KEY PLAYERS: FIU - Carlos Morban, G, 6-2 Jr. (20.8 ppg, 3.7 spg, 3.5 apg); Taurance Johnson, F, 6-9 Jr. (13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg). USF - Bradley Mosley, G, 6-2 Jr. (14.4 ppg, 2.7 apg); Terrence Leather, F, 6-9 Jr. (12.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 50.8 FG percentage); Jimmy Baxter, G, 6-5 Sr. (10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg).
NOTES: USF has lost the past four games by an average of 18. ... FIU also has lost four in a row, including 77-50 to Stanford Monday. FIU lost 89-87 Dec. 1 to Florida Atlantic, which USF defeated 79-66 in its opener. . . . Leather (25) and Mosley (23) set career scoring highs in Tuesday's 73-60 loss at Michigan State. ... USF has scored 60 or fewer during the losing streak, but in the second half at MSU, it scored 41 and shot 57.7 percent. ... PF Brandon Brigman (hernia) is questionable. He played for the third time this season at MSU, logging nine minutes. ... Baxter was scoreless at MSU for the second time this season; last season he reached double figures in 26 of 29 games. ... USF is converting 62.5 percent of its free throws, which would be fourth lowest in school history. ... USF leads the series 9-1. The schools have not played in 11 years.
- Compiled by Pete Young.
FLORIDA STATE VS. CHICAGO STATE
WHEN/WHERE: 4; Peterson Events Center, Pittsburgh.
TV/RADIO: WTAN-AM 1400.
RECORDS: Florida State 9-0, Chicago State 1-8.
COACHES: Florida State - Leonard Hamilton (23-15, second season; 223-225 overall); Chicago State - Kevin Jones (1-20, second season).
KEY PLAYERS: Florida State - Tim Pickett, G, 6-4 Sr. (15.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.9 spg); Anthony Richardson, F, 6-7 Jr. (12.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Alexander Johnson, F, 6-10 Fr. (9.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Chicago State - Tony Weeden, G, 6-2 Jr. (16.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg); Craig Franklin, G, 6-3 Jr. (15.2 ppg, 3.2); Rubeen Perry, F, 6-8 Sr. (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg).
NOTES: The third of four games in the Pittsburgh Holiday Hoops Classic figures to be another dress rehearsal for the Seminoles, who set a record Thursday for the best start in school history. It is, however, just their second game away from home. Hamilton is still looking for more cohesiveness and consistency on offense. That could take some time given the minutes he's giving newcomers Johnson, Von Wafer and Al Thornton as well as oft-injured Andrew Wilson. "Probably the most pleasant thing is the team has so much room for improvement," he said. The Cougars figure to be overmatched. They're not a good shooting team (42.3 percent) and FSU gets after it defensively, as shown in the opponents' 34.5 percent field-goal percentage. To compound matters, CSU is not a good rebounding team - opponents average nearly five more. The Cougars' lone win, the first for Jones who took over for the last 12 games last season when Bo Ellis was fired, came against Division III North Central College. This is the teams' first meeting.
- Compiled by Brian Landman.
NO. 15 FLORIDA VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WHEN/WHERE: 8:30; American Airlines Arena, Miami.
TV/RADIO: Sunshine; WHNZ-AM 1250.
RECORDS: West Virginia 5-2, UF 5-2.
COACHES: West Virginia - John Beilein (19-17, second season; 466-275 overall); UF - Billy Donovan (154-75, eighth season; 189-95).
KEY PLAYERS: West Virginia - Drew Schifino, F, 6-3 Jr. (19.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Kevin Pittsnogle, C, 6-10 So. (10 ppg, 5 rpg). UF - Matt Walsh, G, 6-6 So. (15.5 ppg, 6 rpg); Anthony Roberson, G, 6-1 So. (17 ppg, 3.6 apg); David Lee, F, 6-9 Jr. (12.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
NOTES: Florida is in its sixth Orange Bowl Classic. The Gators have won the past four tournaments. . . . Florida owns or shares seven team records in the classic. . . . This is the seventh meeting between Florida and West Virginia; the series is tied at 3. WVU defeated the Gators 68-66 last season in a neutral-site game at Charleston, W.Va. . . . Florida is 4-1 in the Orange Bowl Classic. It's last loss came in 1997, against UAB. . . . West Virginia's starting lineup is three sophomores and two juniors, and opponents have outrebounded the Mountaineers by nearly nine per game. West Virginia is shooting 48.7 percent from the field, however, and 43 percent from 3-point range. . . . UF has held six of seven opponents to under 40 percent shooting. . . . This is a homecoming for Bonell Colas, a Miami native.
