Florida State will look to improve to 5-0 for the first time since the 2011-12 season on Friday as it plays a second home game in three days against The Citadel. The Seminoles have yet to play a contest closer than 17 points and scored a season-high 98 points in Wednesday’s victory over Kennesaw State.
The Citadel has a winning record at 3-2 after taking two straight, but only one victory this season has come against a Division I opponent. The teams last met in Tallahassee in November 2014 with FSU winning, 66-55, behind 26 points from Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
The Match-Up
Who: The Citadel Bulldogs (3-2) at Florida State Seminoles (4-0)
When: Friday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. EST (ACC Network Extra)
Where: Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida
Key Players
For The Citadel: Sophomore guard Preston Parks is averaging nearly 15 points per game to lead the Bulldogs to go along with a team-high 4.4 assists and 2.6 steals. Parks is also shooting an outstanding 46 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Freshman guard Tariq Simmons is averaging just under 14 points while shooting 47 percent from deep. Junior Matt Frierson is averaging 10.4 points and shooting 48 percent from distance.
For Florida State: Junior slasher Terance Mann paces the Seminoles with 16 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 73 percent from the field. Senior forward Phil Cofer ranks second on the team in both categories at 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Freshman guard M.J. Walker is scoring 11.3 per contest and has been a marksman from deep, going 11-for-19 through four games from beyond the 3-point line.
What to Watch For
Phil Cofer: Perhaps the most pleasant surprise this season for Florida State, senior forward Phil Cofer is coming off a career-performance in which he put up 21 points and nine rebounds in a win over Kennesaw State. Regarded last season as a half-court player in a full-court offense, Cofer seems to have found his niche for head coach Leonard Hamilton and company this year.
Tempo: Getting out and running is something Florida State has certainly made an effort to do over the last four seasons and that has continued this season as the Seminoles have put their depth and athleticism to the test. The Citadel is also a team however, that likes to get out and run. Either the Bulldogs or their opponent have hit the century mark in three of their five games this season. Friday’s contest will likely bring a lot of points and very few long possessions.
Depth: Leonard Hamilton’s Florida State teams have always been known for their length and playing a lot of bodies. So far this season, FSU has 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game and 11 averaging at least nine. Things again aren’t much different for The Citadel. The Bulldogs have 10 players who average at least 11 minutes per game. Although the contest could be up and down the court, don’t expect either team to wear down.
Point Guard Play: Sophomore C.J. Walker is settling in to being the starting point guard for the Seminoles and had arguably his best game of the season on Wednesday with 11 points and two steals. The competition for Walker on Friday however, could be stiff. For The Ciatdel, Preston Parks is among the best guards in the Southern Conference. Parks averaged 17.5 points per game as a freshman to lead the Bulldogs, but has become a more complete player early on this season. So far as a sophomore, Parks has upped his assist and steal numbers while becoming more efficient as a scorer.
Number to Pay Attention To
23: That’s the number of consecutive home wins for Florida State following Wednesday’s victory over Kennesaw State. The Seminoles haven’t lost at home since falling to Georgia Tech on Feb. 16, 2016. FSU hasn’t lost a non-conference home game since falling to Nebraska in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 1, 2014.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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