By
Joel Welser
Florida State is one of those teams that
can beat anybody, or lose to anybody, on any given night. This
is a team last year that beat Wake Forest and Florida and lost
to Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Florida International. The only
word for that is consistency, or lack there of. The Seminoles
had ten players last year that averaged over 14 minutes per
game, nine with starting experience. Three are gone, but if
Coach Leonard Hamilton can find a good starting lineup and stick
to the roles, it will go a long way to developing some
consistency.
Who’s Out:
Von Wafer split Tallahassee early. Last year he averaged a team
high 12.5 points and was the main long range threat. Forwards
Anthony Richardson and Adam Waleskowski each started eight
contests. Richardson averaged 6.4 points and 3.5 boards.
Waleskowsi added 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds. Both developed
nicely over their careers and the senior leadership role will
have to be picked up by someone else in their absence.
Who’s In: As
if the frontcourt wasn’t deep enough with Al Thornton, Alexander
Johnson and Diego Romero all being capable starters, Uche Echefu,
Ryan Reid and Casaan Breeden are solid trio of incoming
forwards. Echefu already has a superb scoring ability and will
be tough to keep on the bench. The 6-9 Nigerian can step outside
and hit the mid-range jumper and battle inside. Much like Echefu,
Reid is a versatile big man that can run the floor and either
face up or back down to the basket. Reid will see early minutes
due to his defense and rebounding. Breeden, who is a 6-8 small
forward, will cause match-up problems aplenty. He can handle the
ball, rebound and hit from outside. The Seminoles could use more
experienced options at the scoring guard spot. Enter Jerel
Allen. The 6-4 transfer from Mott (MI) Community College,
averaged 17.2 points last year and is a solid shooter from long
range.
Who to Watch:
The sophomore guards will have to be ready if
FSU is to make the post season. They have the job of replacing
Von Wafer. Jason Rich is the most likely candidate to start, but
Rich isn’t a great shooter. He earned nine starts last year
averaging 5.4 points per contest. Isaiah Swann isn’t as good of
an all around players as Rich, but has a superior stroke. Swann
averaged 5.2 points per game coming off the bench. Together they
are a viable option to replace Wafer, as long as they know their
roles and can stick to them.
Projected Conference Rank:
There are options in the starting lineup. Al
Thornton was more than a nice spark off the bench last year and
Andrew Wilson earned the starting gig on the wing. If Coach
Hamilton wants to go big, Thornton should be starting, since he
is the returning leader in points scored. In any event, the
starters won’t necessarily be the finishers. There is a lot of
talent here, but there usually is. A 9th place finish
in the ACC is an improvement, but there is so much more
potential in Tallahassee if there is any consistency.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Todd Galloway, Senior, Guard, 6.1 points per game
Jason Rich, Sophomore, Guard, 5.4 points per game
Andrew Wilson, Senior, Forward, 3.5 points per game
Diego Romero, Senior, Forward, 3.8 points per game
Alexander Johnson, Sophomore, Center, 6.8 points per game
