Today we will be traveling to the capital of Florida and the home of Florida State University, Tallahassee. The Seminoles have a couple of talented guards returning and a six-man recruiting class led by top-ten prospect Jonathan Isaac. After finishing in the middle of the conference for four straight years, the Seminoles are hoping they have the talent to return to the NCAA tournament.

ACC Roundup

Boston College

Clemson

Duke

Last Season

Led by the dynamic duo of Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon, the Seminoles finished last season with a record of 20-14 (8-10). Unfortunately for Florida State, that was not enough to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. FSU participated in the NIT instead, where they lost in the second round to Valparaiso. Coach Hamilton used a deep bench with 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes a game.

The Seminoles capped off an impressive non-conference schedule with a thrilling victory at their rival University of Florida by the score of 73-71. Bacon put on a show scoring 24, including the go-ahead bucket with 4.6 seconds on the clock to give FSU the victory. The Seminoles suffered only two losses, finishing their non-conference play with a 10-2 record. The first loss came at the hands of Hofstra in the opening round of the Paradise Jam. Although it was a shocking defeat for Florida State at the time, Hofstra put together a solid season in which they finished the year 24-10 and won the CAA championship. The second loss came on the road at Big Ten foe Iowa as a part of the ACC/B1G challenge. The Hawkeyes pulled out a tight one in overtime by the score of 78-75.

Even with a daunting five-game stretch to start conference play, spirits were high in Tallahassee. Those spirits would come crashing back to earth after the Seminoles lost their first three ACC games. FSU bounced back with wins at North Carolina State and at home versus #13 Virginia before dropping a pair to fall to 12-7 and 2-5 during conference play. The schedule finally showed mercy with FSU playing the bottom three teams in the conference over their next four games; where they took care of business and improved to 16-7 and 6-5 in the ACC. However, the Seminoles’ hopes of making the NCAA tournament were crushed when they lost their next five games. After picking up wins in their final two conference games, the Seminoles finished the regular season with a record of 18-12 and 8-10 in conference.

In their opening ACC Tournament matchup, the Seminoles cruised to a 22-point victory over Boston College. The second round was a different story, as Virginia Tech proved to be too much for FSU, and knocked them out. After an uninspiring run in the NIT, Coach Leonard Hamilton was tasked with rebuilding his roster after losing seven players. After finishing second on the team in scoring, Malik Beasley declared for the NBA draft and was taken 19th overall by the Denver Nuggets. Sophomore guard Robbie Berwick transferred to Colorado State after missing last year with an injury. The other transfer was guard Benji Bell, who played 10.4 minutes a game over the course of 33 games. The four graduates were Devon Bookert, Boris Bojanovsky, Michael Saxton, and Montay Brandon.

Coaching

Leonard Hamilton begins his 15th season at Florida state as the school’s all-time winningest head coach. With a record of 278-187, Hamilton also ranks as the 10th winningest coach in ACC history. After graduating from the University of Tennessee-Martin, Leonard Hamilton got his first coaching position at as an assistant under Lake Kelly at Austin Peay University. Hamilton served as a grad assistant from 1971 to 1973 before becoming a full assistant in 1974. During his time at Austin Peay, the Governors made their only sweet sixteen appearance in school history. Hamilton left Austin Peay after three years to take a job as an assistant at the University of Kentucky.

After the 1974 season, Coach Hamilton left Austin Peay after three years to take a job as an assistant at the University of Kentucky. In Hamilton’s first year with the university, Kentucky was the National runner-up. Three years later, the Wildcats were back in the NCAA Championship, this time led by four seniors. Three of those seniors (Rick Robey at #3, Jack Givens at #16, and James Lee at #39) were drafted in the 1978 NBA Draft. Hamilton stayed at Kentucky for 12 seasons before leaving to take the his first head coaching position at Oklahoma State University in 1986.

During his first two years as the head coach of Oklahoma State, the Cowboys went a combined 22-36. Things turned around in years three and four, however, with Coach Hamilton leading OSU to back-to-back NIT appearances. After only four short years in Stillwater, Hamilton moved on and accepted the head coaching job at the University of Miami.

In 1990, Miami was only in their sixth season of division-one basketball when they hired Leonard Hamilton to succeed Bill Foster. After spending his first season the the helm as an independent, Miami joined the Big East conference. Through his first seven seasons, Coach Hamilton produced very little, with only two NIT appearances. But in 1998 the Hurricane broke through. Miami finished with a record of 18-10 (11-7) and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since bringing basketball back. Over the next two seasons, Miami flourished, winning a combined 46 games and earned a trip to their first Sweet Sixteen in 2000.

Hamilton is currently the all-time winningest coach in Miami basketball history, going 144-147 in ten seasons. After the Sweet Sixteen run, Hamilton cashed in and took his first, and only, NBA job with the Washington Wizards. In his lone season in Washington, he led the Wizards to their worst record in franchise history at 19-63.

After his lone season in the NBA, Hamilton returned to the college game and took the head coaching position at Florida State University. Under Coach Hamilton’s, guidance FSU has only had two losing seasons over the last 14. From 2009 to 2012 the Seminoles went to four straight NCAA Tournaments, including an appearance in the 2011 Sweet Sixteen. Since then, Florida State has failed to return, despite winning at least 20 games in two of the last four seasons. Over the course of his career, Coach Hamilton has put together a cumulative record of 478-387.

Returning Players

The Seminoles have an experienced backcourt led by Dwayne Bacon, who was the Seminoles’ leading scorer last season with 15.8 ppg. Bacon is a slashing wing who uses a quick first step to get by his defender and into the teeth of the defense. Once around the basket, Bacon is a very strong finisher who does not shy away from contact. As a freshman, Bacon led Florida State in free throws attempted with 154; he made 110 which is good for a percentage of 71%. Bacon also led FSU in rebounding, with 5.8 rpg last season, with that number jumping up to 6.1 in ACC games.

Joining Bacon in the backcourt is 6’4 guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes. As the ACC’s returning leader in assists, Rathan-Mayes will be looked to by Coach Hamilton to run the offense. As a junior, Rathan-Mayes brings leadership and experience to the point guard position. Xavier may be FSU’s leading facilitator, but he is also a capable scorer who has averaged 13.3 ppg, including this 30-point explosion in under five minutes.

Also returning in the backcourt is 6’6 sophomore guard, Terance Mann. As a freshman, Mann averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds a game in 17 minutes per. Mann has good size for the shooting guard position and is a high level athlete who can be a plus defender in the ACC. Most of Mann’s points come off of the bounce, if he wants to take the next step on offense he must develop his shot. Last season, Mann was a non-factor from the perimeter taking only 13 three-point shots all season. His performance at the free throw line makes him a bit of a late game liability as he only shot 46% from the charity stripe.

Florida State has a pair of giants patrolling the paint in 7’1 graduate student Michael Ojo and 7’4 sophomore Chris Koumadje. Ojo missed the entire 2015-2016 season after tearing his meniscus in a preseason workout. Ojo has been used lightly during his time at FSU, averaging less than nine minutes a game over the course of three seasons. At 304 pounds Ojo takes up a lot of space down low and is difficult to move once he establishes position. It might not show in the box score, but Ojo’s frame and length disrupts a lot of shots.

Partnering with Ojo to man the pivot is Chris Koumadje. As a freshman, Koumadje only played 6.1 mpg and was largely a non-factor in games that mattered. However, when Koumadje was on the floor, he was efficient, scoring 48% of his shot attempts. At 7’4, Koumadje is the tallest player in Florida State history and used that length to block 19 shots over 26 games. Koumadje must add weight to his frame to handle the rigors of ACC basketball.

With 7’3 Boris Bojanovsky graduating there is a hole at the center position to be filled. Both Koumadje and Ojo will get minutes at the center position, this we know. With Ojo missing last season with an injury, Koumadje may have the upper hand on the starting position. Ojo does bring four years of experience to the table, and can’t be discounted if the Seminoles need leadership on the floor.

The Seminoles will get a boost at the forward position with Phil Cofer returning from an ankle surgery that sidelined him after only 11 games last season. As a freshman, the 6’8 Cofer showed a lot of promise by averaging 6.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg. As a sophomore, Cofer never got it going, averaging 3.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg in a reduced role. When healthy, Cofer is a fantastic athlete that can rebound on both ends of the court as well as disrupt opposing offenses with his length. Cofer gets around defenders with a quick first step and is capable of finishing high above the rim. He is also strong enough to finish through contact.

Jarquez Smith is back for his senior season after averaging 5.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg last season. Smith is a solid defender down low and has blocked 93 shots over the course of his career. On offense Smith is a high-efficiency scorer who shot 55% from the field last season due to the fact that most of his shots came from close range. From behind the arc, Smith is 14 for 60 and is only a threat to shoot if left wide open.

Incoming Players

Florida State will welcome six new players to the program this season, four freshman and two JUCO transfers. Leading the way is the five-star forward from Florida, Jonathan Isaac. Isaac is a 6’10 athlete that is full of potential on both sides of the ball. On offense, he attacks the rim viciously down low and has an effortless stroke that reaches out to the three-point line. On the other side of the ball, Isaac uses his length to get into passing lanes and forces turnovers. Although he is a very good finisher down low, Isaac sometimes gets pushed around due to his thin frame. Coming out of high school, Isaac was listed at 185 lbs. Over the course of the summer he has added 25 pounds to help prepare for college.

Another freshman who could figure into the rotation early is fellow Floridian, Trent Forrest. The 6’4 combo guard makes a living aggressively attacking the hoop on offense when the ball is in his hands. When given space he is a capable shooter when his feet are set. Forrest has a high basketball IQ and has a knack for making the right play in every situation. With his combination of size and strength, Forrest is capable of defending both backcourt positions.

Florida State also signed point guard C.J. Walker to join Forrest in the backcourt. Walker is a more traditional point guard with excellent vision both in the halfcourt as well as on the fast break. He is always looking to make the simple play and doesn’t force any unnecessary shots or passes. At only 6 feet tall, Walker may struggle to defend bigger and more physical guards.

The final freshman the Seminoles brought in was Mifiondu Kabengele. The 6’9 Canadian spent last season at Don Bosco Prep (IN), where he averaged a double-double. Kabengele is a face up four on the offensive side of the ball with a reliable jump shot. During his post-graduate year at Don Bosco, Kabengele grew three inches and has developed into an excellent shot blocker. Thanks to his high basketball IQ, Kabengele is a reliable rebounder who high points the ball off of the rim.

The final two pieces FSU brought in for this upcoming season had Coach Hamilton dipping into the junior college ranks. The first is the 6’6 Jr. guard, Braian Angola-Rodas. Last season at Northern Idaho College, Angola-Rodas led the team in scoring average with 21.4 ppg on 52% shooting. The talented wing also averaged 6.5 rpg and 4.3 apg proving he can impact the game in a multitude of ways.

PJ Savory comes into Florida State with three years of eligibility. As a freshman last year at Sheridan CC, Savory started 24 of the Generalss 30 games. The 6’4 shooting guard averaged 16.8 ppg last season and was Sheridan’s leading scorer while shooting 42% from behind the three-point line. Savory was the last player to join the Seminoles for this upcoming season when he committed to FSU on August 10th, 2016.

Season Outlook

The Seminoles have a strong core of returning players to build around, but with so many new faces, chemistry may be a challenge early. Florida State has missed the last four NCAA Tournaments, but the talent is in place to return this season. Dwayne Bacon is a potential all-conference performer, and if Jonathan Isaac adjusts to the college game quickly, than FSU could be a scary team come March.