Florida State Basketball: Noles support the most interesting team in ACC
Feb 25, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) looks to inbound the ball as he is harassed by Duke Blue Devils fans during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 80-65. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
What are three questions Florida State basketball must answer in order to reach the NCAA Tournament?
The Florida State Seminoles had loads of young talent that flooded the court in Tallahassee last year. However, the Noles finished with a disappointing 19-13 record and an 8-10 record in ACC play (good for just 12th in the standings).
When looking on the bright side, Leonard Hamilton’s roster won nearly 20 games despite missing two key front court pieces. Phil Cofer and Michael Ojo combined to play only 11 games because of injuries, giving way to Boris Bojanovsky (who has graduated) and Jarquez Smith.
This gives the Noles excellent confidence heading into 2016-17 as both Cofer and Ojo are ready to finally step on the floor to compliment the other returnees and talented newcomers.
Malik Beasley, Devon Bookert and Bojanovsky are off to greener pastures, but the program still returns their top scorer Dwayne Bacon, their second leading scorer Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Smith and Terance Mann, in addition to Cofer and Ojo.
As far as the new group of players, Florida State reeled in six recruits, including one five-star talent, two four-star talents and a JUCO prospect.
Jonathan Isaac is the gem of the class, as the versatile forward has lottery pick potential heading into 2016-17. His fellow 2016 class members include shooting guard Trent Forrest, point guard C.J. Walker, small forward Mfiondu Kabengele, JUCO prospect Braian Angola-Rodas and non-ranked point guard Patrick Savoy Jr.
The Seminoles have obvious talent, but what questions do they need to answer before they take their team to the highest level of college hoops?
Feb 20, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) looks to pass against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first half at Cassell Coliseum. Virginia Tech defeated Florida State 83-73. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
3. Can Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes match-up with any backcourt in ACC?
The ACC is the best conference in college hoops and that’s not up for debate. It’s the closest thing to the old Big East that we’ve had, as the conference is projected to send 8-to-10 teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17.
You best believe that there are elite backcourts across the conference. But there may not be a one-two punch better than sophomore Dwayne Bacon and junior Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Think about it. There are great individual talents in the conference, but which two backcourt players have proven themselves as much as Florida State’s.
Duke has Frank Jackson and Grayson Allen, but as good as Jackson is capable of being, he’s still just a freshman. North Carolina has question marks regarding Joel Berry II, Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson. Miami lost Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan, so JaQuan Newton will hold down the fort, along with Davon Reed and Bruce Brown.
Pittsburgh lost James Robinson and Notre Dame lost Demetrius Jackson. Syracuse’s weakest position is point guard. Virginia still needs to find someone to help out London Perrantes. Dennis Smith Jr. is one of the top guards in the conference, however, Maverick Rowan and Terry Henderson must stay healthy at shooting guard. Louisville has Quentin Snider at point and Donovan Mitchell on the wing.
This isn’t a knock on the conference at all. Instead, it just shows how difficult it is to have two terrific players who can have a major impact on a game.
More from Busting Brackets
And that’s exactly what Bacon and Rathan-Mayes can do.
Bacon, a former five-star recruit and, averaged a team high 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his freshman campaign. He only dished out 1.5 assists per night and shot 28 percent from three (those will need to improve in 2016-17), but he shot 45 percent overall and is an aggressive scorer.
Bacon projects as a future pro because of his knack for putting the ball in the basket. If he does improve his three point shot and his playmaking skills, he could be in for a monster season.
Rathan-Mayes was overshadowed by Malik Beasley and Bacon last season. He was the third leading scorer on the team, but his numbers dropped because he took on a greater role as a distributor. The 6’4″ guard decreased his turnovers and upped his assist totals, while also averaging almost 12 points a game.
He too will need to improve his three point percentage (29 percent) before the 2016-17 season.
Most importantly, Rathan-Mayes has proven he can take over games if need be. After all, he is the player that scored 30 points in four minutes in a loss to Miami (FL) two years ago.
Besides the lack of shooting from the perimeter, there is not much to be concerned about in regards to Bacon and Rathan-Mayes. They can compete with any backcourt in the ACC.
Feb 6, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; The Florida State Seminoles huddle up before the start of the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Florida State defeated Wake Forest 91-71. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
2. Do the Noles have enough experience?
With the losses of Boris Bojanovsky and Devon Bookert, the Seminoles have one season on their roster (Jarquez Smith) and one graduate student (Michael Ojo).
They have eight freshman and sophomores who are expected to handle some duties in 2016-17.
There are highly touted players like Dwayne Bacon, Jonathan Isaac, Terance Mann, C.J. Walker and Trent Forrest, but how do they respond in big games? How do they respond against other teams that have similar talent but greater experience? Will they be shell-shocked if they reach the NCAA Tournament? Can they handle games on the road in conference?
Even though talent is very important, experience may be the most critical factor in all of college basketball.
That means juniors like Phil Cofer and Xavier Rathan-Mayes will have to help Smith and Ojo in the leadership department.
Leonard Hamilton’s group will have to mature rather quickly or their talent could be wasted in a blink of the eye.
Feb 4, 2015; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles center Michael Ojo (50) moves between Clemson Tigers center Sidy Djitte (50) and forward Jaron Blossomgame (5) during the first half of the game at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
1. Can the front court bounce back?
If your two top rebounders are guards that normally isn’t a good thing.
Florida State missed Michael Ojo and Phil Cofer, as they played a combined 11 games last season.
florida state
Busting Brackets 1 wNCAA Basketball: What teams have the best shot to win a National Title?
More headlines around FanSided:
2w - Florida State Basketball: Seminoles hold fate in their own hands3w - FSU Basketball: 2016-17 Schedule Instant Reaction3w - NCAA Basketball: Under-evaluated headlines of the week (Cut down edition)4w - FSU Basketball Adds To Impressive 2017 Class With Two More Recruits5w - NCAA Basketball: Sensational sophomores of 2016More News at Chop Chat
They return off injury to provide size, rebounding and depth in the front court. Ojo has never averaged more than 12 minutes a game or more than two points a night, but he stands at 7’1″, has a physical frame and grabbed 3.0 rebounds in 11.9 minutes in 2013-14. Cofer put up 3.8 points in 12.0 minutes before suffering an injury last year. He also averaged 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 22.3 minutes in 2014-15.
While Ojo and Cofer are important and Christ Koumadje (7’4″) and Mfiondu Kabengele (6’9″) give the Noles extra size, Jonathan Isaac is the most intriguing piece to the front court puzzle.
Why? Because Isaac offers versatility and length.
The 6’10”, 185 pound forward ranks 12th in ESPN’s top 100 and is labeled as a five-star talent. He’s raw, however, he is an explosive athlete and he has physical tools that scouts drool over.
While he’s not going to be a finished product at any point during the 2016-17 season, Isaac is going to be a enormous mismatch problem. He can play both the three and the four and will be especially tough to stop on the offensive end if he plays power forward.
The concern lies on the other end of the floor where his lack of strength could show up when playing tough wings. Maybe his elite length could compensate for his slight frame, but that’s just a guess at this point.
Overall, the front court seems to be the overriding issue for the Noles heading into the season. Ojo and Cofer are back, but how will they respond after playing very few games in 2015-16? Will Isaac have a massive impact? And who else will step up?
This article originally appeared on 
