The non-conference schedule for Florida State’s upcoming 2014-15 season was announced on Friday and presents some impressive names. Of the 12 teams that make up the Seminoles’ schedule outside of ACC play, five reached the NCAA Tournament a season ago including three as conference champions.
The first four games of the 2014-15 season come in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic with the first two coming in Tallahassee. In the season-opener, the Seminoles will face the reigning MAAC Champions in Manhattan. The Jaspers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade last season and are coached by a former Rick Pitino assistant in Steve Masiello.
The second contest of the year for Florida State will come against Northeastern. Northeastern finished just 11-21 last season, but pushed the Seminoles to the limit when the teams met in San Juan last year. It took a short jumper from Devon Bookert with one second remaining to propel Florida State to a 62-60 victory.
As the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic shifts to Uncasville, Connecticut, Florida State will face tournament teams from a season ago in consecutive days. On November 22nd, the Seminoles will take on reigning Big East champion, Providence. The Friars bested Creighton last season in the Big East Championship to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Providence brings back its leading rebounder and second-leading scorer in forward LaDontae Henton.
The next day, FSU will take on a UMASS squad that it defeated a season ago. While the Minutemen won 24 games and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years, they came up short against the Seminoles. UMASS began last season by winning 16 of its first 17 games with the lone blemish being a 60-55 loss to Florida State in Sunrise.
The non-conference schedule then lets up a bit as Florida State hosts Charleston Southern and the Citadel. Those two schools combined to finish just 20-44 last season.
In the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Florida State will face one of the nation’s surprise teams from a season ago in Nebraska. The Cornhuskers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years last season and return its leading scorer in Terran Petteway. The December 1st contest in Tallahassee will be the first meeting between the schools since 2005. Florida State has struggled in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge of late, losing its last six games in that challenge.
Following the match-up with Nebraska, Florida State will face five straight in-state opponents beginning with UCF. Florida State defeated the Knights 80-68 in Orlando last season. After 10 days off, FSU then faces North Florida on December 17th before taking on South Florida three days later in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise.
After a home date with Stetson on December 22nd, Florida State will get a week to prepare for rival Florida. The Gators are coming off a Final Four run, but will lose some key pieces including Patric Young and Scottie Wilbekin.
Florida has won five straight against the Seminoles, but narrowly defeated FSU a season ago 67-66 after a late free throw went down and a desperation heave from Florida State’s Ian Miller went just long. During Florida State’s five-game stretch against in-state opponents, only the match-up against USF in Sunrise will be away from home.
The Seminoles will conclude their non-conference slate with another SEC opponent as Florida State heads to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. The last meeting between the teams was an 86-71 Mississippi State victory in the 2007 NIT quarterfinals. The Bulldogs however, finished just 14-19 last season.
While the non-conference schedule for Florida State is not overly difficult, it has a solid group of teams and provides the opportunity for the Seminoles to notch some quality wins for their NCAA Tournament resume’ prior to the start of ACC play. Florida is certainly the biggest name that Florida State will face out of conference, but Providence, Massachusetts and Nebraska are all coming off of its best seasons in more than a decade with key players returning.
Florida State will need those schools to have solid seasons to bolster its resume’ for March, but the Seminoles must also avoid looking past squads like UCF and Manhattan. With the overwhelming majority of the roster returning, Florida State looks to have a pretty good chance to get back to the NCAA Tournament. After a school-record four straight trips to the big dance, the Seminoles have had to settle for NIT trips in each of the last two seasons.
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