Knowing the Enemy: Florida State

Frank: As is the norm for a Leonard Hamilton coached squad, Florida State is one of the biggest teams in the country. The starting five doesn’t have a single player under 6-foot-4. Michael Ojo (the starting center), checks in at 7-foot-1, and for good measure, his backup Christ Koumadje is the tallest player in school history, at 7-foot-4. Despite all that size, however, FSU is just a good, but not great rebounding team. On average, they out-rebound their opponents by 5.3 per game, which ranks 54th in the country. Because of their switching style of defense, and their preference to front opposing big men in the post, they’re often out of position to grab defensive rebounds. So, although VA Tech may be smaller than Florida State, their quickness could allow them to get to loose balls and gives themselves extra possessions. On the other side of the floor, FSU will try to use their length in the passing lanes to get steals and run the break for easy buckets. Freshman Jonathan Isaac is extremely lanky, and does a good job making himself big around the rim, forcing opponents into tough shots. The team’s overall defense has made major strides throughout the season so far. If they can maintain focus, and not get caught looking ahead to Duke on Tuesday, they may be able to slow down the Hokies potent offense.

Frank: Yes, and no. If he does try to play through injury, the Seminoles don’t really have a typical back-to-the-basket big man to take advantage of him. I could see Hamilton telling his guys to run more pick-and-rolls, trying to get Sy caught in mismatches against players like Dwayne Bacon or Xavier Rathan-Mayes. Though that’s not really a strength of their offense, either. I don’t really think his presence will change FSU’s game plan all that much.

Frank: Florida State needs to maintain their defensive effort. It’s been great recently, but they can’t let up against a team as explosive as the Hokies. Further, they need to get their freshman phenom Issac going again. He hasn’t looked the same since returning from a hip-pointer a few weeks ago, yet is still second on the team in scoring. If he can start to shoulder some of the load again, and not make Bacon do everything, FSU’s offense will be even harder to stop. Finally, the ‘Noles need their bench to keep providing them with a spark. The starting unit often takes a while to get it going, but the young bench guys like CJ Walker and Trent Forrest use their defensive tenacity to get the whole team fired up and into the game.

Frank: According to Team Rankings, the Hokies currently have a 43 percent chance of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. If they were to win one more game against a top-15 opponent, they would be in extremely good shape, even with a losing record in conference play. Eight wins in the ACC (counting Duke already), including one of Virginia, Florida State, North Carolina, or Louisville, should be more than enough.

Frank: Dwayne Bacon and Jonathan Issac. Bacon would have been a late first round pick after last season, but came back to improve his game. So far, it seems like the right decision. He’s averaging 18 points per contest, and has raised his three-point shooting to 39 percent, a much higher mark than the 28 percent he shot them at as a freshman. Issac, on the other hand, was one of the highest-rated prospects to ever sign with Florida State. Currently, he’s projected to go seventh overall in next year’s draft (via Draft Express). His game isn’t the flashiest, but he’s 6-foot-10 and handles the ball like a guard, while shooting 37 percent from three. Both are special talents, and FSU is lucky to have them.

Frank: I think this will be a close game. Florida State has made it a habit to get themselves into tight contests, before using their depth and explosiveness to blow opponents out late in the second half. I expect this game will be similar, which is not a knock against the Hokies. They’re a really good team, and have earned that 12-2 record. But the Seminoles are at home, which helps, and have had the whole week off (after a huge win in Charlottesville), so they’ll be well-rested, too. My prediction is 86-76, Florida State.