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North Carolina-FSU Will Draw Packed Crowd

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - On a normal game day here, a parking space outside the Donald L. Tucker Center is about as easy to find as an empty seat inside.

But today will be different. North Carolina visits Florida State, and that means the 12,100-seat Tucker Center will truly come alive for possibly the final time this season.

"We're sold out," FSU president T.K. Wetherell said Friday. He then added the obvious disclaimer: "I'm sure they are coming to see North Carolina as much as they are Florida State."

The fact Wetherell is right remains a point of anguish for those waiting on FSU's basketball program to flourish. The Seminoles (13-9, 2-5 ) enter this afternoon's game against the fourth-ranked Tar Heels (20-1, 5-1) near the bottom of the ACC standings, losers in five of their last six games.

With two of their nine remaining games against North Carolina - the nation's top-ranked team most of the season - and three others against teams they have already lost to, the Seminoles will almost certainly miss the NCAA Tournament for the 10th consecutive season unless the Clippers loan former star Al Thornton back to FSU coach Leonard Hamilton for the stretch run.

As FSU's advisory search committee conducted interviews with four athletic director candidates last week, the basketball program surfaced more than once during the hour-long sessions with each candidate. Longtime booster Ken Cashin, a member of the search committee, voiced his concern to Don Smiley, the former Florida Marlins president who interviewed Wednesday.

Cashin sees the program as a sleeping giant in terms of adding revenue and excitement to the athletic department, and questions why the program has been unable to recapture and sustain the success it enjoyed when the Noles first joined the ACC in 1991. FSU's first ACC victory came at North Carolina on Dec. 15, 1991, launching the Noles to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and a 23-9 league record in their first two seasons in the ACC.

However, between that memorable upset of North Carolina and today's meeting, FSU has failed to join the nation's elite programs, often playing in a half-empty arena on a campus that's home to more than 40,000 students.

Smiley, known as a marketing guru and CEO of entertainment companies, was shocked when told the majority of FSU's students get into games free - and only about 2,000 show up regularly.

"Well, we better go get a big bus then and pick them up and bring them there," Smiley said. "It's about the excitement in the building, and making it the place to be, and the loudness, and the noise and the school spirit. You need more than 2,000 students."

FSU's announced average attendance is 7,944 in 12 home games this season, which is 65.6 percent capacity and ninth in the ACC. When Duke visited FSU earlier this month, a season-high crowd of 11,548 witnessed an up-and-down game the Blue Devils won with a late surge. In FSU's next home game, only 7,314 showed up for a victory against Virginia.

In the midst of another season expected to end with an NIT bid, Wetherell remains convinced Hamilton is the right person for the job, openly pledging his support by giving Hamilton a two-year contract extension in November on the eve of the season opener. Wetherell backed Hamilton once more Friday, saying he is more interested in the bigger picture than the Noles' disappointing season.

"To me, you've got a great person as a coach," Wetherell said. "He's a great role model, students are graduating, and we play hard. They don't quit. They will fight you until the last minute. We might not be ahead on the scoreboard, but we don't lose."

No. 4 North Carolina at Florida State

RECORDS: North Carolina 20-1 (5-1 ACC); FSU 13-9 (2-5)

TIP-OFF: 2 p.m.; Donald L. Tucker Center, Tallahassee

TV/RADIO: FSN Florida/WHBO, 1470 AM

NEED TO KNOW: FSU has lost two in a row and five of six. … Noles have lost six in a row to Tar Heels, last winning Jan. 22, 2004. … North Carolina is 36-8 all-time against FSU. … Game is sold out, FSU's first sellout of season. … Noles G Toney Douglas (team-high 14.3 ppg) is seeking to reach double figures in 25th consecutive game. … Since suffering only loss of season, 82-80, to Maryland, Tar Heels have rebounded to defeat Miami and Boston College by an average of 19 points.

UNC's Ty Lawson is averaging 19.5 points and 10 assists in past two games. … North Carolina C Tyler Hansbrough, ACC's leading scorer (21. 9 ppg), leads all active ACC players with 27 career double-doubles.

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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