The Florida State men's basketball team will ride its five-game win streak into a high-profile neutral-site game tonight against No. 17 Tennessee. The Volunteers are 5-0, while the Seminoles are 5-1.

The teams are meeting in the Emerald Coast Classic at Niceville, Fla., with the winner advancing to face the winner of today's game between Purdue and VCU on Saturday.

Both FSU and Tennessee are coming off of NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances. The Volunteers went 31-6 last season, while the Seminoles went 29-8.

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Friday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m., Northwest Florida State College, Niceville, Fla.

After thrashing rival Florida in the second game of the season, Florida State will get its next opportunity to knock off a ranked opponent tonight against the 17th-ranked Volunteers. The Seminoles sat just outside the Top 25 in the most recent polls and undoubtedly will move into the rankings with a strong showing this weekend.

Florida State's win over UF started a five-game win streak, with only one of those games being very competitive. Despite playing without injured starters M.J. Walker and RaiQuan Gray for part of that stretch, the Seminoles have cruised to lopsided wins over Chattanooga, St. Francis and Chicago State.

Tennessee has cruised to five straight double-digit victories to open the season, including one against a ranked opponent; the Volunteers knocked off No. 20 Washington in a neutral-site game. The Vols and Seminoles have one common opponent -- Chattanooga. FSU defeated Chattanooga by 36, while UT won by 12.

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Last meeting: FSU 101, Tennessee 90 (Jan. 15, 1989)

All-time series: Tennessee leads 5-3

TV: CBS Sports Network | Radio: Seminole Radio Network

Head Coaches: Leonard Hamilton (Florida State), Rick Barnes (Tennessee)

What to Watch For: This should be a highly entertaining game with both squads featuring athletic and skilled offensive lineups, but both coaching staffs being best known for their hard-nosed defense.

Perhaps the most interesting storyline could be the battle between two outstanding senior point guards -- Trent Forrest for Florida State and Lamonte Turner for Tennessee. Forrest is FSU's offensive and defensive catalyst, while Turner has been an assists machine through the first five games -- he leads the nation with 9.2 assists per game.

Florida State will have a substantial size advantage inside, but the Seminoles will have to be on-point defensively to deal with the Volunteers' perimeter shooting. Tennessee is shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range as a team, and senior guard Jordan Bowden has hit 13 of 26 attempts from outside.

One key for Florida State could be the expected return of junior shooting guard M.J. Walker, who has missed the past three games due to injury. Gray, a sophomore forward, returned to action on Saturday after a similar absence.

FSU should have a major advantage in terms of depth, so look for the Seminoles to push the pace at both ends of the floor.

Opening Line: Florida State - minus-1.5

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