Florida State will play host to Florida on Friday at 6 p.m. (ACC Network).
FSU is 3-0, taking wins over Northern Kentucky, Rice and Tarleton State. The Seminoles are among the nation's worst teams from 3-point range (344th at 21 percent) and not so good from the FT line (241st at 66.7 percent). FSU is shooting 57.7 from inside the arc, 75th in the nation.
UF has taken care of business in three wins - USF (98-83), Jacksonville (81-60) and Grambling State (86-62). This is UF's first true road game (they faced USF on a neutral court).
The Gators are bad from beyond the arc (26 percent) but very good from 2-point (65.8) and are decent at the FT line (73.8).
FSU had owned this rivalry for a while, through the Trent Forrest years in particular. UF routed FSU in Gainesville by 21 last year.
Chandler Jackson talked briefly after FSU's win over Tarleton on Tuesday. It's weird for me to think of him as the veteran of the team (a true junior) and a leader, but that's a role he is trying to take on for the Seminoles.
"I try to be a coach on the court for the guys, a player-coach, as much as I can," Jackson said.
He said FSU's defensive system is "not easy to learn" and that he's spent time before and after practices helping the newer Seminoles try to understand it.
An interesting response to a question about the difference in this team compared to prior years:
"In my opinion, we’ve been playing way harder than the last few years I’ve been here," Jackson said. "And I love it. But I also feel like the older guys, we set the tone. They follow. We lead and they follow. Me, Jamir (Watkins), Taylor (Bol Bowen). Once they see one of us do it, they have no problem falling in line and doing it with us. That’s the good thing. Our leaders this year are actually leading and the people that’s supposed to follow are following."
FSU is 3-0, taking wins over Northern Kentucky, Rice and Tarleton State. The Seminoles are among the nation's worst teams from 3-point range (344th at 21 percent) and not so good from the FT line (241st at 66.7 percent). FSU is shooting 57.7 from inside the arc, 75th in the nation.
UF has taken care of business in three wins - USF (98-83), Jacksonville (81-60) and Grambling State (86-62). This is UF's first true road game (they faced USF on a neutral court).
The Gators are bad from beyond the arc (26 percent) but very good from 2-point (65.8) and are decent at the FT line (73.8).
FSU had owned this rivalry for a while, through the Trent Forrest years in particular. UF routed FSU in Gainesville by 21 last year.
Chandler Jackson talked briefly after FSU's win over Tarleton on Tuesday. It's weird for me to think of him as the veteran of the team (a true junior) and a leader, but that's a role he is trying to take on for the Seminoles.
"I try to be a coach on the court for the guys, a player-coach, as much as I can," Jackson said.
He said FSU's defensive system is "not easy to learn" and that he's spent time before and after practices helping the newer Seminoles try to understand it.
An interesting response to a question about the difference in this team compared to prior years:
"In my opinion, we’ve been playing way harder than the last few years I’ve been here," Jackson said. "And I love it. But I also feel like the older guys, we set the tone. They follow. We lead and they follow. Me, Jamir (Watkins), Taylor (Bol Bowen). Once they see one of us do it, they have no problem falling in line and doing it with us. That’s the good thing. Our leaders this year are actually leading and the people that’s supposed to follow are following."
