Preview: FSU Hosts Wake to Start ACC Play

At 12-1, Florida State has its highest national ranking in nearly five years, but non-conference play is over and the ACC slate won’t be an easy one. That slate begins on Wednesday as the Seminoles welcome in Wake Forest in the conference opener for both teams.

The Demon Deacons, under third-year head coach Danny Manning, are off to a 9-3 start and have legitimate NCAA Tournament aspirations. Like FSU, Wake Forest has had no trouble putting the ball in the basket, but are just 3-2 on the road this season. In the only meeting between the schools last season, FSU won 91-71 in Winston-Salem.

The Match-Up

Who: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (9-3) at No. 20 Florida State Seminoles (12-1)
When: Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. EST (ESPN2)
Where: Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida

Key Players

For Wake Forest: Forward John Collins, a 6-10 sophomore, has been the guy for the Demon Deacons this season, averaging a double-double at 17.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent from the floor. Sophomore Bryant Crawford is also off to an excellent start, averaging more than 14 points and 6.3 assists to lead the team. Sophomore guard and Charlotte transfer Keyshawn Woods is scoring 13 points per game on 56 percent from the floor and 50 percent from deep. Junior Konstantinos Mitoglou is 6-10 and can stroke it from deep. He’s also averaging in double-figures with more than 11 points per contest.

For Florida State: Dwayne Bacon is the Seminoles’ leading scorer for a second straight season, averaging nearly 17 points per game. Freshman Jonathan Isaac is a walking mismatch at 6-10 and is averaging nearly 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds per contest. Xavier Rathan-Mayes is scoring 10 points per game and averaging nearly five assists.

What to Watch For

3-point shooting: To an extent, Wake Forest has lived and died by the 3-point shot this season. The Demon Deacons have five different players who have made at least 15 3-pointers this season and among ACC teams, only Syracuse and Notre Dame have made more. In victories this season, Wake is shooting nearly 44 percent from deep. In losses, that number is less than 27. FSU ranks in the middle of the pack in the ACC in 3-point shooting, but the Demon Deacons are the worst team in the conference when it comes to defending the perimeter.

John Collins: Florida State’s big, talented front line of 7-4 Christ Koumadje, 7-1 Michael Ojo and 6-9 Jarquez Smith will have their hands full on Wednesday with Wake’s John Collins. A 6-10 sophomore, Collins can score, defend and rebound. Collins has scored in double-digits in every game this season and has seven double-doubles on the year. Collins is a player who could lure help defenders to the block to open up things for shooters and/or create extra possessions on the glass. The good news for FSU is that against talented big men like Minnesota’s Reggie Lynch and Jordan Murphy, George Washington’s Tyler Cavanaugh and Florida’s John Egbunu, the Seminoles have made them virtual non-factors.

Jonathan Isaac: After a hot start to his freshman season, Jonathan Isaac has been quiet of late, averaging less than eight points on just 5-for-12 shooting over his last three games after battling a hip flexor injury. The problem for Wake is that it doesn’t really have a player who can match up with the 6-10 Isaac on the perimeter. Austin Arians will probably draw the assignment on Wednesday. Arians is a 6-6 senior who transferred to Wake Forest from Milwaukee-Wisconsin.

Point guard match-up: The battle of the point guards on Wednesday could be a real sight to see as Bryant Crawford and Xavier Rathan-Mayes go at it. After a decent freshman campaign, Crawford has really broken out as a sophomore, averaging better than 14 points, 6.3 assists and nearly two steals. FSU’s Xavier Rathan-Mayes is averaging 10 points and 4.8 assists and really seems to be settling in his role as a facilitator. Both rank in the top 5 in the ACC in assists and both have really become more efficient from the field. Both players finished with 13 points and three assists in last season’s contest.

Number to Pay Attention To

2-3: That’s the teams’ combined record in games decided by seven points or less this season. Neither FSU nor Wake Forest has played in many close games this season and when they have, they’ve lost more than they’ve won. If this one is close down the stretch, it’s hard to say which team that would favor. One thing to keep in mind is that FSU has a significant edge in depth.

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