Mercer University
FGCU
Men's Basketball Continues Road Stretch at Florida State
12/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – The next stop in the Mercer men's basketball team's early season gauntlet of road games sees the Bears in Tallahassee, Florida on Sunday for a matchup with Florida State. Game time at the Donald L. Tucker Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Mercer's trip to Florida State marks the team's fourth game outside of Macon in just over a two-week period, and is the second installment of a seven-game stretch that has the team in enemy territory six times.
COVERAGE
Sunday afternoon's game can be heard live on The Peach, 96.5 FM with play-by-play coverage provided by "The Voice of the Bears", Rick Cameron. The game can be accessed on a web-based video stream at ESPN3.com.
SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE
Florida State enters Sunday's matchup with a 4-2 overall record after falling to Minnesota at home, 77-68, on November 27. Before that game, the Seminoles had won four-straight after dropping their season opener to South Alabama on November 9. Currently, Florida State is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.
Through six games, the Seminoles are averaging 78.3 points per game, equal to both Oregon and UCLA for 37th-best in the nation. Florida State's high-octane offense is keyed by senior guard Michael Snaer, who is averaging 15.3 points per outing in 2012-13. He's joined in double-figures by junior forwards Okaro White and Terrance Shannon, who average 13.3 and 11.3 points per game, respectively.
In the ACC preseason polling, the Seminoles were picked to finish fourth by the media and fifth by the coaches. Snaer was named to the five-member Preseason All-ACC team.
Snaer is the lone returning starter from last year's team that finished ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 poll with a 25-10 (12-4 ACC) record. So far this season, the Moreno Valley, California native has reached double-figure scoring all six of the team's games.
FAST FACTS
Mercer's 53.0 points per game allowed ranks ninth in the nation. The Bears are forcing an average of 16.8 turnovers per game, tied for 38th best among Division I teams.
Mercer's early season schedule has been one of the toughest slates in all of college basketball, as the Bears' Strength of Schedule currently ranks 29th in the country.
This season, Mercer has played four games away from home (3 as a part of the Paradise Jam, 1 at New Mexico). After arriving in Tallahassee, the Bears will have traveled 5,886 miles in 18 days.
On Sunday, the Bears aim to become the second Atlantic Sun team to top an ACC opponent this season. Florida Gulf Coast defeated Miami 63-51 on November 13. Overall, the ACC leads the season series with A-Sun teams, 6-1.
