Troy at Florida State

Troy opened Monday with a 71-60 home loss to UMass, shooting 34.4% from the field and trailing by as many as 25 after a 17-0 run. It was Adam Howard's first game as Troy's head coach, with a roster rebuilt around transfers like Jacoi Hutchinson and Donovan Oday. Florida State's opener ran hot by comparison: a win over Florida A&M by more than 40 behind 54.9% shooting, 27 made free throws and 62 points in the paint. Those numbers came from a roster that is nearly all new, with one returning player who saw non-garbage-time minutes last season. That is why last year's 77.9 points allowed per game tells me little about this defense. Sebastian Rancik scored 25 in his Seminoles debut, and 10 players logged between 12 and 27 minutes in that game, so the Seminoles can keep fresh legs on Troy's guards for 40 minutes. Marcis Ponder pulled down 11 rebounds as Florida State won the glass 47-29, and I expect that to leave Troy's transfer-heavy backcourt one look per possession, so take the UNDER tonight.