Florida State Seminoles
Overall Rank: #20
Conference Rank: #4 ACC
Florida State reached the Elite Eight last season and has now made quality NCAA Tournament runs in each of the last three seasons. Three starters are gone, but Shakayla Thomas is back for her senior season. She led the team with 14.9 points per game and added 6.0 rebounds. Chatrice White only started two games last season, but the 6-3 center averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game. She is more than ready to step into a starting role and join Thomas in a very good frontcourt.
2016-17 Record: 28-7, 13-3
2016-17 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Sue Semrau
Coach Record: 401-233 at Florida State, 401-233 overall
Key Departed Players (starters in bold)
Leticia Romero, Guard, 12.5 ppg
Brittany Brown, Guard, 9.8 ppg
Ivey Slaughter, Forward, 9.5 ppg
Kai James, Center, 3.4 ppg
Maria Conde, Forward, 3.3 ppg
Key Returning Players (starters in bold)
Shakayla Thomas, Senior, Forward, 14.9 ppg
Imani Wright, Senior, Guard, 10.7 ppg
Chatrice White, Senior, Center, 8.9 ppg
Nicole Ekhomu, Sophomore, Guard, 3.4 ppg
Ama Degbeon, Senior, Center, 3.4 ppg
Nausia Woolfolk, Sophomore, Guard, 2.5 ppg
Key New Players
AJ Alix, Senior, Guard, Graduate Transfer, TCU
Kiah Gillespie, Sophomore, Forward, Transfer, Maryland, not eligible
Sayawni Lassiter, Freshman, Guard
Iho Lopez, RS Freshman, Forward
Savannah Wilkinson, Freshman, Guard
Projection:
There are more concerns on the perimeter where Leticia Romero and Brittany Brown need to be replaced. Imani Wright is the most experienced returning guard. She started all 35 games last season and averaged 10.7 points per game. She is a terrific outside shooter and will help create space for Thomas and White in the paint. AJ Alix, a graduate transfer from TCU, will give the Seminoles more experience on the perimeter. With the Horned Frogs last year, Alix led the team with 13.1 points and 4.6 assists. Nicole Ekhomu and Nausia Woolfolk are emerging sophomores, but Coach Sue Semrau also brings in quality perimeter recruits in Sayawni Lassiter and Savannah Wilkinson. There are some key pieces that Florida State needs to replace, but there are options. Another trip to the Elite Eight will not be easy, but if the pieces come together around Thomas, Wright and White, then this will be a tough team by March.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.0 (13th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 58.3 (44, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.1 (12, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.6 (109, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.1 (213, 10)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.2 (39, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 46.1 (12, 3)
Rebound Margin: 9.1 (7, 1)
Assists Per Game: 15.3 (59, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.3 (81, 6)
Madness 2018 WNBA Draft Rankings:
#14 Shakayla Thomas
Madness 2017 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#110 Savannah Wilkinson
#147 Sayawni Lassiter
