things like: taking high percentage shots, limiting offensive rebounding, making free throws, and forcing turnovers to create offensive opportunities.
The game will begin at 6 p.m. and will air on the ACCNX channel.