Florida State (4-1) will face Stanford (3-2) on Thursday at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.

FSU scored 42 runs through five games this season. FSU’s 42 runs through five gameS are thethird-most to start a season under coach Lonni Alameda.

Thursday will be just the fifth meeting between FSU and Stanford. The series is tied at two games apiece with the teams last meeting in 2017.

FSU holds a 15-7 record at the invitational with 11 of those wins coming against ranked opponents. FSU is 8-2 at Clearwater in the past two seasons which included a perfect 5-0 record in Clearwater in 2022.

Last season, FSU defeated Arizona, Arkansas and Louisiana while dropping games against Alabama and UCLA by a combined three runs.

We'll have some updates in the thread below:

The Florida State women's basketball team will play at Wake Forest on Thursday at 6 p.m. There will be a live stream on ACC Network Extra.

The Seminoles (17-8, 8-5) took the first game at home earlier this year on Dec. 31, winning 73-61 behind Ta’Niya Latson’s 30 points.

Sara Bejedi is nine points away from reaching 1,000 for her collegiate career. Makayla Timpson is 15 points shy of 1,000.

FSU is seventh in the ACC standings with five regular-season games to go. FSU would need to make up a two-game deficit with Louisville for the double-bye and a top 4 seed in the ACC Tournament. The Seminoles play at Louisville on Feb. 29.

Ta’Niya Latson added another honor to her immense list, being named to the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Midseason Team on Tuesday. She has already been selected to midseason and late season teams for the Wade Trophy, the WoodenAward and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard award.

In conference play, Makayla Timpson leads the ACC in both field goal percentage (61 percent) and blocked shots (34; 2.62 per game). Through all games played, Timpson leads the next closest competitor in the ACC by 17 blocked shots. She is coming off six blocks in FSU’s 98-94 double overtime loss to No. 12 Notre Dame on Sunday — the fourth time in her career she has amassed six blocks.

FSU is one of 19 NCAA Division I programs averaging 80 points or more per game, ranking 11th with 81.5 points per game.

The Seminoles are currently 38th in the latest NET, their second-best ranking of their season behind being No. 37 from Jan. 14-17.

Good start in Clearwater.

This morning I received an email from the ACC asking me to complete a survey. I clicked on the link. It asked me to answer a few questions before I gained access to the survey. When I clicked that I lived in the state of Florida I got a response that said they already had enough responses from my demographic group, thanked me and wouldn’t let me access the survey. I’m guessing they just didn’t want another earful from the state of Florida. #ACC #ACCsucks #ACCanothercrappycall

FSU baseball coach Link Jarrett just announced the Seminoles’ pitching rotation for the opening series of the season vs. Butler.

Friday: Cam Leiter
Saturday: Jamie Arnold
Sunday: Conner Whittaker

Get some tissues first.

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FSU 75 VT 83 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly


The Good

Jamir Watkins and 26 points. He just about could not miss shooting 7-9 including 3-3 from the three point line and 9-11 from the FT line. He added 6 rebounds as well. And did all of that while dealing with foul trouble.

FSU actually shot the ball well for the most part connecting on 53% of its shots. And something not often seen from this squad, the Seminoles shot 8-18 (44%) from the arc. Dominated the paint as well outscoring VT 30-16.

Plays of the game: Primo Spears with the alley oop pass to Taylor Bol Bowen for the slam tying the game at 22 apiece. Watkins' fake forcing Lynn Kidd to step back giving Watkins a clear three point shot, 32-29. Spears' 3 from the right corner. The amazing thing about that basket is how did Watkins find PJ through all that traffic in the lane, 35-32. Spears circling around and down the lane for the lay up that tied the game at the half. Watkins stealing the inbound baseball pass connecting on the totally wide open slam dunk, 46-49.


The Bad

With the loss, its fourth out of its last five games, FSU's record is now 13-11 overall, 7-6 ACC. Coming into the game, the 'Noles were 4-2 on the road in league play. Make that 4-3. The loss also ends any chance at achieving 21 wins and likely means the Seminoles are playing for an NIT berth. The first half was one of back and forth where the two teams traded the lead eventually ending in a 39-39 tie. A quick 10-2 run by VT to start the 2nd period gave them a working margin they did not relinquish the rest of the game. FSU just could not overtake the Hokies missing several opportunities. 50/50 balls as well seemed to go in favor of VT. Even though FSU was down by just a handful of points, the game had that feel of FSU being down by more and really having to work hard to overcome the deficit.

Once again the 'Noles perimeter defense was exploited. The Hokies average 8.2 three pointers per game. Tonight they shot 11-23 (48%).

FTs. FSU got its share of them, 29 in fact compared to VT's 31 attempts. Unfortunately the 'Noles missed ten. VT missed four.

Turnovers. Usually FSU it is the Seminoles that capitalize off the other team's miscues. Tonight Virginia Tech scored 23 points off the 'Noles' 13 turnovers.

FSU showed its desperation when the 'Noles began intentional fouling with 1:35 remaining and down just seven, 73-66.

A number of poor shot selections and decisions out there tonight i.e. Cameron Corhen to the left of the lane with a defender all over him and then forced an off balance falling away heave at the basket. Or Watkins reaching around to poke the ball away but instead picking up his 4th foul. Which is going to happen 99% of the the time when you reach around like that.


The Ugly (in no particular order)

Jaylen Gainey's FT shooting form. Holy cow, I never noticed how ugly it is. He has an up and then backwards kind of motion after letting go of the ball instead of a follow through. No wonder his average is a miserable 48%.

The two lengthy stretches of zero FGs, one in each half and both lasting around 4:40.

Rebounding way in favor of VT, 35-22.

Tyler Nickel taking the ball through an opening the width of the Holland Tunnel for the uncontested lay up. Not one Seminoles thought of maybe stepping in his way to the rim.

Representative of the missed ops by FSU was reflected in Jalen Warley stealing the ball, going coast to coast but missing the left handed lay up. But wait, it gets better. Fouled on the play, Warley clanged both FTs off the rim. But wait, it gets even better. FSU managed to get the offensive rebound making a play along the baseline towards the basket. Instead of a FG, the 'Noles lost the ball OB.

Spears trying to do too much once again with too much dribbling. Doing a shake and bake, he instead dribbles the ball off his leg and OB.


Up Next

It gets even better. #9 Duke (19-5, 10-3) comes to Tallahassee for a 2 PM tip on Saturday and broadcast on ESPN. The Blue Devils are in second place alone in the ACC after UVa dropped its game tonight with Pitt. Duke is on a three game winning streak after losing to UNC dispatching WF 77-69. And it really wasn't that close of a game. Or it didn't really have that feel of a close game.

Before spring practice kicks off next month, here's a projected depth chart for the FSU defense.

From the ACC:

In men’s and women’s basketball, the ACC schools determined that for the 2024-25 season, the top 15 teams would compete in the 2025 ACC Women’s and Men’s Basketball Tournaments.

The men’s basketball regular season will continue with a 20-game conference slate while the women will continue to play an 18-game campaign.

We finally got to talk to new FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei today.

The former five-star recruit said that when he was tasked with finding a school to spend his final season at, he had a clear first choice.

“My eyes were set on one school. I wanted to be here at Florida State.”

This offseason, FSU baseball converted one of its batting cage lanes into a pitching lab. I spent an afternoon last week in the lab, seeing how Trackman and other technological advances are helping new FSU pitching coach Micah Posey maximize his staff's potential in the rapidly-evolving space of baseball analytics.

FSU coach Lonni Alameda and pitcher Emma Wilson discuss the opening weekend of the 2024 season and preview what is ahead with four games against four top-25 teams beginning on Thursday in Clearwater:

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To the three or four people who still show up here from time to time! 💘

Finally. It feels like a decade that we've been discussing this

From the ACC:

ACC schools also approved the implementation of two new technology initiatives beginning with the 2024 football season, pending final approval later this month from the NCAA Football Rules Committee. Unanimously supported by ACC head football coaches for the upcoming 2024 season ACC football teams will be provided with access to in-game video, which will enhance their ability to make in-game adjustments.

Additionally, ACC teams will be provided with access to coach-to-player communication devices that will allow for one-way communication between the sideline and player(s) on the field.

We will have updates below in the thread as we talk with the final five FSU newcomers on Wednesday morning:

QB DJ Uiagalelei (Inland Empire, Calif./Oregon State)
OL Jayden Todd (Dublin, Ga./West Laurens High School)
OL Tye Hylton (Ovideo, Fla./Ovideo High School)
QB Trever Jackson (Winter Garden, Fla./Jones High School)
LB Jayden Parrish (Delray Beach, Fla./Atlantic High School)

Jamir Watkins did what he could. But Florida State couldn’t defend the 3-pointer, struggled to rebound and missed at the free-throw line.

Watkins scored 26 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the floor and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line but Virginia Tech took an 83-75 win on Tuesday night. The redshirt junior surpassed 20 points for a second straight game after scoring 21 points in the loss to Virginia on Saturday.

But the Seminoles (13-11, 7-6 ACC) struggled overall and fell short in familiar areas.

I don’t think he survives this

So Chip steps down as head coach at UCLA and takes OC position at Oh. St.