Florida State keeps finding ways to win
Another sign of progression for Florida State showed up in the win against Virginia.
Despite off-games by star guard Michael Snaer (eight points) and center Bernard James (four points), the Seminoles (16-6, 7-1 in ACC) still found a way to knock off No. 17 Virginia in Tallahassee on Saturday and maintain their first-place tie with North Carolina at the midpoint of ACC play.
"We are very fortunate, very proud of our players," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "I thought they fought very hard. We didn't play nearly as well as maybe we would have liked. But I think that's one of the positive things about this team."
The Seminoles now have a chance to clinch another winning season in the ACC with a road game at last-place Boston College on Wednesday and at home against Miami on Saturday. This favorable schedule, which does not include a second game with North Carolina, is setting up for the Seminoles to continue making a run at the regular-season title.
But as Hamilton warned, FSU really hasn't sealed up anything.
"What it says is that we've won seven games, we're playing well to win seven games," Hamilton said with a laugh. "Nobody is going to have anything great happening for them at the end of the season if they only win seven (ACC) games.
"Our goal is to continue to keep winning, to keep playing. The thing I like about this team is that we still haven't reached our peak yet."
NOTES, QUOTES
--The win also gave the Seminoles their seventh straight conference win, breaking the record set by the 1993 FSU team that featured four eventual first-round draft picks.
--Florida State forced Virginia G Mike Scott, one the nation's top scorers, into seven turnovers. It's also the number of FSU's school-record winning streak.
--Virginia hasn't beaten FSU in Tallahassee in 11 years.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're in the hunt to win a title. It's not like we're just to be hunted -- everyone wants to say that now -- we're (also) the hunters, we're still in the hunt. That's how I look at it." -- Florida State G Michael Snaer on the new outlook for the team.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
--at Boston College, Feb. 8
If there's ever a good time or good year to take the league's longest road trip to Boston, this would be it. The Seminoles will face a Boston College team reeling from six consecutive ACC losses. Five of the Eagles' top six scorers are freshmen. The one who is not, junior guard Matt Humphrey, has scored in double figures 12 times this season. He will be the player FSU will try to keep contained. But the biggest issue with this game will be how FSU handles the trip and all the recent acclaim. This is rare territory for this basketball program.
--vs. Miami, Feb. 11
The Hurricanes' stunning win at Duke on Sunday, the first time Miami has ever won at Duke, suddenly puts a whole new focus on this game and should get the Seminoles' attention. It would be a challenging game no matter the circumstances, given the rivalry between the schools. Now it really adds significance, given Miami's recent surge. The Hurricanes (14-7) are thinking of their own NCAA tournament hopes. This will be a tug-of-war underneath the basket, with FSU trying to defend Miami's burly star center, Reggie Johnson, who scored 27 against Duke. It will be a dynamite matchup with FSU's star center, Bernard Johnson. The game figures to have another near sellout crowd in Tallahassee and plenty of emotion.
FUTURES MARKET
G Jeff Peterson continues to give the veteran Seminole lineup some help off the bench. He scored four points with two assists and a steal in 14 minutes of play against Virginia.
PLAYER NOTES
--Junior G Michael Snaer was held to just eight points against Virginia, a dramatic drop in production. However, he hit the game's biggest shot, a 3-pointer to extend FSU's lead in the final minutes. Prior to the Virginia game, Snaer was averaging 17.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
--G Luke Loucks was ranked third (as of Feb. 5) among all ACC point guards in assists during ACC games (4.1 in eight ACC games) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9). Loucks has at least five assists in five of the eight ACC games, but he snapped his streak of positive assist-to-turnover ratio with three turnovers and one assist against Virginia. He had been on the plus side in the seven previous ACC games.
--C Bernard James has a career-high six double-doubles this season, with four of them coming in the last 10 games.