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Post by motorcitysam on Aug 10, 2016 10:29:21 GMT -5
The past few years we've had extended threads for our "marquee" games on the schedule. I know it's early, but now that the schedule is out, we can take a look at those contests we have with high majors. Perhaps we knock one of them off this year. November 20 has become the day every season that the Titans meet a high major opponent. Last year it was the Pittsburgh Panthers. In 2014, it was Michigan. This season, our 11-20 game is against a talented Florida State squad. FSU finished 20-14 last season, advancing to the second round of the NIT before losing to HL member Valparaiso. The Seminoles were talented, but young, and had an inconsistent season in the brutally tough ACC. Leonard Hamilton is entering his 15th season as head coach of the Noles. He has made the NCAA tournament four times during that stretch, and recorded seven NIT appearances. He's one of those basketball coaches at a football school who racks up winning seasons regularly, but is often the subject of rumblings from fans and alumuni who think they should be doing more. After missing the tournament since 2013, FSU is expected to make a serious push for an NCAA bid this coming season. They have another good recruiting class coming in (including Dikembe Mutumbo's nephew) and some talented players returning. While FSU isn't known as a basketball power (or even a basketball school) a win over this team would be an impressive feat for the Titans. ESPN takes a look at the Noles in this preview. Their early top 25 had the Noles at 23. www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/114768/looking-ahead-thanks-to-dwayne-bacons-return-seminoles-have-big-goals-in-mind
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Post by motorcitysam on Aug 10, 2016 10:34:32 GMT -5
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Post by motorcitysam on Aug 12, 2016 11:51:56 GMT -5
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Post by motorcitysam on Sept 6, 2016 15:08:28 GMT -5
Athlon Sports predicts the Seminoles to finish 6th in the ACC. Sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon is projected first team all conference. Freshman forward Jonathon Issac is considered a likely one and done player.
The magazine predicts FSU to make the NCAA tournament and win two games.
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Post by motorcitysam on Sept 16, 2016 13:42:18 GMT -5
Lindy's projects FSU to finish 9th in the ACC, but #32 in the nation, showing the high regard in which they hold the conference. They are predicted to make the NCAA tournament and win a game.
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Post by motorcitysam on Oct 25, 2016 17:59:19 GMT -5
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 7, 2016 13:25:13 GMT -5
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 14, 2016 18:13:42 GMT -5
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Post by Commissioner on Nov 19, 2016 9:53:06 GMT -5
Florida State
When: Sunday, Nov. 20, 5:00 p.m. Where: Tallahassee, Fl. TV: ACC Extra (try to get this on your computer through ESPN, just like ESPN 3) Radio: AM 910
Having already lost to East Tennessee State by 29 and to Illinois by 20, the Titans have less than 48 hours to haul themselves down to Tallahassee and prepare to play what is probably the best team on this year's schedule, Florida State.
The Seminoles enter the game at 3-0, having defeated a trio of mid-majors, including Big South favorite Winthrop and traditional MAAC power Iona. The 'Noles are unranked but picking up the 27th most votes in the AP poll and 28th most in the UPI poll. The two squads have played just once before, with the Titans falling 84-83 in Tallahassee back in the 1994-95 season. Detroit has not beaten a current ACC team since trouncing Notre Dame in the 83-59 in the 1993 season, and hasn't beaten an actual ACC team since, well, ever--although it should be noted that the Titans, with their midwest/northeast focus, never played a sitting ACC member until North Carolina visited Calihan in the 1975-76 season (the ACC was founded in 1953). You don't tend to think of the Seminoles as one of the better ACC programs, and they haven't made the NCAA since 2012, the same year the Titans last made it. Yet since 2005 they've had the 3rd most wins in the ACC, and have had 11 consecutive winning seasons.
Florida State is an up-tempo team, and if the Titans don't play with some discipline this game could quickly deteriorate into playground ball in which the Titans will be at a distinct disadvantage in talent. FSU is also a young team--it's top 5 in minutes played so far are 1 junior, 3 sophs, and a freshman. They start one senior, but he's actually 11th on the team in minutes played.
The Seminoles are led by 6-7 sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon, who considered entering the draft after leading the Seminoles in scoring last year, but recognized that a 28% figure on three point attempts wouldn't look good to the NBA. He came back determined to work on his shot and so far has hit on 8 of 17 three point attempts. He's joined by two other big guards in the backcourt, 6-6 soph Terance Mann and 6-4 junior point Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.4 assists in the 2016 campaign. Up front the Seminoles start two guy who dwarf the Titans, 7-1, 304 lb. senior Michael Ojo, who missed last season with injuries, and 6-10 freshman Jonathan Isaac, who through the first three games is averaging 14.7 points, second on the team to Bacon. Isaac is sort of a more advanced version of Malik Eichler--a slender (210 lb.) guy who likes to drift out to the perimeter--he's actually second on the team to Bacon in three point attempts in the early going, and has hit 50% of those attempts.
Coach Leonard Hamilton likes to go deep into his bench so the Titans will see a constant stream of new bodies. At center, the 7-1 Nigerian starter Ojo has actually seen fewer minutes than his considerably taller "back-up," 7-4 Chadian Christ Koumadje. Also seeing minutes up front are 6-9 senior Jarquez Smith and 6-8 junior Phil Cofer. Depth at guard comes from two freshmen, CJ Walker and Trent Forrest, and junior Braian Angola-Rodas.
Keeping FSU out of the paint is going to be difficult for Detroit's undersized, overworked big men, and it's easy to see Jaleel Hogan getting in early foul trouble and being removed as a factor in the game. The Titans have to get more from Blackshear, who is averaging under 15 minutes per game in the early going, and scarcely touching the ball on offense. I'd expect to see a fair amount of zone from the Titans--while Bacon (47.1%) and Isaac (53.8%) have hit three pointers in the early going, as a whole the Seminoles are shooting just 32.8% from behind the arc, and they don't shoot a lot of threes. The Seminoles like to move the ball up court, throw it in to the big men or have Bacon or Rathan-Mayes drive the lane, and move on to the next possession. If the Titans get back on defense and play a tight zone, they may be able to fluster the Noles a bit. We also need a much better shooting nights from McFolley and Allen then we saw on Friday, as points in the paint may be tough to come by.
Projected FSU Starters: PG - Xavier Rathan-Mayes, 6-4 Jr. (9.3 ppg, 6.0 apg) SG - Dwayne Bacon, 6-7 Soph. (16.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg) SG - Terance Mann, 6-6 Soph. (9.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) F - Jonathan Isaac, 6-10 Fr. (14.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg) C - Michael Ojo, 7-1 RS Sr. (6.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Key Bench G - Trent Forrest, 6-5 Fr. (8.7 ppg) G - Braian Angola-Rodas, 6-6 Jr. (6.0 ppg) G - CJ Walker, 6-1 Fr. (5.0 ppg) F - Jarquez Smith 6-9 Sr. (5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg) F - Phil Cofer, 6-8 Jr. (6.3 ppg) C - Christ Koumadje, 7-4 Soph. (8.3 ppg)
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 19, 2016 14:54:20 GMT -5
Great preview, Commish. The 'Noles are big and talented. Tough task for our Titans.
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 20, 2016 22:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by motorcitysam on Nov 20, 2016 23:03:53 GMT -5
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