Colleges

FSU men travel to face champ Nov. 23

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published August 24, 2007

FSU men's schedule

Date Opponent Time

Nov. 9 Nicholls State 7 p.m.

Nov. 12 Georgia Southern* 7 p.m.

Nov. 16 vs. UAB** 8:15 p.m.

Nov. 17 vs. Cleveland St. ** 6 p.m.

Nov. 18 vs. USF ** 8:15 p.m.

Nov. 20 Georgia State 7 p.m.

Nov. 23 at Florida 7 p.m.

Nov. 27 Minnesota *** 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 30 Stetson 7 p.m.

Dec. 2 Samford 2 p.m.

Dec. 8 Maine 7 p.m.

Dec. 15 vs. Butler # 6 p.m.

Dec. 18 Charleston 7 p.m.

Dec. 22 at Providence 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 30 at Georgia Tech 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 5 LaSalle 7 p.m.

Jan. 12 at Clemson 7 p.m.

Jan. 16 Duke 7 p.m.

Jan. 20 at Wake Forest 1 p.m.

Jan. 23 Virginia 7 p.m.

Jan. 26 N.C. State 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 29 at Virginia Tech 9 p.m.

Feb. 3 North Carolina 2 p.m.

Feb. 6 at Miami 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 Wake Forest 9 p.m.

Feb. 16 at Maryland 3 p.m.

Feb. 19 Clemson 7 p.m.

Feb. 23 Boston College Noon

Feb. 27 at N.C. State 7 p.m.

March 4 at North Carolina 8 p.m.

March 8 Miami Noon

March 13-16 at ACC Tournament TBA. * Glenn Wilkes Classic. ** Glenn Wilkes Classic, Daytona Beach. *** ACC/Big Ten Challenge. # Wooden Tradition, Indianapolis

If Florida State is to assemble a resume worthy of receiving its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1998, it likely will hinge on two key nonconference games - at Florida on Nov. 23 and against Butler in the Wooden Tradition on Dec. 15 - and its 16-game ACC schedule.

Florida, of course, is the two-time defending NCAA champion, while Butler reached the Sweet 16 last season. Those kinds of games enhance any resume.

But while some of the other nonconference games offer an intriguing subplot (Minnesota and new coach Tubby Smith and USF and its new coach, Stan Heath, for example), the combined record of the other 13 nonconference teams last year was 169-218; of those, only Providence (18-13), which made the NIT, and Charleston (22-11) had winning records.

On the flip side is the ACC lineup, which includes a home-and-home with North Carolina (Feb. 3 in Tallahassee, March 4 in Chapel Hill), home games against Duke (Jan. 16), Virginia (Jan. 23) and Boston College (Feb. 23) and road games against Georgia Tech (Dec. 30), Virginia Tech (Jan. 29) and Maryland (Feb. 16).

"The quality of the teams we will play once the ACC schedule begins is undeniable with each of our conference opponents battling for a spot in the NCAA Tournament," coach Leonard Hamilton said.

EAST CAROLINA: Former coach Ricky Stokes is leaving the school instead of taking an administrative position in the athletic department, school officials said.

[Last modified August 23, 2007, 23:20:20]