Florida State is starting to find its rhythm, and the timing couldn’t be better. After a rough stretch earlier in the season, the Seminoles are showing signs of life - and they’ve got a real shot at keeping that momentum rolling this weekend when they head to South Bend to take on a struggling Notre Dame squad.
Let’s start with the turnaround. From late November through mid-January, Florida State was stuck in the mud, dropping 10 of 12 games.
But something has clicked over the last couple of weeks. The Seminoles have now won three of their last four, including a gritty two-point road win over in-state rival Miami on Jan.
- That stretch has been fueled by smarter play and a simplified approach under first-year head coach Luke Loucks.
“They’ve really done a good job of keeping the game simple these last couple of weeks,” Loucks said recently. And the numbers back him up - just 24 turnovers over their last three games. That’s a team starting to value possessions and play with purpose.
Offensively, Florida State still isn’t the most consistent unit, but they showed what they’re capable of in last weekend’s 88-80 win over Stanford. That game marked season-highs in both points and shooting percentage (54.7%) in ACC play. When this group gets rolling, they can put pressure on defenses in a hurry.
Veteran forward Chauncey Wiggins has been a key part of that recent surge. He dropped 23 points against Stanford and has scored 41 over the last two games while shooting a red-hot 13-of-22 from the field. Meanwhile, Robert McCray V - the team’s leading scorer at 14.4 points per game - is heating up as well, averaging nearly 18 points on over 50% shooting across the last four contests.
Now, Florida State heads to Notre Dame looking for a sixth straight win over the Irish - and a third straight at Purcell Pavilion. And based on how both teams are trending, the opportunity is there.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, is in the middle of a tough stretch. The Irish have dropped three straight and eight of their last nine.
Their only win in that span came at home against Boston College on Jan. 24.
Since then, it’s been more of the same: close calls and missed chances.
They pushed then-No. 17 Virginia to double overtime at home but couldn’t close the deal.
Then came losses at Syracuse and No. 24 Louisville, where they were outscored by a combined 25 points.
In Wednesday’s 76-65 loss to the Cardinals, Notre Dame shot just 38.7% from the field and struggled mightily at the free-throw line, going 6-of-14. That’s the kind of inefficiency that’s hard to overcome - especially when your opponents are averaging over 87 points per game during that span.
Still, head coach Micah Shrewsberry is trying to keep things in perspective.
“I’m proud of the guys because we fight,” he said. “But there are things we need to clean up, get better at.”
One of those things? Taking care of the basketball.
Freshman guard Jalen Haralson, who’s been one of the bright spots this season, had a tough outing against Louisville - just eight points and six turnovers after scoring 46 across his previous two games. That’s part of the growing pains that come with relying on a young core.
So, what’s at stake this weekend? For Florida State, it’s a chance to keep climbing out of the early-season hole and build on a stretch that’s starting to look like a turning point. For Notre Dame, it’s about stopping the slide and finding some stability before the season slips away entirely.
Two teams, two different directions - and one matchup that could say a lot about where both are headed in the back half of the ACC schedule.