The Florida State Seminoles have continued their head-scratching season, looking for any sign of consistent success in ACC play. They’ve lost four of their last five games, with their only victory coming against the last-place team in the conference, the Louisville Cardinals.

Head coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff have been playing with a younger, thinner roster than they’re used to, and that’s obviously hurt their game plan. A couple of studs on the Noles roster like Matthew Cleveland and Darin Green Jr. have had solid showings, but the largest hole within FSU’s program has been their consistency.

Florida State will look to bounce back against a team they’ve already beaten this season, the Pittsburgh Panthers. They were in Pittsburgh less than a month ago, with the outcome being a 71-64 win behind a quality performance from Green.

The Panthers are led by veteran guard Jamarius Burton, who’s averaging 15.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Pitt holds the No. 3 seed in the ACC with a 17-7 record, while the Noles carry an 8-17 season record.

According to DraftKings, the Seminoles are 5.5-point underdogs, with the over/under set at 144.5.

Here’s a look at game details from FSU’s sports information department:

SEMINOLES PLAY HOST TO PITTSBURGH IN SECOND CONSECUTIVE HOME GAME

Florida State, which has won three of its last four games against Pittsburgh, plays host to the Panthers on Saturday, February 11, at 12 Noon inside the Donald L. Tucker Center in the second meeting of the season between the Seminoles and the Panthers. Florida State gained its second of three ACC road wins this season as it defeated Pittsburgh by a 71-64 margin at the Peterson Events Center on January 21. The Seminoles are 3-2 against Pittsburgh in games played at the Tucker Center since the Panthers joined the ACC for the 2013-14 season. The Seminoles’ game against the Panthers is their second of two consecutive home games after facing Syracuse at The Tuck on Wednesday night. Following Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh, the Seminoles travel to play at Clemson on February 15 before returning home to play host to Boston College in the only meeting between the Seminoles and the Eagles during the regular season on February 18.

FLORIDA STATE CELEBRATES COACHING FOR LITERACY AGAINST PITTSBURGH

Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton and Associate Head Coach Stan Jones are on the forefront of one of college basketball’s great initiatives as the Seminoles have partnered with Coaching for Literacy (CFL) to host their ninth annual Fight for Literacy Game against Pittsburgh on February 18. Coaching for Literacy’s Fight for Literacy Games empowers coaches, teams, and fans to make a more literate America by participating in awareness efforts, volunteer work and fundraising activities. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 59 percent of fourth-graders in Florida are not proficient in reading. The Seminoles are doing their part to change that unfortunate statistic. To promote the Fight for Literacy, members of the Seminole coaching staff will wear Coaching for Literacy’s Green Pins.

HAMILTON ON NAISMITH HALL OF FAME BALLOT

Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton, the fifth all-time winningest coach in ACC history, is on the 2023 ballot for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

All-Time Winningest Coaches in ACC History

Rank Coach, School Years Wins

1. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke 1981-2022 1,129

2. Dean Smith, North Carolina 1962-1997 879

3. Roy Williams, North Carolina 2004-2021 485

4. Gary Williams, Maryland 1990-2011 461

5. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State 2003-Present 403

SEMINOLES’ CLEVELAND NAMED TO THE JULIUS ERVING AWARD TOP-10 LIST

All-ACC Candidate Matthew Cleveland, the Seminoles’ leading scorer with a career-high 14.4 points per game scoring average, has been named as one of the top-10 candidates for the 2023 Julius Erving Award. Sponsored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the award recognizes the best small forward in Division I men’s college basketball. Cleveland is the only player from the ACC on the Erving Award top-10 list. Cleveland is a two-time Erving award honoree, as he was named to the initial watch list for the award in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. The 2022 ACC Sixth Man of the Year is ranked among the ACC’s leaders in both conference and non-conference games in both scoring and rebounding.

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