Preview: FSU Looks to Avoid Season Sweep vs. Rival Miami

After sweeping rival Miami last season, Florida State will try to stop the Hurricanes from returning the favor when it plays host to its rivals on Saturday. Florida State fell behind big early before being defeated by Miami in the first meeting in Coral Gables earlier this month, 80-74.

The last time the teams split the season series was the 2014-15 season. FSU will be looking for a third straight ACC win after defeating Virginia Tech last weekend and Georgia Tech on Wednesday. The Hurricanes are also winners of two straight after hard-fought wins at N.C. State and over Louisville in overtime.

The Match-Up

Who: Miami Hurricanes (15-4, 4-3 ACC) at Florida State Seminoles (15-5, 4-4 ACC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. EST (ACC Network)
Where: Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida

Key Players

For Miami: Sophomore forward Dewan Huell leads Miami, averaging nearly 14 points per game, 1.2 blocks and with a field goal rate of greater than 62 percent. Bruce Brown scores better than 11 points per game to go with team-high averages of 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals. Lonnie Walker IV scores better than 10 points per contest.

For Florida State: Terance Mann, a junior slasher, scores better than 16 points per game to go with a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game and a 61 percent shooting mark. Senior guard Braian Angola averages 14.6 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals. He’s also shooting 41 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Senior forward Phil Cofer scores 12.5 points per game on 49 percent shooting to go with 5.6 rebounds per contest.

What to Watch For

Terance Mann: Florida State leading scorer Terance Mann continued his outstanding season on Wednesday night with a career-high 30 points in an 88-77 win over Georgia Tech. Mann has scored in double-figures in 16 of his 19 games this season and at least 20 on seven occasions. Mann however, was held in check in his trip to Miami, finishing with 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting. Against an athletic, physical Miami team, a big day from Mann would go a long way.

Dewan Huell: Talented and athletic big men have given Florida State fits this season and Miami sophomore Dewan Huell is no exception. In the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 7, Huell finished with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting and eight rebounds. FSU has done a decent job containing guys like North Carolina’s Luke Maye and Georgia Tech’s Ben Lammers, but neither of those two have the athleticism of Huell, Louisville’s Ray Spalding or Duke’s Marvin Bagley. Finding a way to hold Huell in check on Saturday would go a long way in FSU picking up the victory.

3-point shooting: After a lengthy slump, Florida State looks to have found its rhythm again from beyond the 3-point arc. In consecutive victories over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, the Seminoles are 14-for-33 — a respectable 42 percent. During the first meeting with the Hurricanes however, FSU was just 5-for-24. The Hurricanes haven’t been a great 3-point shooting team, ranking just 13th in the ACC in 3-pointers made and 10th in 3-point percentage. D.J. Vasiljevic leads Miami in makes while Anthony Lawrence has been the most efficient at 47 percent. Miami is holding foes to just 30 percent from deep for the season. Among ACC schools, only Boston College and Virginia Tech have made more triples than the Seminoles. Angola is the guy to watch for FSU from distance.

The battle on the glass: Despite a dismal offensive showing in the first meeting, Florida State was able to stay competitive against Miami, thanks to its work on the glass. In the first game back from injury for Christ Koumadje, FSU outrebounded the Hurricanes, 44-32. Since Koumadje’s return, FSU is getting the better of its opponents by eight rebounds per game and had won that battle in five straight games until Wednesday. Huell and Bruce Brown are excellent rebounders for Miami, but as a team, the Hurricanes rank just 12th in the ACC in rebounding margin while FSU is fourth. Anthony Lawrence of Miami and FSU’s Mfiondu Kabengele each finished with a game-high 12 rebounds in the first meeting.

Number to Pay Attention To

1: FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton is the only coach to be the winningest at two current ACC programs. Hamilton has 319 wins at FSU — 297 when vacated wins are factored in — and had 144 wins in nine seasons with Miami from 1991 until 2000. Hamilton is 18-12 against Miami at FSU. He never faced the Seminoles while coaching in Coral Gables.

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