Florida State Basketball: Seminoles hold fate in their own hands
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Florida State basketball did not exceed expectations last year, but Leonard Hamilton has his program ready to try again in 2016-17.
Florida State is coming off a “tough” year in which the program went 20-14 overall and 8-10 in conference play. The team had higher expectations at the start of last year, but failed to live up to those projections.
However, in 2016-17, Florida State looks poised for a run atop the ACC.
Leonard Hamilton is the big man on campus and has his team right where they need to be. The biggest blow for FSU was when Malik Beasley entered the draft and ended up getting selected by the Denver Nuggets. Montay Brandon, Devin Bookert and Boris Bojanovsky graduated, leaving the Seminoles with very few veterans. Benji Bell also chose to transfer after just one year.
Despite the off-season activity, the Seminoles are projected to be a top-20 team nationally. The two most essential pieces for the ‘Noles are Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Dwayne Bacon, who are returning to give the team a dynamic backcourt duo. Terrance Mann will also be returning to the backcourt.
Unless someone can prove themselves, the Seminoles’ front court may be the reason for their losses this year. They return enough players to keep fresh legs, but no front court player on this roster has proven himself yet. Phil Cofer, Christ Koumadje, Michael Ojo and Jarquez Smith will be coming back as the veteran bigs.
Hamilton brought in one of his best recruiting classes, so there is plenty of new talent to string beside the returnees. His biggest catch this year was five-star forward Jonathan Isaac.
A pair of four-star guards in Trent Forrest and C.J. Walker were brought along as well. A name that likely isn’t known but will be after this year, Braian Angola Rodas came over from junior college to contribute for Hamilton and company.
This is a loaded roster with a lot of pieces. They could end up in the NIT like last year, or end up with an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The fate is in their hands.
Mar 9, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) shoots in front of Virginia Tech Hokies guard Chris Clarke (15) in the second half during day two of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. Virginia Tech Hokies defeated Florida State Seminoles 96-85. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Point guard: Xavier Rathan-Mayes
Xavier Rathan-Mayes is a candidate to explode at any given time, like when he scored 30 points in the last 4:38 against Miami two seasons ago.
He can fill it up from anywhere on the court and that’s exactly what he’s going to need to do for this Seminoles offense. Rathan-Mayes will have to lead this team as the floor general. Last year, he had 4.4 assists per game (which is a good start), but if he wants to lead his team to victory every night, those numbers should bump up.
One of the things he brings to the team is senior leadership. There are multiple newbies within the program and his balance of skill and experience will put him as a player his teammates can look up to.
Feb 20, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) looks to pass against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first half at Cassell Coliseum. Virginia Tech defeated Florida State 83-73. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Shooting guard: Dwayne Bacon
Dwayne Bacon surprised a lot of people last year when he decided to return for his sophomore season. Like Malik Beasley, he was projected to be a one-and-done talent. That means his presence is already a victory for the ‘Noles.
Bacon came in as the 14th best freshman last year and he didn’t disappoint. The Florida native averaged 15.8 points and 5.8 boards per game. He doesn’t have a great three-point shot, but it’s something that he can improve upon (which in turn, will mold him into an even better NBA prospect).
With the talent in the backcourt, I think Bacon is going to be used as a shooting guard or a small forward depending on the lineup. He stands in at 6-foot-7, making him a candidate for either spot. This year Bacon will have the ball in his hands a lot more, which will make for a great inside-out combo with Jonathan Isaac.
Jan 17, 2016; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles fans try to distract a Virginia Cavaliers free throw shooter in the second half at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The Florida State Seminoles upset Virginia 69-62. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Small forward: Trent Forrest
The small forward position on this team is up for grabs. Not because there is no one good enough for the spot, but because there is so much talent and so many possibilities that I’m not sure if Leonard Hamilton even knows what he wants yet.
Jonathan Isaac, Terrance Mann, Dwayne Bacon, Braian Angola-Rodas and of course Trent Forrest are all options at small forward this season. Now the small forward spot isn’t the only position that these guys can play, as they’re all extremely versatile.
But Forrest is the best option right now. He’s got great size at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds and he comes in as the 45th best freshman. Bottom line: There is a lot of upside.
Forrest has the defensive package to back up his offensive skills. He can be an all-around talent and should find himself as a starter come November.
Feb 20, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton reacts in the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Power forward: Jonathan Isaac
Jonathan Isaac is the best pure talent on this roster. He also comes in as the 12th best freshman in the class, so he has a lot to live up too. Assuming Isaac is a one-and-done, he will likely be a small forward at the NBA level. But because this Seminoles roster lacks adequate bigs, he should start at the power forward spot.
With his combination of size and length, he can be used like Brandon Ingram was at Duke last year. He has the ability to shoot the ball all the way back to the three point line, making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
Isaac will be able to take defenders off the dribble as well as spread the floor and find his teammates. According to Draft Express, Isaac is currently the 12th overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft.
That is high praise for a player that hasn’t even stepped on the court in Tallahassee yet.
Feb 9, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Phil Cofer (0) dunks the ball over Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) during the first half of the game at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Center: Phil Cofer
This is where it gets tricky. While FSU has bigs, they don’t have an every day starting center. That is, unless one develops during the off-season or develops throughout the course of the year.
For me, Phil Cofer gets the start here. Yes, he is a bit undersized at the five-position but Michael Ojo and Christ Koumadje just simply aren’t talented enough to take over the starting job. Cofer played in just 11 games last year after a season ending ankle injury.
Having him healthy could be one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle. Cofer is one of the hardest workers with and without the ball in his hands. He’s always crashing the glass and ends up with some big-time blocked shots and dunks to get the crowd involved in the game.
Mar 9, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Jarquez Smith (23) and Virginia Tech Hokies forward Shane Henry (0) battle for a rebound in the first half during day two of the ACC conference tournament at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Reserves
As mentioned before, this team is loaded. There are a lot of good pieces that can propel Florida State to an NCAA tourney appearance. This team has the potential to run 11 deep if they can all bring enough to the table.
First off the bench will probably be Braian Angola-Rodas and Terrance Mann. Both are big guards with the ability to play multiple positions.
Mann got some minutes last year, averaging 5.2 points per contest. He came in as the 86th player in the ESPN’s top-100 last year, so there are high expectations for his sophomore season.
Angola-Rodas played for the North Idaho College Cardinals last year. He averaged 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He added 2.7 steals and shot 52 percent from the floor. He clearly can fill up the stat sheet and while his numbers will drop playing in the ACC, he has proven his ability to make some noise.
C.J. Walker will probably hear his number called sometime this year to play the backup point guard role. He’ll show flashes of what he’s got this year, helping to prove that he’s the future for this Seminoles team.
The big men on campus will round out the rotation. Michael Ojo, Christ Koumadje and Jarquez Smith will hear their number called this year to give Phil Cofer and Jonathan Isaac breaks when need be.
Koumadje came in as a four-star recruit last year but didn’t quite live up to his potential. He steps in at 7-foot-4, so he’s obviously huge and could be really good as backup.
Ojo is coming back after missing the entire 2015-16 season due to injury. He has the potential to be a factor on the offensive and defensive end, but Ojo just can’t quite put it together to keep himself in the lineup for very long.
Barring any vast improvements, Smith will see the most court time out of the three. He had strong numbers last year, including one block per game and 70 percent shooting from the free throw line.
This Florida State team has its weaknesses, but they have a whole lot of strengths. Look out for Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Dwayne Bacon and Isaac to be one of the best trios in the ACC this year. They may even find themselves among the top seven teams the conference has to offer.
Leonard Hamilton has his work cut out for him.
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