Florida State (2-1) hasn’t played since its close loss against the rival Florida Gators a week ago. The long layoff was something FSU head coach Luke Loucks wasn’t a fan of, but Tuesday night will be an opportunity to see how his team responds when they host UT Martin (3-0) in the Tucker Center at 7 p.m.
The high-scoring Skyhawks are 2-0 on the road early in the season, but will be massive betting underdogs against the Noles. FSU enters the contest as -22.5 betting favorites with the over/under points total at 162.5, according to Fanduel. Those odds imply a 92-70 FSU win.
FSU has played an uptempo style, relying on the three-point shot, defensive pressure to create turnovers, and the ability to get to the free-throw line, where they are shooting 79.7 percent from the charity stripe.
The Noles have four guys averaging in double figures, led by Robert McCray at 17.7 ppg. Chauncey Wiggins, Lajae Jones, and Kobe MaGee average 15, 13.7, and 13 points, respectively. The Noles average 95 ppg and only 11 turnovers.
The biggest question going into the game will be how they respond after their first loss and the long layoff. Their performance against the Florida Gators likely raised expectations from the fan base, and we’re curious to see if this team comes out flat after the long layoff against an inferior opponent.
The Skyhawks have three guys averaging in double figures, led by Andrija Bukumirovic at 20 ppg. The 6’7” forward averaged 6.7 rebounds and has made 9 of 13 three-point attempts (69 percent) in the young season. The other two leading scorers hail from Romania and Lithuania, and the other two starters are from overseas as well.
They average 87 ppg , and shoot 38 percent from the three-point line. However, they average 17.3 turnovers and only shoot 63 percent from the charity stripe.
They are a young team with two freshman, two sophomores, and a junior as starters. The game will air on the ACCNX channel.