SE Missouri St. @ Florida State preview

SE Missouri St. at Florida State

No. 10 Florida State embarked on a stunning NCAA Tournament run last season that ended just short of its first Final Four since 1972. With sights set much higher this year, the Seminoles are likely to receive a boost Monday when forward Phil Cofer is expected to join the team when Southeast Missouri State visits.

Cofer, who averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds last season, has been out with a foot injury suffered in preseason practice. "We'll try to anticipate Phil being brought back into the fold, but on a limited and a very cautious basis," coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We're going to allow his body to tell us where he is and we'll move forward from there with no real expectations one way or the other." Senior guard Terence Mann (team-highs of 12.1 points, 7.4 rebounds) scored 20 points during Florida State’s 79-71 victory over Connecticut on Dec. 8, becoming just the 47th Seminole to score 1,000 points in his career. “It’s definitely cool to be a part of that group,” Mann said afterwards. “Just to see everything come together, I’m so thankful, but we have one goal in mind, and that’s to get to the Final Four and win the national championship.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra

ABOUT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (5-6): The Redhawks are coming off an 86-74 loss to Citadel on Dec. 8 despite 24 points and 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc by 6-5 Ledarrius Brewer, who averages a team-best 13.2 points per game to go with 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Junior 6-3 guard Skyler Hogan (12.4 points, 43.1 percent from the arc) and 6-0 freshman reserve Alex Caldwell (10 points, 41.5 percent from the arc) are the only other double-digit scorers. The Redhawks will be challenged up front, as 6-10 senior reserve Mark Laros (5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds) is the only player on the roster that stands taller than 6-8.

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (8-1): Grad transfer David Nichols (6.0 points per game) totaled an FSU career-high 16 points and also knocked down a career-high three 3-pointers, while Mfiondu Kabengele finished with 15 points and 7-4 Christ Koumadje added seven points, a career-high 11 rebounds and four blocks against UConn. The six-foot Nichols, who averaged 16.5 points per game his last two seasons at Albany, has averaged 11.3 points in his last three contests, shooting 55-percent from the floor (11-of-20) and 60-percent from beyond the arc (6-of-10). The 6-9 Kabengele averages 11.4 points and 4.1 rebounds while senior Koumadje chips in 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 17.3 minutes per game.

TIP-INS

1. Mann has 1,009 career points, good for 46th on FSU’s all-time list and within range of the Top 25.

2. The 6-5 Brewer, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team as a true freshman last season (14.5 points, team highs of 71 3-pointers and 16 blocks), is shooting only 36 percent from the floor this season and 28 percent from the arc despite taking an average of 6.8 a game.

3. Florida State, with nine players averaging between 12.6 and 31.2 minutes, already has wins over Florida, Purdue, LSU and UConn in non-conference action.