Duke men's basketball opponent preview: Florida State
No. 2 Duke takes on Florida State back home at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Zone is here with an overview of the Seminoles, along with an X-Factor for each squad:
: 17-16, 10-10 in the ACC
: 16-12, 7-10 in the ACC
: Leonard Hamilton
: Duke leads 42-11
76-67 Duke, Feb. 17, 2024
After a victory in Miami Tuesday, the Blue Devils will host the other ACC squad from the Sunshine State. Florida State will be visiting Cameron Indoor Stadium aching from a tough 96-85 home-court loss to North Carolina. The Seminoles fell short despite having their third 85-plus-point game in the ACC this year and narrowing the Tar Heels’ second-half lead to within six points thrice.
North Carolina’s dominant end-of-game performance could not stop Jamir Watkins, however. The 6-foot-7 guard scored 26 of his team’s 85 points against the Tar Heels, making him one of two Seminole players to score double digits in the game. Jerry Deng took the other spot with 16, which marked a season-best for the forward who averages 6.8 points per game. Florida State’s offensive success has stemmed from Watkins and junior Malique Ewin, the second-best offensive rebounder in the ACC with an average of 3.2 per game. The pair’s stable offense should not be overlooked, especially considering that Duke perished to Clemson in part due to rebound shortcomings.
Despite winning seven of the first eight games of their season, the Seminoles lost their momentum and have lost seven of their 10 most recent games. However, with 10-of-20 3-pointers against North Carolina, the Seminoles achieved their season-high from behind the arc. For reference, Duke averages 10.4 made 3-pointers per game. Regardless, the Blue Devils must be conscious of an improvement in the Seminoles’ shooting that could translate to Saturday's game.
In early February, head coach Leonard Hamilton announced his end-of-season retirement, further decreasing team morale and the hope for an NCAA tournament bid this season. This season will be the Seminoles’ fourth consecutive season without an appearance in the tournament, an unfortunate change since Hamilton’s best period with Florida State from 2017 to 2021, in which he led the team to an Elite Eight showing and three Sweet 16 appearances. Florida State immediately began a nationwide search for next year’s coach.
At Florida State’s best, Hamilton could deliver one of the biggest upsets of the basketball season against No. 2 Duke. At their worst, the Seminoles will present few obstacles to an easy Blue Devil win.
Guard Caleb Foster will be required to step up against the Seminoles. With starter Tyrese Proctor possibly sidelined or significantly limited due to a left knee injury sustained against Miami, Foster’s role and playing time will drastically increase. The 6-foot-5 sophomore played 18 minutes against the Hurricanes, the most playing time he has had since the Blue Devils took down Miami at home on Jan. 14, when he racked up 19 minutes. Despite averaging 25 minutes of playtime per game for the first five games of the season, he only averaged 6.6 minutes in the five games preceding the game Tuesday. Throughout the season, the Harrisburg, N.C., native saw minutes passed on to Sion James — and now, with Proctor possibly limited, Foster could expect to return to a similar amount of playing time as he did in the season’s opening.
After Proctor’s late first-half injury, Foster contributed to the offensive attack against the Hurricanes by draining two 3-pointers and securing 10 points. Additionally, the guard scored 12 points within seven minutes of playtime against Illinois Feb. 22. He went 2-for-2 from behind the arc in both games. Foster’s role on the offense against Florida State will be a true test of his growth over the past few months and will allow him to demonstrate his capabilities heading into the ACC tournament and March Madness.
Senior Jamir Watkins is more than just a key component of the Seminoles’ offense — he defines it. The powerful guard places fifth in the ACC for scoring at 18.4 points per game. His 26-point showing against North Carolina mirrors his 23-point showing in Florida State’s loss to Louisville Feb. 22. As the leading scorer for the Seminoles, Watkins' performance typically dictates the team’s performance. In each of Florida State’s ACC wins this season, the Trenton, N.J., native has scored 15 points or more, excluding the 80-65 win against Miami Jan. 8, when he tallied 10. He has scored double-digits in every game this season except two, so the Blue Devils should be wary of this result on Saturday as well.
Watkins fears no opponent in the paint, drawing 10-plus free throws in his last three games. Despite converting only 74.4% of his free throws, these extra points could add up and lead to a tight game. The Seminole will play Duke for the last time of his career and will undoubtedly strive to leave Cameron Indoor Stadium on a good note.
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