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Florida State vs. Florida: 3 biggest storylines for 2019-20 matchup

By Jason Burgess

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 05: The Florida Gators huddle before the NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal against the Connecticut Huskies at AT&T Stadium on April 5, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 05: The Florida Gators huddle before the NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal against the Connecticut Huskies at AT&T Stadium on April 5, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Devin Vassell #24 of the Florida State Seminoles cheers after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 28, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Devin Vassell #24 of the Florida State Seminoles cheers after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 28, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

On Sunday night the in-state rivals Florida State and Florida face off in Gainesville. Last season the Seminoles made the Sweet Sixteen, and Florida is hoping to get there and beyond. Here are key storylines for the game.

One team made the Sweet Sixteen last season and the other is three years removed from a trip to the Elite Eight, and the in-state rivals will face off Sunday afternoon when the Florida State Seminoles (0-1) travel to Gainesville to take on Mike White’s Florida Gators (1-0). Last season it was the Seminoles who made it to the Sweet Sixteen, knocking off Vermont and Murray State along the way, and while Florida has made the tournament the last three seasons, they haven’t made it out of the second round since that run in 2017.

Both teams began this season with a victory, Florida State traveled to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night and fell to an up and coming Panther team 63-61, and Florida began its season by defeating another school from the Sunshine State at home, handling North Florida 74-59 on Tuesday night.

Even though it was Florida State that went further last season, it’s the Gators who enter the contest ranked No. 6 in the country and were picked to finish second in the SEC behind the consensus No. 2 team in the country, Kentucky. The Seminoles, on the other hand, aren’t far off the national radar, receiving plenty of votes in the preseason poll and picked to finish fourth, behind likely national title contenders Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, and defending champ Virginia.

This tilt will be a good test for both teams and is full of intriguing storylines to watch, especially for the home team. Here are three of them, as you watch these two rivals square off.

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