Louisville Cardinals vs. Florida State Seminoles Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

Louisville embarks on a journey away from home for the second time in a week as they prepare to face Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida.

Head coach Pat Kelsey's Cardinals (6-5, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) had a brief break after a narrow 93-85 defeat against then-No. 5 Kentucky last Saturday. Due to injuries that have depleted their roster, the team has been forced to adjust their strategies. Kelsey informed reporters on Friday that the team has been in a phase of "rediscovery" as they make necessary changes.

One of the modifications the Cardinals have made is reducing the number of possessions. According to TeamRankings.com, Louisville has averaged 72.1 possessions, placing them at 136th nationally. Teams in the top 40 are averaging 75 or more possessions.

However, even with fewer trips up the court, the team's offensive approach remains the same.

"Our pace has certainly shifted a bit, but that doesn't mean we're 'Hut, hut, hike,' huddling up, walking up and executing a set play every time," Kelsey stated.

Even if Louisville were to adopt that style, Kelsey believes that the Seminoles (9-3, 0-1) would not allow it with their aggressive defensive tactics.

Leading the Cardinals is point guard Chucky Hepburn, who averages 15.2 points per game. He leads the ACC and is tied for fifth nationally in steals with three per game. Terrence Edwards Jr. follows closely behind with an average of 13.8 points per game, but has scored 22 points per game in the last three games.

Florida State has won two consecutive games after suffering two losses, including an 84-74 overtime defeat against ACC rival NC State on December 7th.

Similar to Louisville, Florida State's head coach Leonard Hamilton has also expressed concerns about their depth, although in a different way.

"We have five freshmen out there who are still adjusting, and we have never been in a situation where the success of our team and our season depends on how quickly we bring along our freshmen," said Hamilton, the longest-tenured coach in the ACC, after their 82-64 home victory over Winthrop on Tuesday. "We need them to contribute in some way so we can keep everyone fresh."

Leading the Seminoles is Jamir Watkins, whose scoring average of 19.1 ranks third in the ACC.

PREDICTION

Louisville Cardinals

Florida State Seminoles

Louisville Cardinals vs. Florida State Seminoles Recap DEC 21TH 2024

Reyne Smith scored a season-high 27 points for the Louisville Cardinals, who shot their way to their first Atlantic Coast Conference victory of the season Saturday with a 90-76 win over the host Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla.

Playing against one of the nation's stingiest perimeter-defending teams, the Cardinals (7-5, 1-1) made a season-high 15 3-point shots on 29 attempts for a season-best 51.7 percent mark.

Smith, who came off the bench after starting the last four games, led the way, going 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. He also scored 19 of his points in the second half.

Louisville, a team that entered Saturday making just 28 percent of their treys, went 10-for-15 on them in the second half. For the game, the Cardinals shot 50.9 percent overall from the floor.

The Seminoles (9-4, 0-2) made it tough for their guests as they shot 52.7 percent. However, they could not stop the Cardinals from deep despite being the nation's sixth-best team in defending the arc (26.5 percent).

Jamir Watkins led the Seminoles with 25, with 17 coming in the second half.

The Cardinals used an 11-0 run to take a 16-5 lead less than six minutes into the game. Florida State responded with 10 consecutive points, but the Seminoles were not able to jump ahead afterward.

Even with Louisville going scoreless over the final 3:34, the Cardinals took a 36-34 lead into halftime. Point guard Chucky Hepburn, who had five assists in the half, sat for the final 2:47.

That carried over into the second half as the Cardinals always found an answer for a Florida State run. The Seminoles shot 60.7 percent in the second half, but Louisville's lead never dropped below four points in the final 10 minutes.

Terrence Edwards Jr., who started for Louisville for the first time in three games, finished with 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Hepburn scored 16 points and also dished out eight assists.

Louisville got assists on 18 of its 28 baskets.

Noah Waterman added 15 and went 4-for-7 from the arc for the visitors.

Florida State's Malique Ewin scored 17 points, making seven of his 11 shots.