Florida State basketball hosts No. 6 Duke for ACC home opener

6 days ago 2

Florida State men's basketball returns to the Donald L. Tucker Center for its ACC opener against No. 6 Duke on Saturday, Jan. 3.

While this will be the first meeting between FSU head coach Luke Loucjs and Duke's Jon Scheyer on the sidelines, the duo played against one another in 2009. The Blue Devils won that game 66-58.

FSU is 11-44 all-time against Duke, with the last win coming in 2022 for the Seminoles, a 79-78 overtime upset over a fifth-ranked Blue Devils team. Of the Seminoles' 11 wins, seven have come at home.

The Seminoles (7-7, 0-1 ACC) opened ACC play against No. 12 North Carolina, a 79-66 loss, and are winless against Power 4 opponents this season. The Blue Devils (12-1, 1,0 ACC) won their conference opener against Georgia Tech, 85-79, and come to Tallahassee as one of the nation's best teams, led by freshman sensation Cameron Boozer.

Boozer averages a nation-leading 23.5 points per game, while recording 10.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He is the focal point for a Duke offense that averages 87 points per game, and he'll be a handful for the Seminoles' defense, particularly forwards Chanucey Wiggins and Alex Steen, who are expected to be the primary defenders for him.

The Seminoles faced another freshman phenom in UNC's Caleb Wilson, who posted 22 points and 16 rebounds in the Tar Heels' win over FSU, and with a similar paint-heavy approach from Boozer, FSU has to try and force him to attack from the outside; however, Boozer is a 35.5% three-point shooter, making him one of the hardest players to guard effectively.

He's been one of the best players in the country alongside Wilson and BYU's AJ Dybantsa. While Boozer draws a lot of attention, the Blue Devils have strong play from guard Isiah Evans (12.2 PPG) and star defensive center Patrick Ngongba II, who scores 11.1 PPG and records 1.5 blocks per game.

FSU played a better game against UNC and was competitive in the first half. However, a cold streak from three in the second half allowed the Tar Heels to pull away.

Consistency from three remains an issue for the Seminoles, and facing Duke before games against North Carolina State, Syracuse and Wake Forest, the issues from behind the arc need to be addressed. As a team, FSU is shooting 31% from three and 42% from the field overall, which has prevented the team from cutting into or maintaining leads in games this season.

Where FSU has found success is in passing the ball, with guard Robert McCray V averaging 7.1 assists per game, ranked sixth in the nation. The Seminoles' offense revolves around McCray, be it scoring with his 13.4 points per game or setting up teammates, and he'll need to turn in a star-level performance if FSU wants any chance at a stunning upset.

Alongside McCray, Wiggins is averaging 12.3 points per game and 4.8 rebounds, and Steen averages 6.8 rebounds per game, including 3.4 offensive rebounds per game, an ACC best.