Season Recap: Florida State

2009-2010
Florida State: 22-10 (10-6 ACC)

I think this was a bit of a validating year for Florida State. For years you could count on them to finish somewhere around 8-8 in the conference, have a couple good wins at home, and just miss out on the NCAA Tournament (basically what Virginia Tech is now). In 08-09 they had a breakout year, thanks largely to star Toney Douglas, making it to the NCAAs. This year without Douglas I thought there might be a bit of a drop-off. But the Noles held it together, with a very solid year and another NCAA bid.

The key for Florida State this past year was defense. They had as much size as anyone in the ACC, and were very tough to score inside against. Solomon Alabi had a nice sophomore season, and was the leader of the team. But it wasn't just one guy getting it done. They had six players average between 8 and 12 points per game. The other thing you could count on Florida State for was consistency. They didn't have any glaringly bad losses or any spectacular wins. They just played solidly from start to finish.

Best Win: 57-56 over Marquette in Orlando (11/29)

Florida State made an early-season statement, winning the Old Spice Classic. In the final, they knocked off a strong Marquette team by one point. This ranks as their best non-conference win by a mile.

Worst Loss: 58-52 to NC State (3/12)

It's bad enough that Florida State lost at home to NC State fairly early in the conference season. But it happened again in the ACC Tournament! The Wolfpack seemed to have the Noles' number this year, winning in a high scoring game and a low scoring game.

Postseason Play:

Much like Clemson, Florida State struggled once they got into postseason play. After losing to NC State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, they got a 9 seed and played against Gonzaga in the NCAAs. Gonzaga really had control of that game, and ended up beating the Noles, 67-60. It goes down as a second straight first round loss for FSU.

What's Ahead:

The Seminoles will go into next season as one of the favorites in the conference. Their only senior of any significance is Ryan Reid. Players like Alabi and Chris Singleton will be in their third years. And look for guard Michael Snaer to have a breakout season. It's clear that in the last couple years under Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles have elevated their program to the next level. What remains to be seen is whether they can take another step to become a top 20 team.