Notre Dame @ Florida State preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 10, 2018 ) Florida State 69, Notre Dame 84

Florida State looks to get back in the win column as it hosts struggling Notre Dame on Monday evening. The 17th-ranked Seminoles had their eight-game winning streak snapped at North Carolina on Saturday, while the Fighting Irish lost their third straight in a home loss to Virginia Tech.

Florida State, like Duke a game before, got blown out by the Tar Heels as the ninth-ranked team in the nation held the Seminoles to 30.5 percent shooting, which included just 25 percent in the second half. "A lot of it is their defensive schemes that took us out of some of the stuff we normally get around the basket. We've got to have a quick recovery," Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton told reporters after the 77-59 loss. Notre Dame came out flat on Saturday, missing nine of its first 10 shots and committing four turnovers in the first nine minutes in the 67-59 loss to the 18th-ranked Hokies. "They just got too many men," coach Mike Brey told the media after the game, referring to the veteran Hokies. "Too old, too tough, too mentally tough, and we are not that right now."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (13-14, 3-11 ACC): The Irish, generally a decent rebounding team that is averaging 37.1 per game, got dominated on the glass by Virginia Tech as the Hokies ended up with as many offensive rebounds (18) as Notre Dame had defensive rebounds. Junior guard T.J. Gibbs once again led the team in scoring with 18 points and now has 78 over the last four games, but he shot just 5-of-17 from the field against the Hokies. Junior forward John Mooney added 12 points and 10 rebounds for his ACC-leading 17th double-double of the season, while freshman Nate Laszewski also added 12 points in his best offensive game since Jan. 22.

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (21-6, 9-5): The Seminoles were actually within four points with 10.5 minutes remaining but a then a quick 8-0 run by the Tar Heels put the game out of reach. Senior guard David Nichols led Florida State offensively with 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting from behind the arc in 22 minutes off the bench. Leading scorers Mfiondu Kabengele (13.2 points per game) and Terance Mann (11.7 points per game) will be looking to be more involved on Monday after the Tar Heels limited the pair to 18 points on just 11 combined attempts from the floor.

TIP-INS

1. The all-time series is tied 4-4, with Notre Dame winning easily 84-69 at home last season.

2. The Irish are under .500 for just the second time in Brey’s 19-year tenure.

3. The Seminoles are a deep team that features 10 players averaging 23-plus minutes per game.

PREDICTION: Florida State 70, Notre Dame 61