After two straight road contests, Florida State begins a mini 2-game homestand on Wednesday night against Georgia Tech. Despite hovering just over .500 overall, the Yellow Jackets have a better record than FSU in ACC play.
FSU will look to get back to .500 in ACC play after a 2-4 start. The Seminoles defeated Virginia Tech on Saturday in Blacksburg, 91-82. Georgia Tech is 3-3 in conference after consecutive losses to Virginia and North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets have won two straight in the series, including a 78-56 thumping of No. 6 FSU last season. They had lost the previous 10 to the Seminoles.
The Match-Up
Who: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-9, 3-3 ACC) at Florida State Seminoles (14-5, 3-4 ACC)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. EST (Raycom Sports Network)
Where: Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida
Key Players
For Georgia Tech: Sophomore guard Josh Okogie averages nearly 18 points and 5.3 rebounds to lead Georgia Tech. Tadric Jackson, a senior guard, averages better than 13 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field. Freshman Jose Alvarado averages nearly 13 points and a team-high 3.1 assists per game. Ben Lammers, a 6-foot-10 senior, scores nearly 12 points to go with team-highs of 8.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.
For Florida State: While shooting an efficient 59 percent, junior guard Terance Mann continues to lead the Seminoles with 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Senior guard Braian Angola averages better than 14 points per game, 3.3 assists and a team-high 1.6 steals. Senior Phil Cofer, though slumping of late, scores 12.5 points per game and grabs 5.7 boards while shooting 48 percent.
What to Watch For
Bigs: Size won’t an issue for either team on Wednesday night as both boast prominent big men. Ben Lammers ranks third in the ACC and 12th nationally in blocked shots at nearly three per game for Georgia Tech. Lammers finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in last season’s win over the Seminoles. Both the Yellow Jackets and Seminoles rank in the top 35 nationally in blocks. The Seminoles use a pair of 7-footers in junior Christ Koumadje and freshman Ike Obiagu. Since the 7-4 Koumadje returned from a foot injury, the Seminoles are outrebounding opponents by more than 11 boards per game. The Yellow Jackets rank just 12th in the ACC in rebounding margin.
Josh Okogie: Florida State had no answer last season for Georgia Tech guard Josh Okogie. Then a freshman, Okogie lit the Seminoles up for a career-high 35 points on 10-for-17 shooting to go with 14 rebounds. At 6-4, Okogie can score in a number of ways and is the straw that stirs the drink for the Yellow Jacket offense. Okogie missed the first eight games for the Yellow Jackets this season, but has scored at least 12 points in 10 of his 11 games since returning, including a season-high 30 in an upset win over Miami.
M.J. Walker: After averaging just 5.6 points and shooting just 34 percent over his previous five games, touted freshman M.J. Walker had a coming out party for Florida State in Saturday’s win over Virginia Tech. Walker finished with a career-high 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting and 4-for-7 from deep. Walker is probably FSU’s best NBA prospect and has the ability to carry a team offensively. Head coach Leonard Hamilton and company are hopeful that Saturday’s effort was a sign that Walker is turning the corner.
Pace: Wednesday’s contest will feature a contrasting of styles. It’s become no secret that FSU is a team that likes to use its athleticism and get out and run. Georgia Tech, under Josh Pastner, is more inclined to play a slow-paced half-court game. To illustrate that, the Yellow Jackets have attempted 219 fewer shots this season than FSU. Last season, the Yellow Jackets were able to prevent FSU from getting out and running while holding the Seminoles to just 28 percent shooting in Atlanta. The Seminoles will be hoping the home crowd came ignite energy and pace.
Number to Pay Attention To
7-3: That’s Florida State’s record at home against Georgia Tech under head coach Leonard Hamilton. Four of those 10 contests have been decided by four points or less.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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