Every reason not to sleep on FSU basketball this season
Their 14-1 record is the best start since 1989
At Florida State, it’s easy to get lost in the craze around football and forget that other sports exist. But now that the Orange Bowl’s dust has settled, its time to look ahead to the other great sports this school has to offer. Perhaps the biggest thing lost in the midst of football season has been the Seminoles basketball team’s hot start to the season. Just one day after the football team beat Michigan, our basketball team made perhaps the biggest statement possible midway through the season. In a battle of one-loss teams, Florida State faced off against the Virginia Cavaliers. And boy did they prove they could hang with the heavyweights. Going into the game ranked #20, many thought the twelfth ranked Cavaliers would breeze to victory. The sophomore Dwayne Bacon’s late game heroics led us to victory. He scored 26 of his 29 points in the second half, 3 of which came on his game winning shot with 2 seconds left. Bacon won the ACC Player of the Week. Here are some reasons to not let this FSU team slip your mind this spring.
It’s all uphill from here
After playing just two ranked teams so far, this is where things get interesting. Our next five matchups will be against ranked teams. Included in those 5 games are #8 Duke (January 10th), #9 Louisville (January 21st), and #14 UNC (January 14th). It is indeed time for this team to prove their current ranking of #12 in the nation. The Duke game is something any sports fan can’t miss. Get your free student ticket or you’ll be sorry!
The leaders
Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes have already been mainstays in this teams lineup, but now it seems they are clicking with the team around them more than ever. Bacon is scoring 18.1 points per game and shooting at a better percentage with fewer turnovers than his freshman year. The Oak Hill product has continued his upward trajectory at the collegiate level. Rathan-Mayes may be scoring less than he has in previous seasons but his field goal percentage is at an all time high. He is also providing his usual across the board production. This duo’s development is part of what has taken this Seminole’s team to new heights. Another player taking his game to another level is Terance Mann, arguably the best role player on the team.
The Freshman sensation
Another name that has NBA circles chattering is Jonathan Isaac. The 19-year-old freshman from Naples has done nothing but good in his first season in the NCAA. His 6’10 lanky build has draft pundits comparing him to last year’s second overall pick Brandon Ingram. Should he decide to head to the NBA, he is projected to be a lottery pick in his own right. Isaac is bursting with potential, and he is already averaging a respectable 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field. He will surely make his presence known any given game, even if it’s on the defensive end.
The united team culture
Any spectator can see that these guys are starting to really have fun out there. Led by the 15-year coach Leonard Hamilton, there is still work to be done. Coach Hamilton has emphasized that this is clearly the best conference in basketball. Hamilton is ready to “take any bows”. This is where things get tricky for us but we wouldn’t rather have anyone at the helm than the experienced, cool Leonard Hamilton. This could damn well be the best team he’s ever coached.
The looming hopes of March Madness
This is already the best start this team has put together in 28 years. Could it be time for them to make news in March? Fans around the nation think it may be time for the Seminoles to stir things up in the NCAA Tournament. We can only hope for the best, but now is definitely time to give this team the attention it deserves. It would be FSU’s first appearance in the tournament since 2012. Though this team has never won the National title, they have made the Sweet Sixteen as recently as 2011. Go ‘Noles!