Florida

Louisville-Florida State preview

Published

2 years ago

February 3, 2024

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Louisville Cardinals (6-15, 1-9) vs. Florida State Seminoles (12-8, 6-3)

Game Time: 8 p.m.

Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.

Television: ACC Network

Announcers: Mike Monaco (play-by-play) and Randolph Childress (analyst)

Favorite: Florida State by 5.5

Series: Louisville leads, 34-18

Last Meeting: Florida State won 81-78 on Feb. 4, 2023 in Louisville

Series History:

Probable Starting Lineups:

G Skyy Clark (6-3, 205, So.)
G Tre White (6-7, 205, So.)
G/F Mike James (6-5, 200, R-So.)
F Kaleb Glenn (6-6, 205, Fr.)
F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 240, Jr.)

Florida State

G Darin Green Jr. (6-5, 195, Sr.)
G Jalen Warley (6-7, 205, Jr.)
F Jamir Watkins (6-7, 210, R-Jr.)
F De’Ante Green (6-9, 210. So.)
F Baba Miller (6-11, 204, So.)

Statistics:

Relevant Videos:

About Florida State:

After a fairly disastrous run during its non-conference portion of the season, Florida State currently finds itself sitting at 6-3 in the ACC and alone in fourth in the conference standings. The Seminoles’ outside shot at making the NCAA would likely be torpedoed by a loss Saturday night against Louisville.

The Seminoles have had success in league play thanks primarily to their defense. FSU ranks 38th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, and has only allowed one opponent since Dec. 9 to breach the 80-point mark. The Seminoles are forcing turnovers on 21.3 percent of their defensive possessions, the 29th-best rate in Division-I.

Junior forward Jamir Watkins, a VCU transfer, has been the team’s engine so far this season. He leads the team in both scoring (13.9 ppg) and assists (3.0), but his biggest impact may come on the defensive end. Watkins enters Saturday’s game with 97 career steals, and needs just three to reach the 100 steals mark for his career. He has 31 steals in his first season at Florida State and totaled 64 steals in his two seasons with the Rams.

If you’re looking for the candidate to go off from deep against the Cards, look no further than Darin Green Jr. (12.1 ppg). Green enters Saturday with 349 career made 3‐point shots. He has made 141 triples as a Seminole, and knocked down 208 during his three‐year career at UCF.

Louisville’s point guard issues — both Skyy Clark and Ty-Laur Johnson will be game-time decisions — could doom them in this one. Florida State, which has earned double‐figures in steals in nine games – including four ACC games – enters the weekend as the conference leader in steals with 9.3 team steals per game average. The Seminoles totaled 11 steals in their last game against North Carolina, and 10 in their last road win at Syracuse.

Notable:

—Florida State is riding a seven-game winning streak over Louisville for the first time in the lengthy series between the two programs. Before this current run, the Seminoles had only once won back-to-back games over the Cardinals, and that happened all the way back in 1978.

—U of L’s longest winning streak over FSU is nine games, which lasted from 1978-1982.

—Louisville is looking to avoid going winless against Florida State (barring an ACC tournament meeting) for a fourth straight season.

—FSU has won four of its last five games over Louisville by at least nine points, including a 22-point win in their first of two meetings last season.

—Louisville point guards Skyy Clark and Ty-Laur Johnson are both nursing injuries (shoulder and ankle, respectively) and will both be game-time decisions.

—Four of Louisville’s six wins this season have come while trailing at halftime. The Cardinals have been outscored by 154 total points in the first half this season, but have outscored opponents by 32 after halftime.

—Florida State has won three consecutive ACC road games.

—Louisville hasn’t beaten Florida State at home since Jan., 2016.

—The Cardinals haven’t beaten the Seminoles at all since an ACC tournament first round win in 2018 under interim head coach David Padgett.

—Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton enters Saturday’s game against North Carolina as the fifth winningest coach in ACC history with 416 wins. He is also the fifth winningest coach in ACC history for ACC regular season victories (165), ACC regular season and ACC Tournament wins combined (191). He is sixth in the ACC record book for ACC road wins (68), and eighth in ACC history for NCAA Tournament wins as an ACC Head Coach (18).

—Louisville is 6-9 all-time in games against Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton. The Cards are 4-9 against Hamilton at FSU, and went 2-0 against him during his time at Oklahoma State.

—Florida State enters Saturday’s game against Louisville having won an NCAA record 14 consecutive overtime games. The Seminoles’ streak began with a 101‐90 win in double overtime against Syracuse on January 13, 2018.

—Louisville is 3-28 in ACC games under the direction of head coach Kenny Payne.

—Louisville is 223-15 over the last 20 seasons and 20-3 over the last three when scoring 80 points or more. The Cards are 4-1 in such games this season.

—Since 2004, Louisville is 129-0 when leading by more than 10 points at halftime.

—Louisville has won 162 consecutive games when holding an opponent under 50 points.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Florida State 78, Louisville 71

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Florida

Florida State baseball drops series opener to Virginia

Published

11 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Florida State baseball drops series opener to Virginia

Florida State baseball its opportunities Thursday night, but strikeouts and one big inning sunk the Seminoles in their series opener with Virginia. The Cavaliers struck for four runs in the bottom of the fourth and held on from there for the 4-3 win.

The Seminoles were poised to strike in the top of the first after Brayden Down started the game with a hit by pitch. Noah Sheffield then reached by error, an error that placed the runners at second and third. Unfortunately, the next three Seminole batters — Hunter Carns, Kelvyn Paulino and Eli Putnam — all struck out. Wes Mendes sat down Virginia 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first.

Both offenses were relatively quiet in the second and third innings with only two UVA baserunners. FSU picked up a two out double in the fourth from Putnam, but John Stuetzer fanned to end the threat. Mendes picked up a quick out to start the fourth before allowing three straight hits that scored two Cavalier runs. Mendes finally recorded out number two but followed that up by allowing a two-run no-doubter over the right field fence.

The Seminoles struck right back in the top of the fifth, started by a Stuetzer single. Dowd reached by error and Noah Sheffield made the game 4-1 with an RBI double. Carns followed that up with a two-run RBI single. Paulino grounded out to end the inning with FSU down 4-3.

Mendes finished the fifth with a final line of 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Chris Knier took the mound in the sixth and kept Virginia off the board for the remainder of the game.

From the top of the sixth inning forward, Seminole batters went 0-12 with four strikeouts. As a whole, the FSU offense fanned 11 times for the game. The loss of Myles Bailey looms large as the offense will need to bounce back tomorrow at 2 p.m. in game two to avoid the team’s first series loss in conference play.

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Florida

4/20 holiday is this month. Is weed legal in Florida?

Published

23 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

4/20 holiday is this month. Is weed legal in Florida?

As many Americans gather to celebrate Easter this weekend, hundreds of thousands across the country are also gearing up for a different kind of holiday later this month.

“4/20” is cannabis culture slang for marijuana consumption, which makes April 20 (or 4/20) the designated holiday for stoners across the globe.

But is weed even legal in Florida? Here’s what to know before you light up later this month.

When did ‘4/20 Day’ holiday start? See rumored origins

The true origin of why marijuana lovers spark up on 4/20 (or even associate the time 4:20 with smoking pot) isn’t clear, but there are two rumored possibilities:

The unofficial story of a group of high school students in the 1970s in California, who allegedly would meet to smoke pot every day at 4:20 p.m. However, this has never been confirmed.
According to a Vox article on the origins of the holiday, “One common belief is that 420 was the California police or penal code for marijuana, but there’s no evidence to support those claims.”

Can you smoke marijuana recreationally in Florida?

No, you cannot.

Despite receiving 55.9% of the votes, 2024’s Amendment 3, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana, did not achieve the 60% threshold needed to pass during the General Election. It saw 5,934,139 votes in total.

Is medical marijuana legal in Florida?

Medical marijuana is legal in Florida for residents diagnosed with a specific set of conditions who have applied for and received a Medical Marijuana ID Card or caregivers who have received a Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card.

The following conditions are eligible for and to receive a Medical Marijuana Card:

Cancer
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
Crohn’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Comparable medical conditions or status to the above
A terminal condition
Chronic nonmalignant pain

Can I bring weed if I have a medical marijuana card from another state?

No. The state of Florida does not honor other states’ medical marijuana cards.

Can I get busted for possessing weed in Florida?

Without a Medical Marijuana Card (or Medical Marijuana Caregiver Card, for people assisting medical marijuana patients who are minors or who need help), if you are caught with pot, marijuana advocacy group NORML lists the following penalties under Florida Statutes:

Possessing 20 grams or less: first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
Possession of paraphernalia: Misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
Possessing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park or other specified areas: Felony, mandatory three-year sentence and maximum $10,000 fine.
Possessing from 20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, up to five years in jail and a maximum $5,000 fine.
Possessing from 25 to 2,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from three to 15 years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
Possessing from 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from seven to 30 years and a $50,000 fine.
Possessing more than 10,000 pounds of marijuana: First-degree felony, from 15 to 30 years and a $200,000 fine.

However, many communities and municipalities have decriminalized possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana, meaning if you’re busted, you’ll get a fine (which will go up each time) and you may be required to attend a drug education program or do community service.

Areas that have decriminalized pot include Alachua County, Broward County, Cocoa Beach, Hallandale Beach, Key West, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Orlando, Osceola County, Palm Beach County, Port Richey, Sarasota, Tampa and Volusia County.

Is it legal to sell weed in Florida?

Only licensed medical marijuana dispensaries may sell marijuana in the state of Florida. Even if the proposed recreational amendment passes next year, you still would have to buy your pot at a licensed dispensary.

People charged with selling marijuana can face the following:

25 grams or less, without renumeration: Misdemeanor, maximum 1 year in jail, $1,000 fine.
20 grams to 25 pounds: Felony, maximum 5 years in jail, $5,000 fine.
25 to less than 2,000 pounds or 300-2,000 plants: Felony, three to 15 years, maximum $25,000 fine.
2,000 to less than 10,000 pounds or 2,000-10,000 plants: Felony, seven to 30 years, maximum $50,000 fine.
10,000 pounds or more: Felony, 15 to 30 years, maximum $200,000 fine.
If within 1,000 feet of a school, college, park, or other specified areas: An additional 3-15 years, $10,000 fine

Are low-THC products like delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 or THC-O legal in Florida?

Assorted different types of so-called “diet weed” cannabinoids, such as delta-8, delta-9, delta-10 and THC-O, which are derived from hemp and not marijuana and contain lower levels of THC, are sort of legal here under the 2018 federal Farm Bill that allows farmers to grow industrial hemp.

While the Florida Legislature passed a bill in 2024 that effectively banned delta-8 and delta-10 products and set a 5-milligram-per-serving limit on delta-9, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it, reportedly to protect small businesses.

However, they remain federally illegal.

Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

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Florida

Florida woman arrested after allegedly squatting in home and selling owner’s appliances

Published

1 day ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

Florida woman arrested after allegedly squatting in home and selling owner’s appliances

Authorities arrested a woman at a home near The Villages after the homeowner told deputies the woman had been staying there without permission and sold a washer and dryer from the residence, according to an arrest affidavit.

Candice Meshelle Mackey, 40, was charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property after investigators said a neighbor told them he bought the washer-and-dryer set from her for $150 and another witness identified the appliances as ones previously kept inside the home.

According to an arrest affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the homeowner, identified as Denise Lombardi, told police that the appliance came with the home and belonged to the residence.

She also claimed that Mackey was a squatter and had repeatedly been told to leave, but continued to stay at the home. The single family home, in Summerfield, is near The Villages, a sprawling 55+ housing community in Central Florida.

The owner told police, according to the affidavit, that she had gone to the residence a couple of months ago and realized Mackey had been squatting there.

Candice Meshelle Mackey was arrested on charges of grand theft, a property value of $750 to $5,000, and dealing in stolen property. Marion County Jail

Lombardi’s nephew, identified as James, who was paying rent at the home, invited Mackey to stay with him without permission.

Despite being ordered from the house in December, she still had not left and was served a notice to vacate by March 31.

A neighbor first alerted the homeowner after he bought a Frigidaire washer and dryer that Mackey was selling for $150.

Aerial view of a residential community in Ocala, Florida, featuring houses, roads, ponds, and trees. — Despite being ordered from the house in December, she still had not left and was served a notice to vacate by March 31. Alamy Stock Photo

The buyer later told law enforcement that his washer and dryer stopped working, so when he noticed Mackey moving out, he bought what he thought was hers for $150. Once he found out the set did not belong to her, he tried to return it and get his money back without success, the report said.

Mackey told deputies she had purchased the appliances after being released from jail, but investigators said she gave conflicting accounts of when she bought them and could not provide proof they were hers.

She was arrested on charges of grand theft, a property value of $750 to $5,000, and dealing in stolen property. She was booked in the Marion County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.

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