Florida State men's basketball is generating excitement around the Tallahassee under the new leadership of head coach Luke Loucks. The former Seminole has emphasized the importance of up-tempo offense and letting perimeter shots fire.
That is the perk of Loucks working with Steph Curry and DeAaron Fox, respectively, in his NBA coaching career. Let's not getting carried away about the Seminoles' success, as they have defeated Alcorn State and Alabama State to open the year.
The real obstacle is coming tonight, as Florida State takes on the defending national champion Florida Gators on the road at 7:00 PM EST on the SEC Network.
DOES FSU HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST UF?
This is a tough ask for a Seminole team that is piecing everything together and learning to play together. Obviously, the Gators have holes on their roster where they need new faces to emerge. However, the returning duo of Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon could create difficulties for Florida State in this one.
It also doesn't help when center Micah Handlogten is averaging a double-double in his first two games. Players such as guards Robert McCray V and Lajae Jones have been productive for the Seminoles, and will need to have their A+ game to give Florida State a chance.
DraftKings Sportsbook has the Seminoles listed as 18.5-point road underdogs for the matchup, so it could be an uphill battle to keep the game competitive.
Forward Alex Steen will have to be the player to emerge for Florida State in maintaining a sense of aggression against a lankier Florida squad. According to ESPN Stats and Information, Steen is the Seminoles' leading rebounder (7) and shot blocker (1.5), so his presence in the paint will be needed in this one.
This would be a monumental victory if Coach Loucks can pull this one off against the Gators, but the ultimate goal is to see how the squad handles the adversity on the road and grow from the experience to better themselves in conference play.