Florida State Seminoles
ACC (18-15, 9-9)
This is not last year’s Florida State squad. That was an experienced squad that reached four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Coach Leonard Hamilton had a lot of rebuilding to do and his group went through some knocks along the way. Early losses to South Alabama and Mercer were part of the growing up process, but by the end this was a Seminoles team that ended the regular season with wins over Virginia and North Carolina State. They have come a long way from that 11/9 home loss to South Alabama.
Big Wins: 1/09 at Maryland (65-62), 3/07 Virginia (53-51), 3/09 North Carolina State (71-67)
Bad Losses: 11/09 South Alabama (71-76), 1/02 at Auburn (72-78), 2/24 at Virginia Tech (70-80)
Coach: Leonard Hamilton (11 years at Florida State)
Why They Can Surprise:
Michael Snaer has been clutch throughout the season. The expectation has become that any time the Seminoles need a buzzer beat, Snaer will provide it. He has been absolutely clutch down the stretch. Snaer is more than just a scorer though; he is a great defender, a solid rebounder for a 6-5 guard and a fine passer. Snaer is the most prolific outside shooter on the team, but he will get some help from Devon Bookert and Terry Whisnant. Bookert is just a freshman, but he has been very effective scoring when he takes shots. With Aaron Thomas, Ian Miller and Montay Brandon all earning at least a handful of starts this season, the Seminoles are loaded with options on the perimeter. Most of those players are young and their best days with FSU are still ahead of them, but Coach Hamilton has the luxury of riding a hot hand.
Why They Can Disappoint:
It has been Florida State’s frontcourt that has spearheaded their great defensive effort over the years. And this group has done an admirable job replacing the lost talent. Okaro White has stepped into the leadership role and has emerged as a solid scorer both inside and out. White, along with fellow junior Kiel Turpin, can block quite a few shots and that has been a big benefit for the FSU defense down the stretch. While White, Turpin and freshmen Michael Ojo and Boris Bojanovsky are solid rebounders, as a whole the frontcourt does not score consistently and that has put a strain on the offense. A scary neck injury to Terrance Shannon has basically put him on the sidelines for most of the second half of the season. Shannon is cleared to play, but he will not force the issue and has just seen a handful of minutes since his January 19th injury. With or without Shannon, this is a young team that has surpassed expectations for the most part, but they will find it hard to win in March.
Probable Starters:
Michael Snaer, Senior, Guard, 14.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 4.5 rpg
Devon Bookert, Freshman, Guard, 6.6 ppg, 2.4 apg
Aaron Thomas, Freshman, Guard, 6.1 ppg, 1.2 apg
Okaro White, Junior, Forward, 12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg
Michael Ojo, Freshman, Center, 0.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Terry Whisnant II, Sophomore, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Montay Brandon, Freshman, Guard, 3.7 ppg, 1.4 apg
Ian Miller, Junior, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 1.9 apg
Kiel Turpin, Junior, Center, 5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Boris Bojanovsky, Freshman, Center, 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.0 (187th in nation, 8th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.9 (211, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.2 (125, 7)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.6 (215, 10)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (194, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.7 (128, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.1 (52, 1)
Rebound Margin: -2.5 (267, 12)
Assists Per Game: 0.8 (284, 11)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.5 (262, 11)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Second Round win over St. Bonaventure
2012 NCAA Third Round loss to Cincinnati
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Texas A&M
2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Notre Dame
2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to VCU
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Gonzaga
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Wisconsin
2008 NIT First Round loss to Akron
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
