Game Preview: FSU Basketball vs. Tulane Green Wave

Florida State travels to South Florida to take on Tulane in the Orange Bowl Classic.

Austin Veazey | 4 Hours Ago

Dec 7, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Malique Ewin (12) controls the ball against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images / Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In this story:

Florida State Seminoles

Florida State is on a two-game losing streak after losing two road games to LSU and NC State. Both games were winnable, but the Seminoles couldn't capitalize in the second half in either game and now look to break that streak against Tulane on Saturday.

The Seminoles have made consistent appearances in the Orange Bowl Classic since the 2000s, and this is no different.

This game will be at 4:30 p.m. EST on the ACC Network, live from the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

Tulane Green Wave Breakdown (5-6 Overall)

Tulane has not had a great start to the season, having yet to beat a team inside of KenPom's top 270 and dropping games to Furman, Southeastern Louisiana, and 343rd-ranked New Orleans at home. They were picked to finish second-to-last in the American Conference, and that race to the bottom between them and Rice will be fascinating to watch.

There are a few things that Tulane does really well. They have one of the best assist rates in the country, they have a good interior defense with one of the ten-best bock rates nationally, and they mainly don't turn the ball over. Some of those things have been thorns in FSU's side all year, especially going against good interior defenses.

Their size on the perimeter is rare for a bad team, but they're weirdly small on the inside. Their starting point guard is 6'4", but then both their shooting guard and center are 6'7". Just a weird collection of players.

However, Tulane only has a couple of players who can consistently score on the inside. Only three players from their main rotation are shooting above 50% inside the arc: Kaleb Banks, Kam Williams, and Percy Daniels. They also really struggle to rebound on both ends.

Banks is a name you'll need to know. He's averaging 16.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. His difference between wins and losses is massive, as he's shooting 60% from the floor in wins and 34.8% in losses. This is a game you'll know almost immediately if Tulane has a shot, depending on how he's playing. He has inside-out versatility, with the second-highest three-point percentage on the team at 43.5%, but if he's struggling inside, it affects the rest of his game.

Rowan Brumbaugh is their other scorer in double-digits, averaging 13.3 PPG on just 39.5% shooting. He leads them in assists at 5.0 APG and is someone FSU sort of pursued in the transfer portal. I believe they made the correct decision to pass on him, and they'll have a chance to prove that in this game.

A couple of other players to note: Mari Jordan and Kam Williams have been good three-point shooters to start the season, Gregg Glenn is probably their best overall rebounder, and Asher Woods is their best bench threat at 9.3 PPG. They only play seven players usually, so expect FSU to up the pace to wear Tulane out.

Florida State Seminoles Breakdown (7-3 Overall)

Last week's loss to NC State is the first time I've been mad about a Florida State basketball loss in a while. Usually, it's just basketball, losses happen. But they would've won that game had Malique Ewin not fouled out. It really is that simple. We can argue about the bad goaltend on Jamir Watkins or questionable foul calls, but Ewin was dominant in that second half and the offense had no idea what to do when he went out.

This means a couple of things. First, he has to be smarter with his fouls. FSU doesn't have another true center on the roster worth playing late in games, which is why they tried rolling with Taylor Bol Bowen at center in overtime, which didn't work. Ewin has an argument as the best player on the team right now, so he has to be available for his team.

Also, Florida State has to be able to generate offense without Ewin on the floor. It can't just be Jamir Watkins (who does have to be better) driving into multiple defenders looking to create contact.

This is a good opportunity to bounce back, FSU needs to take advantage of it.

Projected Starters

Florida State

G: Chandler Jackson
G: Bostyn Holt
F: Jamir Watkins
F: Taylor Bol Bowen
F: Malique Ewin

Tulane

G: Rowan Brumbaugh
G: Mari Jordan
G: Kam Williams
F: Kaleb Banks
F: Gregg Glenn

Keys to the Game

Force Isolation Basketball

Tulane has one of the best assist rates in the country, with nearly 60% of their made shots coming from assists, and six players are averaging at least an assist per game. If Florida State can force isolation basketball, I don't think Tulane has someone who can consistently beat FSU outside of possibly Kaleb Banks. It is worth noting that Banks is averaging 12.6 PPG on 34.8% shooting in Tulane's losses and 19.6 PPG on 60% shooting in their wins. This game could just come down to him and FSU's game plan against him.

Malique Ewin Needs to be Smart

Florida State would've beaten NC State if Ewin hadn't fouled out with two minutes to go. It really was as simple as that. Whether he or Jamir Watkins is the best player isn't important, but the dynamic those two players have is vital to the team's success, and Ewin is only getting better with every game. Few players in the country can keep up with his footwork and passing; he had Ben Middlebrooks in a blender last week. He just needs to not pick up dumb fouls, and FSU will be competitive in most of their games and win a fair share of them.

Will the Threes Fall?

The Seminoles shot just 3/16 from three-point range in Raleigh last week, their first poor shooting game since the first few games of the season. They'll need to get that fixed for this game.

The key to beating Tulane so far is having success from the three-point line. Tulane is 5-1 when their opponent shoots worse than 31% from three and 0-5 when their opponent is better than 31% from deep. Some things really are that simple.

Game Prediction

Florida State is favored by 10.5 points with an over/under of 147.5, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

To be honest, Tulane is not a good basketball team. Florida State should win this game by double-digits, but Tulane's size on the perimeter could cause some issues early. Malique Ewin puts up a double-double and FSU goes back to Tallahassee with a win.

Florida State 77, Tulane 63

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Basketball throughout rte 2024-25 season

Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok