Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Florida State

Here are the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Louisville's men's basketball's matchup with Florida State:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After taking down Pitt to remain undefeated in ACC play, the Louisville men's basketball program is heading back on the road, traveling to the Sunshine State to face Florida State.

Here are a few of the more significant storylines to follow ahead of the Cardinals' matchup against the Seminoles:

The More Things Change...

Over the last few years, we've come to expect Florida State to be one of the top 3-5 programs in the ACC. Heading into this season, head coach Leonard Hamilton has guided the 'Noles to their most successful five-year stretch in program history, one that included a de facto ACC Championship in 2020 and three trips to Sweet Sixteen.

However, at least up to this point in the season, Florida State has struggled more so than what was perhaps expected. Ahead of their matchup with Louisville, the Seminoles are just two games above .500 at 7-5, including an early losing record in ACC play at 1-2.

The 'Noles started off the year at 5-1, with no particular noteworthy wins and their lone loss to rival Florida. But since that start, FSU has gone 2-4 including two double digit losses. Granted, the blowout losses were at No. 3 Purdue and at Wake Forest, but Florida State also lost to a mediocre Syracuse squad at home and at South Carolina.

... The More They Stay The Same

Even with their recent struggles, Florida State is still an incredibly tough opponent to play, particularly on their own floor. The Seminoles continue to employ a stifling press defense, harassing ball carriers all the way up the floor.

So far this season, it has worked to near perfection. FSU is 11th in Division I in steals per game with 10.4 and 19th in turnovers forced at 17.75. Their scoring defense might be middle of the road at 68.1 opponent points per game, but KenPom ranked the 'Noles at 29th in defensive efficiency.

Of course, Florida State is also living up their lengthy reputation. The Seminoles are the tallest team in D1 with an average height of 79.4", and feature a pair of seven-footers that are in their regular rotation. Unsurprisingly, they block a ton of shots, averaging 5.0 per game for the 37th-most in the nation.

This current FSU might not feature troves of NBA talent, but it still has some solid playmakers. Caleb Mills averages 12.1 points and 2.8 assists per game, and Malik Osborne is at 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds on 45.0 percent shooting on threes.

Opportunity Knocks

As many probably already know, the Atlantic Coast Conference isn't exactly having a great year. Through the first week of January, the ACC boasts just one team who garnered any votes in the most recent AP poll. Just six of the league's 15 teams have a NET ranking greater that 75, and only four are in the top 50.

Because the ACC is so down, there aren't a lot of opportunities to build up quality wins. This doesn't exactly bode well for Louisville considering their NET ranking - which is a metric used by the NCAA Selection Committee to help determine who gets in the NCAA Tournament - is 81st.

But, the Cardinals' game against the Seminoles could be one of those few and far between opportunities. The Seminoles have a NET ranking of 78, which isn't great either, but is just three ranks away from being considered a Quadrant 1 matchup. This is a win that could potentially boost Louisville's NCAA Tournament resume down the line.

Trending in the Right Direction

This matchup also comes at a relatively good time for Louisville. Through their first nine games of the season, the Cardinals sported an abysmal offense, shooting just 40.8 percent from the field, 29.3 percent on three-point attempts, and averaging just 15.7 free throw attempts per game.

While Louisville's offense isn't perfect and still has some kinks to work out, it has looked markedly better than it did this time last month due to a renewed effort of flowing the ball through the paint. Over their last five games - including three in the ACC - the Cardinals are shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 35.6 percent on free throw attempts, and averaging 23.2 free throw attempts. They also increased their free throw shooting percentage from 68.8 percent to 71.6.

(Photo of 'Fresh' Kimble, Anthony Polite: Melina Myers - USA TODAY Sports)

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