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‘Big test’ awaits FSU basketball against Florida

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Luke Loucks knows Florida State men’s basketball’s showdown with No. 1 Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 10, will feel a little bit different.

The Seminoles (2-0) have outscored opponents 204-137 in the opening two games of the season, a 113-69 win over FAMU and 91-68 win over Troy, and have garnered positive momentum under second-year head coach Luke Loucks. But facing the Gators, the 2025 national champions and top overall team in the country, will be the litmus test for Loucks and his team, which has NCAA tournament aspirations.

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Loucks feels it’s an opportunity for his team to show it can compete with the best teams in the country. The Gators have won the last five meetings, including a 78-76 win in Gainesville last season, and Loucks knows this game means a lot to the community.

“Playing the number one team in your house is always special. I mean, I’ve been a part of a few of these games as a player. I’ve coached in a few of these games, obviously playing Duke in the ACC tournament when they were number one last year. Then at the NBA level, obviously, playing in the NBA Finals, there’s more juice. You can feel the energy from our guys,” Loucks said after practice on Monday, Nov. 9

“They’ve been working their tail off in practice because they’re so excited to get out and compete. There is kind of a balance of you don’t want to be so excited that you’re undisciplined and you forget to do your job. But that excitement, like they’re ready to run through a wall right now, so my job is to manage that, and I’m also excited.”

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The Gators have arguably one of the best front courts in the nation with Alex Condon, Ruben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh, a potential first-round pick in next summer’s NBA draft. The trio all average double figures in points per game, with Haugh’s 16.5 a team best, closely followed by Chinyelu with 13.5 and Condon with 11.5.

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Haugh shoots 50% from deep and will take multiple threes a game while also diving into the paint for touches closer to the rim. He’s a glass cleaner with 8.5 rebounds per game, and has three steals and a block this season. Haugh, alongside guards Denzel Aberdeen and Boogie Fland, operate at a high level on offense, and Loucks is aware of what the Gators bring to Tallahassee and the opportunity ahead of his players.

“They’re tough and they’re experienced and that’s why they win a lot of games,” Loucks said. “To me it’s a great opportunity for our guys. We have similar size to them. They’re just a little bit more unproven, and what better opportunity than to prove it on the biggest stage.”

Seminole freshman center Marcis Ponder, who will likely draw the matchup with Condon or Chinyelu, and junior forward Sebastian Ranick, who will likely matchup with Haugh, will have their hands full against the Gator bigs. But both Ponder, who has recorded a double-double in both games this season, and Rancik, who averages a team-best 21.5 points per game, will bring the challenge right back towards the Gators on the offensive end.

Ponder exclusively operates in the paint, with 10 of his 12 makes this season coming near or under the rim according to shot tracking data from Bart Torvik. He’s adept at drawing contact, which will aid him against both Condon and Chinyelu, who have 14 of Florida’s 32 fouls this season, and when he gets to the free-throw line, Ponder is shooting 70%.

Florida State Seminoles center Marcis Ponder (11) shoots for two. The Florida State Seminoles lead the LSU Tigers 38-31 at the half of an exhibition game held in the Tucker Civic Center on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

Florida State Seminoles center Marcis Ponder (11) shoots for two. The Florida State Seminoles lead the LSU Tigers 38-31 at the half of an exhibition game held in the Tucker Civic Center on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

It will be the biggest test of Ponder’s young career, but he’ll have some veteran help from forward Alex Steen, who scored eight points and had eight rebounds last year against Florida, and guard Anthony Robinson II.

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Robinson, a Tallahassee native, played Florida five times while he was at Missouri, and he averaged 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game against the Gators. He scored 19 points last time he played the Gators, a 76-74 win in January.

“Growing up in this town, he [Robinson] understands how much this game, the Florida game and the Miami game mean to us. And then Steen played in it last year, but also being a Florida kid, they understand the importance of this game and how much our fan base wants to win and how much us, as former players, want to win these games,” Loucks said.

“At the end of the day, you still got to show up and do your job for 40 minutes and have guys that are a little bit older on your roster and understand the importance of this game to help you stay poised in those moments where you can feel a lot of anxiety and excitement, whether good or bad. You need guys in your locker room to calm guys down.”

How to watch FSU basketball vs. top-ranked Florida

  • When: Tuesday, Nov. 10 / 6 p.m.

  • Where: Donald L. Tucker Civic Center / Tallahassee, Florida

  • Watch: ESPN2

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Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Big test’ awaits FSU basketball against Florida

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com

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