LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Florida State, which has a 5-2 overall record in three appearances in the ESPN Events Invitational, plays Stanford in the second round of the event on Friday, November 25, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.  The game will be streamed on ESPN+.  The Seminoles’ game against Stanford is the first between the two teams, and their first against a team from the Pac 12 since defeating Colorado, 71-53, in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Ind.  It’s also the first time the Seminoles have played a team from the state of California since winning at Loyola Marymount, 74-63, at the Garsten Pavilion on Los Angeles, Calif.  Following its game against Stanford, the Seminoles will play in the third round of the ESPN Events Invitational on Sunday at a time to be determined. FLORDA STATE VS. STANFORD — CONNECTIONS Florida State faces Stanford in the second round of the ESPN Events Invitational at Disney on November 25, 2022 at the State Farm Field House.  It’s the first meeting between the Seminoles and the Cardinal.  Stanford is one of two first-time opponents (also USC Upstate) on the Seminoles’ schedule during the 2022-23 regular season.  Stanford is coached by Jerod Haase who is in his sixth season as the Head Coach of the Cardinal.  Haase faced the Seminoles as an assistant coach at North Carolina from 2003-12 (in the ACC).  Rob Ehsan has faced Florida State as a graduate assistant and as an assistant coach at Maryland (2006-11), as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech (2012) and as the head coach at Alabama Birmingham (2017-20).  The Seminoles’ defeated Ehsan and his Blazers, 81-63, on November 22, 2018 in the Old Spice Classic (ESPN Events Invitational) at Disney.  Jack Frost, an assistant to Head Coach Jerrod Haase, was a student and graduate manager at North Carolina, while Assistant Director of Operations Michael Reutt was a four-year student manager at Virginia Tech (2015-18) – both have faced the Seminoles as members of the ACC. HAMILTON IS THE FIFTH WINNINGEST COACH IN ACC HISTORY Seminole Head Coach Leonard Hamilton is the fifth winningest coach in ACC history with 396 career wins and ranked fifth in ACC history with 177 career ACC wins at Florida State. HAMILTON APPROACHING ACC MILESTONE Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton enters the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational with 396 career wins as the Seminoles’ Head Coach in the ACC.  He is just four wins shy of becoming the fifth coach in ACC history with 400 or more wins as a coach in the nation’s top conference for basketball.   Hamilton is looking to join a select group that consists of Mike Krzyzewski, Duke (1,129 wins), Dean Smith of North Carolina (879 wins), Roy Williams of North Carolina (485 wins) and Gary Williams of Maryland (461 wins). SEMINOLES EARN 11 STEALS AGAINST SIENA Led by Cam’Ron Fletcher’s career-high tying five steals against Siena on Thursday in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational, the Seminoles totaled a season-high 11 steals against the Saints.  It marked the second time this season – they earned 10 steals at UCF – the Seminoles had earned in double figure steals in a single game.  The Seminoles 11 steals against Siena marked their most in a game since totaling 15 steals against Wake Forest on February 2, 2022.  Florida State’s 11 steals marked the second time this season, and the 13th time in the last two seasons the Seminoles have totaled 10 or more steals in a game.  Florida State ranked second in the ACC in steals with 264 and in 8.5 steals per game average during the 2021-22 season. FLORIDA STATE’S STEALS TOTAL THIS SEASON With a season-high 11 steals against Siena and 10 steals against UCF, Florida State enters Friday’s game against Stanford with 38 steals and a 6.3 steals per game average.  The Seminoles have 302 steals in their last two seasons (37 games) and average 8.2 steals per game.  Florida State has at least six steals in each of its last four games (26 steals, 6.5 spg) as compared to 12 steals in its first two games of the season (6.0 spg). FLORIDA STATE GETTING TO THE FREE THROW LINE With two starters (Caleb Mills and Darin Green, Jr.) shooting above 80 percent from the free throw line through the first six games of the season, Florida State is becoming what Head Coach Leonard Hamilton felt they were all along – a good free throw shooting team.  As a team, the Seminoles are shooting nearly 78 percent from the free throw line in their last four games as compared to shooting just over 47 percent from the free throw line in their first two games of the season. FLORIDA STATE TURNING OPPONENTS’ TURNOVERS INTO A WEAPON Florida State earned a season-high 19 points off of 19 Siena turnovers and earned a 17-9 scoring advantage on points off of turnovers against Siena on Thursday.  Florida State forced Siena into 19 turnovers and earned a 17-9 advantage in fast break points against the Saints.  Through its first six games of the season, Florida State is forcing 12.8 turnovers per game, earning 13.5 points off of turnovers and has held the fast break scoring average over four of its six opponents.