Tallahassee, FL (Sports Network) - Sunshine State rivals meet up at the Tucker
Center on Wednesday, as the Florida State Seminoles get a shot at derailing
the third-ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes in Atlantic Coast Conference action.
Jim Larranaga's Hurricanes are the cream of the crop in the ACC and as result
of a current 11-game win streak, find themselves with their best ranking in
school history. Miami is a flawless 10-0 in conference play and most recently,
destroyed North Carolina 87-61 last weekend.
Leonard Hamilton's Seminoles were supposed to take the next step and vie for a
conference crown this year, but the team has failed to deliver on its
potential, struggling to a 13-10 overall record. Inconsistent play has
continued in league play with FSU splitting its 10 games thus far. Last
weekend, the Seminoles hit rock-bottom, getting routed by a Wake Forest team
that is below .500 on the year, 71-46.
Florida State holds a 40-30 advantage in the series with Miami and holds a
27-5 edge in games played in Tallahassee. However, Miami is seeking the
regular-season sweep after posting a rather easy 71-47 victory in Coral Gables
on Jan. 27.
Known for its defensive prowess, Miami flexed its offensive muscles in the
rout of North Carolina. The Hurricanes drained a school-record 15 3-pointers,
led by Shane Larkin's five treys. The sophomore guard led the team with 18
points, just missing a double-double with nine assists. Kenny Kadji and Durand
Scott poured in 17 points apiece, while Rion Brown added 11 points off the
bench.
It is the play at the defensive end that has defined Miami's season, with the
team limiting foes to a mere 59.0 ppg, on well under 40 percent shooting
(.378). Offensively, Miami is netting just over 70 points per game, fueled by
a trio of double-digit scorers. Scott leads the team at 14.0 ppg. Kadji has
been impressive in the frontcourt with 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Larkin nets 13.0 ppg and is the team's top distributor (4.3 apg). Reggie
Johnson (9.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Trey McKinney Jones (9.5 ppg) provide
additional options.
Florida State's inconsistencies this season are reflected in a scoring margin
of zero. The team is scoring and giving up 67.2 ppg. Still, if the Seminoles
are within striking distance as the clock runs down, Michael Snaer may be the
best closer in the conference, having already drained a few buzzer-beaters to
win games of late. Snaer is shooting just 40 percent from the floor, but still
leads the team with 13.9 ppg. Okaro White is the only other double-digit
scorer at this time, coming in at 12.0 ppg.
Snaer's flare for the dramatic never came into play against the Demon Deacons,
as FSU struggled from all over the floor, shooting .326 overall and just 14-
of-23 from the free-throw line. The team was also dominated on the glass,
getting outrebounded 45-25, while being outscored in the paint, 32-16. Snaer
and White were the only significant offensive contributors, posting 13 points
apiece in the loss.
The Sports Network