The 2011-2012 ACC season is about to begin. Over the next three weeks, Crazie Talk will preview each of the twelve ACC teams in order that we think they’ll finish this season – from the bottom up.
Let’s take a look at our projected 4th-place finishers, the Florida State Seminoles.
2011-2012 Record: 9-5
Key Wins:
November 24- Florida State 73, UMass 53
December 11- Florida State 75, UNC-Greensboro 60
Tough Losses:
November 25- Harvard 46, Florida State 41
November 26- Connecticut 78, Florida State 76 (OT)
December 30- Princeton 75, Florida State 73 (3OT)
Starting Lineup:[table id=25 /]Last Year Against Duke:
January 12, 2011 in Tallahassee- Florida State 66, Duke 61
This Year Against Duke:
January 21, 2012 at Duke
February 23, 2012 in Tallahassee
The Good: This is a big and physical team, and they will punish you on the glass and wreak havoc on opposing offenses. The Seminoles are tops in the ACC in defensive field goal percentage, as opponents are shooting just 35.4% from the floor against them. Florida State also allows only 26.7% shooting from beyond the arc. They also lead the ACC in both blocked shots and steals. Senior Bernard James ranks third in the conference averaging 2.5 blocks per game. On the glass, the Seminoles pull down 40.2 rebounds per game, good for 12th in the nation.
The Bad: Florida State struggles to hit from deep, shooting just 31.6% from beyond the arc this season. In fact, they don’t have a single player shooting more than 35.6% on their roster. This shooting weakness allows opposing defenses to shift its attention to Florida State’s major strength, its big front line. Florida State’s strength of non-conference schedule is also a bit unsettling. Although it has played several ranked teams in close contests, it is yet to defeat a quality opponent.
The Crazie: This is also easily the most experienced team in the ACC, as Florida State has six seniors and five juniors on its roster. In closely-contested conference games, experience can be a deciding factor. Florida State has done a very nice job replacing the production of the two key contributors it lost from last year’s team. Though Chris Singleton decided to leave school a year early to be selected by the Washington Wizards in the 1st round of the NBA draft and Derwin Kitchen graduated, their front line has rotated new starters in seamlessly to pick up their lost production. The Seminoles not only have the experience of enduring the difficulties of an ACC schedule but also the intensity of NCAA Tournament basketball. The 11 players that Florida State returned from last year’s team remember what it took for a successful postseason run, as the Seminoles went to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual Final Four team VCU.
Player We Love To Hate: Bernard James. James is one of the top rebounders in the ACC, pulling down 8.9 boards per game, and has a post game that continues to improve. James is extremely difficult to match up with and could pose issues for the Blue Devils, who have struggled with interior defense at times throughout the season. He is the type of player that can wear down a defense in the paint and makes opponents work hard on both ends of the floor.
The Bottom Line: This is a team that can compete with anyone in the ACC. They won’t finish in the top couple of spots, but they will give the elite ACC teams tough games, especially when they play in Tallahassee. Despite no real non-conference resume to speak of, this team shouldn’t have much trouble making the NCAA Tournament come March. This is by no means the most talented team Duke will see this year, but the way it rebounds and defends, Florida State can pose a difficult matchup for any team. If they can continue to could shut teams down come tournament time and their offense gets hot the Seminoles could win a game or two.
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Crazie-Talk’s 2011-2012 ACC Preview:
Boston College | Wake Forest | Clemson | Miami | Georgia Tech | Maryland
North Carolina State | Virginia Tech | Florida State | Virginia | Duke | North Carolina
Crazie Talk 
One response to “2011-2012 ACC Preview: #4 Florida State”
That lineup has been abandoned by the staff, and FSU is now utilizing a 3-guard lineup. So far White has come off the bench with Dulkys starting in his place, though I won’t be surprised to see Miller replace Dulkys early in the ACC season.