Florida State Seminoles
Overall Rank: #29
Conference Rank: #6 ACC
Florida State Team Page
Losing three double-digit scorers to graduation will hurt any basketball squad. Florida State is no different as Chelsea Davis, Alexa Deluzio and Leonor Rodriguez averaged over 40 points per game as a trio. With only one returning starter and eight newcomers to rely on, this team could be in a world of hurt. Still, Florida State basketball celebrates 40 years of operation, having formed a women’s team prior to the 1973-74 season, and Florida State could surprise some people in its 40th anniversary season.
2012-13 Record: 23-10, 11-7
2012-13 Postseason: NCAA (lost to Baylor in second round, 85-47)
Coach: Sue Semrau
Coach Record: 263 – 179 at Florida State, 263 - 179 overall
Strengths:
With lone returning starter Natasha Howard back, points and rebounds should not be an issue. In fact, Howard has 26 career double-doubles and is five away from tying the school record set by Sue Galkantas from 1981 to 1984. Howard, who averages 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, will have to carry a disproportionate share of the load until other players develop around her. Howard’s solid shooting helped the Seminoles to an eighth-best field-goal percentage of 45.3, and that could be a big part in the team staying afloat.
Weaknesses:
Davis, Deluzio and Rodriguez take with them loads of scoring ability, not to mention other tangibles such as rebounding and steals. Combine that with Morgan Toles, a fourth starter gone to graduation, and the Seminoles are hurting for starting depth right away. The team’s scoring defense (65 points per game) and 3-point field goals per game (3.7) ranked toward the bottom half of the standings, and this could pose a problem for a team that needs to culture a new starting five in a hurry.
Final Projection:
No doubt, this team is going to be in trouble to start the season. What could drag the Seminoles out of the mud is a class of eight newcomers, including four players over 6 feet tall. Unfortunately, two of these players have to sit out the season via transfer players and one is ineligible until spring semester. The tallest of the bunch, 6-5 center Kai James (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) can play immediately and could see some action right away if she can crack the starting lineup. You can’t leave height out of the lineup that long. How the eight newcomers fit into action right away will go a long way toward determining whether this team is in trouble or whether it can hold its own in a revamped Atlantic Coast Conference.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Natasha Howard, Senior, Forward, 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game
Yashira “Cheetah” Delgado, Senior, Guard, led ACC returning players with 148 assists
Lauren Coleman, Junior, Forward, 2.3 points per game
Kai James, Freshman, Center, McDonald’s High School All-America
Morgan Jones, Sophomore, Guard/Forward, 13.9 points and 6.0 rebounds at Northwestern in 2011-12
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.8 (10th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.0 (247, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.3 (8, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.0 (241, 9)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.7 (273, 10)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: n/a
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.1 (107, 5)
Rebound Margin: -0.7 (189, 8)
Assists Per Game: 15.5 (32, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 16.2 (130, 2)
Madness 2014 WNBA Draft Rankings:
#18 Natasha Howard
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