In a matchup at Tallahassee, Florida, the Florida State Seminoles (13-11, 7-6 ACC) face off against the No. 9 ranked Duke Blue Devils (19-5, 10-3 ACC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. EST.
Florida State aims to bounce back from a 83-75 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies, despite Jamir Watkins’ impressive 26-point performance. The Seminoles have posted a 7-6 record at home and hold a 5-4 record in games decided by a margin of 10 points or more.
Duke, currently 10-3 against ACC opponents, boasts a dominant presence in the paint, leading the ACC with an average of 36.8 points per game, spearheaded by Kyle Filipowski’s impressive 9.6 points contribution.
In terms of scoring, Florida State averages 76.5 points per game, which is 8.8 points higher than Duke’s defensive average of 67.7 points allowed. However, Duke outpaces Florida State offensively, scoring 80.5 points per game compared to the Seminoles’ 74.7 points allowed.
This Saturday’s matchup marks the first conference meeting between the two teams this season.
Key players for Florida State include Darin Green Jr., shooting 38.0% from beyond the arc with an average of 2.4 made 3-pointers per game, along with an average of 11.8 points and 1.6 steals. Watkins has been on a hot streak, shooting 46.8% and averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games.
For Duke, Tyrese Proctor averages 10 points and 3.6 assists, while Filipowski has been a standout player, averaging 18.2 points over the last 10 games.
In their recent performances, the Seminoles have posted a 5-5 record, averaging 76.4 points, 31.3 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 9.4 steals, and 4.6 blocks per game, shooting at 46.9% from the field. On the other hand, the Blue Devils have been on an 8-2 run, averaging 77.9 points, 36.9 rebounds, 14.2 assists, 5.3 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 47.2%. Their opponents have averaged 76.3 and 69.9 points respectively in these stretches.
