LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (14-3, 3-1) vs. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (12-5, 2-3)
Game Time: 9 p.m.
Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.
Television: ESPNU
Announcers: Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Len Elmore (analyst)
Officials: Tim Nestor, Bill Covington, Jr., Terry Wymer
Favorite: Louisville by 10
All-Time Series: Louisville leads 31-9
Last Meeting: Louisville won 81-59 on Feb. 28, 2015 in Tallahassee
Series History:
Probable Starting Lineups:
Statistics:
Relevant Videos:
About Florida State:
Florida State has bounced back from an 0-3 conference start behind the excellent play of guards Dwayne Bacon and freshman backcourt mate Malik Beasley. Averaging 16.7 and 17.1 points, respectively, they've helped carry the Seminoles to consecutive victories, the most recent of which was being Sunday's 69-62 home win over No. 13 Virginia. Sophomore guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes also has the ability to go for 30 plus on any given night, but he enters Wednesday's game having misfired on eight of his last nine 3-point attempts.
Florida State has shot a combined 49.5 percent from the field while hitting 15 of 30 from 3-point range in its last two games. The 'Noles rank in the ACC's top five in both points per game (80.2 per game) and steals (7.41 per game).
Notable
--Louisville leads the nation in in field goal percentage defense (.357) and scoring margin (+22.8), is second in scoring defense (57.8) and rebound margin (+12.5).
--Florida State has defeated 31 nationally ranked teams during the 14-year tenure of Leonard Hamilton.
--Chinanu Onuaku has recorded four straight double-doubles, including 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots vs. Pitt in his last game. He grabbed his 300th career rebound vs Pitt. He has averaged 10.9 rebounds over the last eight games, grabbing double-digit boards in six of those games. He has made 67.3 percent of his field goals in the last six games.
--Ray Spalding is the first freshman in Louisville history to make 44 of his first 66 field goal attempts.
--Louisville is 16th in the nation in field goal percentage (.493). UofL has shot above 50 percent in 10 of its 17 games. The Cards shot 50 percent or above on eight occasions all last season. UofL is 40th nationally in scoring (80.5 ppg).
--Florida State freshman Malik Beasley (17.1 ppg) is the highest scoring freshman in the ACC (and seventh among all players) while freshman phenom Dwayne Bacon (16.7 ppg) is the third highest scoring freshman in the ACC (and ninth among all players).
--Louisville has beaten Florida State more times (31) than any other power five conference opponents.
--In ACC play, Chinanu Onuaku is leading the league in rebounding (12.3), blocked shots (2.75) and is second in field goal percentage (.667).
--Florida State is 9-1 when shooting 45 percent or better from the field and are 5-0 when they shoot 50 percent or better from the field.
--Louisville has opened with at least a 14-3 record through 17 games for five of the last six seasons.
--Louisville is 12-0 at the KFC Yum Center this season.
--Florida State has not won at Louisville since Jan. 12, 1991.
--Louisville has a 30-14 record during the month of January over the last five years, including an 14-5 record in the last two years.
--Louisville's 137 victories over the last five years are the second-most wins in the nation in that stretch. Louisville and Wichita State are the only schools in the nation to win 30 games in three of the last four seasons.
Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Louisville 76, Florida State 66