No. 13 FSU basketball vs. Pittsburgh: How to watch, preview, game thread

Florida State (13-3) dropped a tough, close game to the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon, but if the Seminoles are looking for someone to feel sorry for them, they’re not going to find it out of fellow ACC foes.

And so the ’Noles take the court tonight in Pittsburgh, and you can watch on ESPNU at 7 pm. Both FSU and Pitt (11-5) are off to 1-2 conference starts; the Panthers fell to North Carolina (85-60), beat the Louisville squad (89-86, in OT) that just dusted the Tar Heels, and lost an 86-80 decision at NC State.

Florida State improved to No. 19 in KenPom’s rankings after losing to Duke, and Pitt comes into this one ranked No. 80. In case you’re wondering which FSU opponent that compares to from this season, the Panthers are very close to No. 82 Connecticut.

One facet of the game looks to be very close— the other not so much. The Seminoles have the country’s 36th most efficient offense, while Pittsburgh boasts the nation’s No. 38 defense. That’s about as tight a matchup as you’re gonna find.

On the other side of the ball, it’s often said that defense travels, and the ’Noles will need for that to be the case, since this is where FSU can achieve some separation. Florida State’s defense is now 15th in the country, while Pitt’s offense is a pedestrian 178th.

But speaking of pedestrian, don’t expect a ton of walking around in this one. The Seminoles are 97th in tempo, the Panthers 108th (remember, all of these rankings are out of 353 D-1 teams). So neither squad is averse to getting up and down the court.

Be sure to follow along with the game and contribute your thoughts in the comments section below.