Saturday’s top-20 contest in Chapel Hill will feature a pair of teams flying high as No. 16 Florida State visits eighth-ranked North Carolina. The Seminoles set a new school-record with eight straight ACC wins on Tuesday night by topping Clemson, 77-64.
One night later, the Tar Heels handled top-ranked Duke in Durham, 88-72. FSU snapped a 7-game losing streak to the Tar Heels last season with a thrilling 81-80 victory in Tallahassee. Under Leonard Hamilton, FSU is just 1-9 at North Carolina.
The Match-Up
Who: No. 16 Florida State Seminoles (21-5, 9-4 ACC) at No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels (21-5, 11-2 ACC)
When: Saturday, Feb. 23 at 3:45 p.m. EST (CBS)
Where: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Key Players
For FSU
Mfiondu Kabengele, F (So.): 13.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 53% FG
Terance Mann, G (Sr.): 11.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 52% FG
Trent Forrest, G (Jr.): 9.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2 SPG
For North Carolina
Cameron Johnson, G/F (Sr.): 16.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 47% 3PT
Cody White, G (Fr.): 15.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 1 SPG
Luke Maye, F (Sr.): 15.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 45% FG
What to Watch For
Rebounding: For Florida State to have a chance on Saturday, it will need to hold its own on the glass. FSU is a good rebounding team, but North Carolina currently leads the ACC and nation in rebounds per game. The Tar Heels also lead the conference in rebound margin and rank second nationally in that category. In last season’s 81-80 FSU victory, North Carolina held the advantage but only by a 41-37 margin. In Florida State’s last trip to Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels dominated with 56 rebounds to FSU’s 34. North Carolina senior Luke Maye ranks second in the ACC at nearly 10 rebounds per game. FSU has three players who average at least five boards per game, but 7-foot-4 senior center Chris Koumadje has been a force for the Seminoles of late. FSU’s Terance Mann grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in last season’s FSU victory.
Cameron Johnson: A 6-9 senior, Cameron Johnson is a legitimate ACC Player of the Year candidate for the Tar Heels. Johnson is leading the team in scoring at nearly 17 points per game while shooting an efficient 52 percent from the field and 47 percent from deep, but traditionally has not played great against the Seminoles. A Pittsburgh transfer, Johnson has averaged just 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in three prior match-ups. He did lead North Carolina with eight boards in last season’s loss in Tallahassee.
Mfiondu Kabengele: Although he’s yet to start a game, redshirt sophomore forward Mfiondu Kabengele leads FSU in scoring and ranks second in rebounds and field goal percentage. In ACC play, he’s been even better. In conference games, Kabengele is averaging 15 points and 6.6 rebounds — both team-highs. He’s doing so while shooting 56 percent from the field. Among ACC players, only Duke’s Zion Williamson and Clemson’s Elijah Thomas are shooting a better percentage in conference games. Kabengele is coming off a 19-point, 11-rebound performance against Clemson.
Number to Pay Attention To
62.1: That’s the number of points per game that Florida State is allowing during its 8-game ACC winning streak. North Carolina is averaging an ACC-best 87.5 points per game, which ranks second nationally. North Carolina has averaged just 61.5 points per game in its two ACC losses.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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