TALLAHASSEE -- There is no panic. There is plenty of frustration.
Florida State won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in March. The Seminoles won 25 games. They played in the NCAA Tournament for a fourth straight season.
On Friday night, they raised the ACC championship banner up high in the rafters at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.
But the team that took the floor on Friday night looked far different than it did eight months ago. Six seniors are gone. Six newcomers are in.
The result Friday was predictable -- a sloppy, turnover-filled performance. What was stunning, however, is that Florida State lost.
After opening its previous 10 seasons under coach Leonard Hamilton with a win, South Alabama instead stunned No. 25 Florida State 76-71.
Antoine Allen came off the bench to score 21 points, knocking down four 3-pointers as South Alabama connected on 9 of 15 shots (60 percent) from beyond the arc.
Five Jaguars scored in double figures against what has been one of the nation's top defensive teams year in and year out.
"Our defense is just horrendous right now," Florida State guard Michael Snaer said. "We're not tough enough. I don't know how else to put it."
Florida State's offense wasn't much better.
Snaer had 10 points at the half, but was held scoreless in the second half (although cramps in his left foot surely attributed to his shooting being off target). He shot 2 of 11 from the floor. And Ian Miller was 2 of 7.
Florida State struggled late in shooting just 10 of 28 (35.7 percent) from the floor in the second half. The Seminoles also had 17 turnovers and just nine assists.
There were a few bright spots. Sophomore Terry Whisnant, who made three 3-pointers, and freshman Montay Brandon had 11 points apiece.
Terrance Shannon returned from a shoulder injury to score 10 points and pull down nine rebounds for Florida State. Shannon played in just seven games last season after having season-ending surgery in November.
But it wasn't the way any of the Florida State players wanted to start the season.
"They were a little tougher than we were," Hamilton said. "They played with a lot more maturity. They executed their game plan better than we did."
South Alabama was feisty from the start, playing strong on defense and made a barrage of 3-pointers to keep in the lead for most of the night. Florida State grabbed a 65-64 lead with 4:25 to go on a Miller free throw, but South Alabama responded with a 3-pointer from Allen.
The teams would tie again with 1:03 on a Miller 3-pointer, but South Alabama made seven of seven free throws down the stretch to put away Florida State.
There will surely be struggles this season as the veterans and newcomers try to find a rhythm. An early loss was not unexpected, but it certainly is atypical considering Florida State's dominance in openers.
If there is anything good, it's that Florida State will return to their home court on Monday night to host Buffalo. And then the Seminoles fly to Brooklyn, N.Y., to face BYU and either Notre Dame or St. Joseph's.
"We have to have a short-term memory," Shannon said. "Put this game in the past and move on. We know we are young. We know it's going to take time."
