Just over two months ago, the men's basketball team received what was perhaps its biggest scare of the season, when it came within a hair of dropping its Atlantic Coast Conference opener to an underrated Florida State team.
That was then; this is now.
This weekend, a much more confident Duke squad will meet an FSU club that may be watching its NCAA Tournament hopes slip away.
The No. 6 Blue Devils (20-5, 9-3 in the ACC) will take on the revenge-hungry Seminoles (13-8, 4-8 in the ACC) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Leon County Civic Center.
In its previous tussle with Duke, FSU was missing one key component of its talented frontcourt-junior forward Corey Louis. Louis, who sat out the game with a knee injury, is back in full force, ranking in the top 10 in the ACC in field-goal percentage, blocks and rebounds.
Louis' partner in the paint, forward Randell Jackson, also presents a threat to the Duke attack. The 6-foot-11 sophomore averages 1.7 blocks per game, good for fifth in the conference. His status is in doubt, however, after he sat out Thursday night's loss at Maryland with a groin injury.
Center Kirk Luchman also has the potential to stymie Duke's offense. At 6-10, 274 lbs., the sizable senior is the Seminoles' leading rebounder (with 6.6 rebounds per game) and has recorded four double-doubles so far this season.
The Seminoles' frontcourt may be one of FSU's greatest strengths, but it's far from being the only one. Unlike many of the teams in the ACC, Florida State possesses a backcourt loaded with both talent and depth.
Leading the way for the Seminole backcourt is James Collins. The 1996 third-team All-ACC pick is the fifth-highest scorer in the conference, with 16.5 points per game. Collins has the ability both to slash his way through an opponent's defense and to launch missiles from beyond the arc with deadly accuracy. A jack of all trades, Collins boasts tremendous versatility. The senior guard applies pressure defense as well, averaging 2.0 steals per game.
Collins isn't FSU's sneakiest thief, though-junior point guard Kerry Thompson holds that honor. The transfer from Tallahassee Community College has 2.7 steals per game, just behind Duke's league-leading Steve Wojciechowski. Thompson also barely trails Wojciechowski in assists, with 5.5 per game to Wojciechowski's 5.7.
Thompson has come into his own of late, especially in the Seminoles' win over Georgia Tech on Sunday. In the home win, Thompson-hampered by an array of injuries-not only led the way with 16 points, but carried FSU down the stretch and netted a game-winning, 13-foot jump shot with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Before Thompson's entrance on the Seminole scene, LaMarr Greer held FSU's starting point guard position. This season Greer has come off the bench to play both as a guard and as a small forward. In FSU's last meeting with Duke, Greer filled in for Louis as a starting forward and grabbed 10 boards.
Florida State has a talented freshman class, as well. Guard Devonaire Deas is a key element in the Seminoles' rotation. Forward Ron Hale has come into his own of late, earning a starting role in the Seminoles' last seven games.
Saturday's game will be a critical contest for both the Blue Devils and the Seminoles. Duke, a mere half-game behind conference leader Wake Forest, hopes at least to keep pace with the Demon Deacons, or perhaps to claim a share of first place in the ACC.
Florida State, on the other hand, is nowhere near the top of the conference, but numbers can be deceiving. The Seminoles have defended their home court well, recording home upsets against North Carolina and Maryland in January and sporting a gaudy 10-2 record in Tallahassee. Despite their seventh-place ACC standing and their lack of a national ranking, they are not a team to be taken lightly.
Right now, though, FSU is in a place where it doesn't want to be-on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid. With eight conference losses against them and four ACC games still left, the Seminoles can ill afford another defeat.
Florida State is by far the bigger of the two teams, but recently, the Blue Devils haven't let their smaller size stop them from taking out taller rivals. In its last three games, Duke has found a consistent starting lineup and has diversified its offense, nailing shots in the paint as well as three-pointers.
Senior Jeff Capel and junior Ricky Price lead the drive to the basket, penetrating defenses to provide Duke's most menacing threat inside the three-point arc. Freshman Chris Carrawell, who has started four of the last five games, has developed a penchant for sinking buckets early in the game, unnerving Duke's opponents. In Duke's last outing at Virginia, the swingman netted Duke's first three baskets of the game.
Senior center Greg Newton, who sat out Tuesday's game with a strained back, may not play in Saturday night's game.
With the Blue Devils brought back down to Earth by their poor showing at Virginia and with the Seminoles playing with their backs against the wall, Saturday's game could be among the most intense played thus far this year in the ACC.
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