Season Preview: #5 Florida State

Games against 2012 NCAA Tournament teams: 9

Games against ACC top 4: 7

Games against ACC bottom 4: 5

Best non-conference game: 12/5 vs. Florida


Projected Starting Five:

C - Kiel Turpin (Junior)

F - Terrance Shannon (Junior)

F - Okaro White (Junior)

G - Michael Snaer (Senior)

G - Ian Miller (Junior)


It was an interesting year for Florida State.  After struggling early, they hit their stride in the conference season and excelled.  The Seminoles found a way to win late in games with clutch shots and used that momentum to a first ever ACC Tournament championship.  With that goal reached, though, it appeared they were either tired or thought they could coast in the NCAA Tournament.  They ended up being bounced in their second game by Cincinnati.

This year's team will look different in the frontcourt.  Bernard James and Xavier Gibson are gone.  So are Luke Loucks and Deividas Dulkys, who were seemingly at FSU forever.  The strength of this team is back, though, in Michael Snaer.  Snaer had a flair for the dramatic last year, with two buzzer-beating game winners.  He was also a standout scorer and the team's second-leading assist man.  Snear forms a solid backcourt with Ian Miller, who improved as the season went on.  The frontcourt has a few more question marks.  Kiel Turpin is a transfer from Lincoln College.  Terrance Shannon is coming off an injury.  And Okaro White was only a part-time starter last year.

Florida State's schedule is pretty tough.  They face BYU and potentially Notre Dame in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.  They also have their annual matchup against a top 10-worthy Florida team.  And their conference schedule is one of the toughest in the ACC.  The start of their conference slate: at Clemson, at Maryland, vs. UNC, at Virginia.

I think in terms of conference play, Florida State hit its peak last year.  They will still be a solid team this year, but so much of what they have been able to do in recent years has been because of their big bodies in the frontcourt.  I'm not sure they have that this year, so the scoring will be much more reliant on the guard play.  Snaer will keep this team in games they might otherwise lose.  And I think they will get back to the NCAA Tournament.  But it's not going to be another 12-4 type conference year.