Louisville-Florida State preview

Dec 10, 2022 - 3:18 AM

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Louisville Cardinals (0-8, 0-1) at Florida State Seminoles (1-9, 0-1)

Game Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Donald L. Tucker Civic Center: Tallahassee, Fla.

Television: ACC Network

Announcers: Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (analysis)

Favorite: Florida State by 10

Series: Louisville leads, 34-16

Last Meeting: Florida State won 79-70 on Jan. 8, 2022 in Tallahassee

Series History:

Statistics:

Relevant Videos:

Florida State’s Season to Date:

About Florida State:

Much like Louisville, it’s been a season to forget so far for Florida State, which is off to a 1-9 start for the first time in nearly a century.

The Seminoles’ disastrous season took another hit earlier this week when Cam’Ron Fletcher, a Kentucky transfer, suffered a right knee injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. The junior had been Leonard Hamilton’s most consistent performer, averaging 10.8 ppg and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game.

Typically known for its monstrous size, this year’s Seminoles are more guard-driven. Junior Darin Green leads the team in scoring at 13.1 ppg, with former highly-touted recruit Matthew Cleveland (12.2 ppg) and former Houston transfer Caleb Mills (11.8 ppg) joining hi as double figure scorers.

Florida State plays at one of the fastest paces in the ACC (62nd fastest in the country), but thus far has been an abhorrent shooting team. They are connecting on just 31.8 percent of their three-point shots and only 44.5 percent of their shots from inside the arc. Unlike in past seasons, the Seminoles are also getting worked on the glass, where they are giving up offensive rebounds on 36.8 percent of their defensive possessions, a higher percentage than all but 15 teams in Division-I.

Tallahassee has been a house of horrors for Louisville in recent seasons, but this is the worst team Florida State has fielded in a long, long time. Unfortunately, ... well you know the rest.

Notable:

—Florida State is riding a five-game winning streak over Louisville for the first time in the lengthy series between the two programs. Before this current run, the Seminoles had only once won back-to-back games over the Cardinals, and that happened all the way back in 1978. U of L’s longest winning streak over FSU is nine games, which lasted from 1978-1982.

—FSU has won its last three games over Louisville all by at least nine points.

—Louisville is 0-8 for the first time since it lost the first 11 games of the 1940-41 season. That Cardinal team finished 2-14.

—Louisville has lost five consecutive games by 15 points or more for the first time in program history.

—Louisville is one of just two power conference teams over the last 40 years to start a season 0-8.

—Florida State is 7-4 against Louisville since the Cardinals joined the ACC in 2014-15.

—Louisville is 6-7 all-time in games against Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton. The Cards are 4-7 against Hamilton at FSU, and went 2-0 against him during his time at Oklahoma State.

—Louisville’s 8-game losing streak to start a season is tied for the longest in the history of the ACC. They’ll set a new record with a loss on Saturday.

—Florida State is 89-12 at home in the last six (plus) seasons (.881 winning percentage). The Seminoles have won 89 of their last 101 home games since February 27, 2015.

—Louisville has a 50-16 record in the month of December over the last nine years.

—Louisville is 12-10 all-time in games against Florida State played in Tallahassee.

—This is the first true road game of the season for the Cardinals, who’ve played five home games and three games in Maui. Excluding the 2020-21 COVID-19 season, this is the latest Louisville has played its first true road game since 2014-15. Louisville has won its first conference road game in 12 of the last 15 seasons.

—Louisville ranks 356th in the nation in turnover percentage (24.6%), as well as 352nd in non-steal turnover percentage (12.7%).

—Louisville is 217-13 over the last 20 seasons and 14-1 over the last three when scoring 80 points or more.

—Louisville is 14-0 over the past 10 seasons when limiting opponents to no more than one three-point field goal.

—Since 2004, Louisville is 131-0 when leading by more than 10 points at halftime.

—Louisville has won 162 consecutive games when holding an opponent under 50 points.

—Louisville has won 156 consecutive games when scoring at least 85 points in regulation.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Florida State 73, Louisville 66