FSU vs Charleston Southern

Florida State has put together an impressive out of conference resume, and had they managed one more stop vs Michigan or Florida, the Noles would be ranked. Now FSU has to take care of business vs Charleston Southern (5-6) to avoid any questionable ooc losses that will haunt them in March.

The Buccaneers record of 5-6 is a bit misleading. Expecting to compete for the Big South title and their first NCAA bid since 1997, Charleston Southern has been willing to play anyone, anywhere, in an effort to get their guys comfortable against bigger and more talented players. They've played games at Delaware, New Mexico, Baylor, Alabama, and now Florida State.

Like FSU's game vs UMass, the Noles will again be playing against a tiny but talented guard. 5-8 junior Saah Nimley leads the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and assists (5.9). Half his shots are 3s and he's made 39%. He's attempted at least four 3s in every game but one, and has a high of 13 attempts. Last year he took 10 or more 3s eight times.

That's the one part of this offense the Noles need to be completely focused on - find the shooters. 45% of their shots come from behind the arc, which is the 10th most nationally, and they make 39%. They almost won at Baylor by making 12-26 3s.

This could be an intriguing matchup. If CSU can find open looks, they could easily knock down enough 3s to make it a game. If the Noles can shut that down the lead should be safe the entire 2nd half.

However it plays out, the Noles just need to win and move on.

The game tips at 7pm and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net and ESPN3. Pomeroy has FSU by 17.