FSU vs. Florida: How to watch, game thread, odds

After a 2-0 start to the season, the Florida State Seminoles men’s basketball team is headed down to Gainsville to take on the Florida Gators (2-1).

Florida’s one loss this season was a 73-70 slip-up against the Virginia Cavaliers in its second game of the season — its last time out on the court was an 89-68 win over FAMU.

The Gators won last year’s matchup 76-67, overcoming a 17-point halftime deficit to steal a win in Tallahassee. In 21 games against Florida, head coach Leonard Hamilton is 11-10 all-time and 7-2 in the last nine games in the series.

Some game notes, via FSU Sports Info:

2-0 SEMINOLES TRAVEL TO PLAY AT FLORIDA ON FRIDAY NIGHT

Florida State, which has won its first two games of the 2023-24 season by the same score of 94-67, travels to play at Florida at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in its first road game of the season. The Seminoles enter Friday’s game against the Gators having won seven of the last nine games played in the series between the two teams including winning three of the last four games in the series in games played in Gainesville. Florida State won seven straight games over the Gators from December 30, 2014 through December 12, 2020. The Seminoles’ streak included three consecutive wins (December 29, 2015, December 4 2017, and November 10, 2019) in Gainesville. Following Friday’s game at Florida, the Seminoles will travel to Daytona Beach, Fla., to play in the final two rounds of the 2023 Sunshine Slam at the Ocean Center. The Seminoles face UNLV on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. and either No. 25 Colorado or Richmond on Tuesday at either 4:00 p.m. of 6:30 p.m.

FLORIDA STATE VS. FLORIDA – CONNECTIONS

Florida State travels to play at Florida on November 17, 2023, at the Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Fla. The Seminoles have won seven of the last nine overall games, and three of the last four games against the Gators in games played on Florida’s home court. The Seminoles will face second-year Gator Head Coach Todd Golden for the second time as Golden took over the Gator program during the spring of 2022. Carlin Hartman, the second-year Associate Head Coach at Florida, played against Florida State twice during his career at Tulane – he was 1-1 against the Seminoles as a player and 1-1 as an assistant coach. Hartman led Tulane with 10 points and five assists in a 77- 61 win over Florida State in New Orleans and totaled 10 points and three rebounds in an 85-79 Seminole win at the Donald L. Tucker Center on February 2, 1991. He was also an assistant at Rice when the Seminoles took a 79- 54 win on November 29, 1996. Associate Head Coach Korey McCray got his start in the college coaching ranks at Florida State as a graduate assistant under Leonard Hamilton. He earned a master’s degree in adult education with a minor in higher education at FSU in 2004. Director of Player Development Tauren Green, who played for the Gators from 2004-07, was 2-2 as a player against Florida State during his career. Player development assistant Jordan Talley has Tallahassee ties as he helped Tallahassee Community College (as an assistant coach) to a Panhandle Conference championship, and the team sent 10 players to Division I including the No. 1 player in junior college.

A STATISTICAL ODDITY — SCORIGAMI

Florida State entered the 2023-24 season having played 2,170 games. During those 2,170 games, the Seminoles had never won a game by a score of 94-67. Now, with consecutive 94-67 wins over Kennesaw State (November 10) and Central Michigan (November 13), they have won two games by the same score of 94-67.

SEMINOLES AVERAGING 94.0 POINTS SCORED IN FIRST TWO GAMES

Florida State enters Friday’s game at Florida averaging 94 points and shooting .506 percent from the field in its first two games of the 2023-24 season. The Seminoles scored 94 points in both of their first two games while shooting a .606 percent from the field in their win over Central Michigan in the first round of the Sunshine Slam on Monday night in Tallahassee.

SEMINOLES WITH SIX IN DOUBLE FIGURE SCORING ENTERING FRIDAY’S GAME AT FLORIDA

Florida State enters Friday’s game at Florida with six players – Daring Green Jr, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Jamir Watkins, Cam Corhen, and Baba Miller – averaging in double figure scoring. Three players – Corhen, Green, and Fletcher – have scored in double figures in both games. Green Jr (18 points against Kennesaw) and Watkins (19 points against Central Michigan) have led the Seminoles in scoring in the first two games of the season. Head Coach Leonard Hamilton’s system is built on many standout actions by his players, including not relying on any one player to lead the Seminoles in scoring each night. A total of nine different players led the Seminoles in scoring at least once during the 2022-23 season.

FLORIDA STATE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AGAINST TEAMS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Florida State is 38-12 (.760 winning percentage) since the start of the 2013-14 season against teams from the state of Florida. The Seminoles’ record includes a mark of 7-3 against the Florida Gators.

FLORIDA STATE IN THE GIVING MOOD

Florida State enters Friday’s game against Florida State with 46 assists in its first two games and a total of 46 assists on its first 49 baskets of the season. Led by eight assists each by Jamir Watkins (he totaled a team-high six assists in the Seminoles’ victory over Central Michigan) and Chandler Jackson (he has totaled four assists in both of Florida State’s first two games), a total of five Seminoles have at least four assists in the first two games of the season. Florida State averaged 13 assists with its 2022-23 season-high of 23 coming against Georgia Tech on January 7, 2023.

FLORIDA STATE ALSO IN THE TAKING MOOD

Florida State totaled 13 steals in its victory over Central Michigan on Monday night in Tallahassee and has earned 24 steals in its first two games of the 2023-24 season. Sophomore Baba Miller, who totaled three steals against Central Michigan and two against Kennesaw State, enters Friday’s game against Florida as the Seminoles’ leader in steals. A total of four different Seminoles – Miller, Jamir Watkins, Cam’Ron Fletcher, and Jalen Warley – have at least three steals each in the first two games of the season. Florida State averaged 6.2 steals last year with its 2022-23 with its season-high of 15 steals against Boston College on February 18, 2023.

According to DraftKings, FSU is a 9-point underdog to the Gators.

FSU vs. Florida: How to stream

Date

Friday, November 17

Time

7 p.m.

Stream

SEC Network

Listen

Seminoles Radio Network, SiriusXM RADIO FSU Broadcast: CH. 119 or 193

Projected Florida State starting lineup

Forward Jamir Watkins, 10.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG

Forward Cameron Corhen, 10.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG

Forward Baba Miller, 10.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG

Guard Jalen Warley, 3.5 PPG, 3.5 APG

Guard Darin Green Jr., 17.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG

Projected Florida starting lineup

Forward Tyrese Samuel, 11.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG

Center Micah Handlogten, 10.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, .714 FG%

Guard Walter Clayton Jr., 10.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.0 APG

Guard Riley Kugel, 14.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.7 STL

Guard Will Richard, 13.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.0 3FG