Louisville-Florida State preview: Cards and Seminoles meet in top 15 clash

NO. 12 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (16-3, 4-2) At NO. 10 FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (17-2, 5-1)

Game Time: 2 p.m.

Location: Donald L. Tucker Center: Tallahassee, Fla.

Television: ESPN

Announcers: Dave O'Brien (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst) and Allison Williams (reporter)

Officials: Ted Valentine, Lamar Simpson, Bill Covington, Jr.

Favorite: Florida State by 4.5

All-Time Series: Louisville leads 32-9

Last Meeting: Louisville won 84-65 on Jan. 20, 2016 at the KFC Yum Center

Series History:

Probable Starting Lineups:

Statistics:

Relevant Videos:

About Florida State:

Winners of 16 consecutive home games, Florida State will play its sixth consecutive game against a nationally ranked opponent Saturday when it hosts Louisville. The Seminoles are 4-1 over the stretch, with their lone loss coming last Saturday on the road against North Carolina.

All-American candidate Dwayne Bacon leads Florida State in scoring at 17.4 ppg, and has scored in double figures in 28 consecutive games dating back to last season. Versatile freshman forward Jonathan Isaac averages 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and notched seven blocked shots in FSU's win over Notre Dame on Wednesday.

Perhaps the deepest team in the ACC, Florida State sports 12 players who are averaging double figures in minutes, and 13 who are averaging at least 3.2 ppg. Ten FSU players scored in the win over the Fighting Irish. The Seminoles are seventh in the nation in field goal percentage (.505), 12th in scoring offense (86.3 ppg), 16th in scoring margin (+15.4), 32nd in field goal percentage defense (.397) and 37th in steals per game (8.0).

Notable:

--Louisville is sixth in the nation in blocked shots (6.4 bpg) and ninth in field goal defense (.381), 10th in three point field goal percentage defense (.292) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (14.4). UofL has held 10 opponents below 36 percent shooting from the field.

--Florida State is a perfect 13-0 at home this season and has won 16 consecutive home games dating back to last season.

--Louisville is 16-3 through 19 games for the fifth consecutive season.

--Florida State is playing its sixth consecutive ranked opponent on Saturday, the longest such streak in program history.

--A win over Louisville would give Florida State six wins over ranked foes, the most for a Seminole team since 2012.

--In his last six games, Donovan Mitchell has averaged 18.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and made 18-of-44 three-pointers (.409). Mitchell is second in the ACC and is 24th in the nation in steals (2.2 per game).

--Louisville has a 37-16 record during the month of January over the last seven years, including a 21-7 record in the last four years.

--It's alumni weekend at Florida State, and 91 former Seminole players will be back in Tallahassee for Saturday's game. Among them will be retired jersey athletes Hugh Durham, Dave Fedor, Dave Cowens, Ron King, and Bob Sura.

--Florida State will be wearing special throwback jerseys in honor of their alumni weekend.

--Louisville's 162 victories over the last six years are the fifth-most wins in the nation in that stretch. The Cards are one of just three teams to win at least 30 games in three of the last five seasons (30-10 in 2011-12, 35-5 in ‘12-13, 31-6 in ‘13-14).

--Louisville is one of just four schools which have won 20 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons (also Kansas, Duke and Gonzaga).

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Florida State 74, Louisville 73