Preview: Seminoles Face Tulane in Tampa

Florida State is 8-0 for the first time since the 2003-04 season and will look to improve to 3-0 this season on neutral floors Sunday when it plays host to Tulane. The Green Wave are off to a 7-2 start with the losses coming on the road to Georgia State and North Carolina. Tulane defeated Southern its last time out while FSU is coming off a convincing win over Loyola-Maryland.

Both teams went 2-0 against Fordham and Colorado State earlier this season in Jamaica and it is worth noting that Tulane did beat Colorado State more convincingly. Sunday’s game will be the first meeting between the teams since December 1995 when the Green Wave won at home, 78-77. FSU is 6-0 against the Green Wave on neutral floors.

The Match-Up

Who: Tulane Green Wave (7-2) vs. Florida State Seminoles (8-0)
When: Sunday, Dec. 10 at 12 p.m. EST (ESPNU)
Where: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

Key Players

For Tulane: Junior Melvin Frazier, a 6-foot-6 slasher, leads the Green Wave averaging nearly 19 points on 61 percent shooting to go with a team-high tying 7.4 rebounds per game. Cameron Reynolds, a 6-8 swingman, is scoring nearly 17 points per contest on 45 percent from downtown to go with 5.4 rebounds. Samir Sehic, a 6-9 sophomore, is tied for the team-lead at 7.4 rebounds per game to go with 12.4 points.

For Florida State: Terance Mann averages 16 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 65 percent from the field. Senior Phil Cofer averages 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent. Guards C.J. Walker, a sophomore and Braian Angola, a senior, are each averaging more than 12 points per game. Angola’s 3.8 assists per game average leads the team.

What to Watch For

Slashers: Both teams possess players with size who can beat opponents inside or out. Terance Mann is the most notable for FSU at 6-6, but Mfiondu Kabengele, Braian Angola and Phil Cofer all fit that bill as well. For Tulane, Melvin Frazier, Cameron Reynolds and 6-6 junior Jordan Cornish are all at least 6-6 and all capable of playing on the perimeter as well as getting to the basket. For fans in Tampa, athleticism will not be at a loss.

C.J. Walker: After a slow start to his sophomore season, point guard C.J. Walker has been outstanding of late for Florida State. Over his last three games, Walker has averaged nearly 19 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and from beyond the 3-point arc. Walker will be facing bigger guards in Frazier and Ray Ona Embo, but don’t expect him to buck his recent trend of being aggressive.

Ike Obiagu: The Seminoles are certainly a better team with 7-4 center Chris Koumadje than without him, but in his absence, freshman Ike Obiagu has come into his own. In five games without Koumadje available, Obiagu is averaging 5.6 points on 12-for-23 shooting, but that’s not where he’s most valuable. He’s also averaging 4.4 rebounds and nearly three blocks. Against a Tulane team that has been good on the glass and likes to attack the rim, Obiagu could be a big factor.

Jordan Cornish: The Tulane junior Jordan Cornish is one of four players averaging in double-figures for the Green Wave, but how he plays seems to be indicative of how Tulane plays as a team. In wins this season, Cornish is shooting 42 percent from the field while averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds. In the two losses for the Green Wave, Cornish is averaging just eight points on 29 percent shooting, two rebounds and no assists.

Number to Pay Attention To

.377: That’s the field goal percentage that Florida State has been holding opponents to this season, which ranks 23rd nationally. Tulane has been efficient, shooting 47.6 percent from the field. In losses however, the Green Wave are shooting just 37.6 percent from the field.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson