This weekend will be the quietest of the entire college football season in Florida. Miami played on Thursday and South Florida is at Temple on Friday. Florida State, Florida, and Florida Atlantic have the weekend off, leaving Central Florida at UCONN and Florida International hosting Louisiana Tech as the only FBS games on Saturday.
There could be no better time to take a pre-season look at basketball teams as they get ready for season openers. For Florida State, the first competition is less than a week away.
Not that he feels it, but Florida State Coach Leonard Hamilton has the most pressure for his team to show results. While he lost Malik Beasley to the NBA, one half of last year’s star freshman duo, the other half is back and even better.
Dwayne Bacon will be the face of this team and his play and leadership will be a key in determining how far FSU goes. He also has some teammates returning from last year, but also some new talent.
The Seminoles bring in the 10th-ranked recruiting class in the nation, trailing only Duke and Virginia in the ACC. The group is led by power forward Jonathan Isaac out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton. Isaac is a five-star recruit, which means he will be in Tallahassee for a maximum of two years, if that. ESPN ranked Isaac the ninth-best high school player in the nation.
Shooting guard Trent Forest of Chipley and point guard C.J. Walker of Indianapolis, a four-star and three-star, respectively, has the making of a solid backcourt.
“C.J. is a pure point guard,” Hamilton told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Trent Forest is a combo, but can play both equally as effective. The point guard of the off-guard.”
Along with Bacon, Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Terance Mann return at guard, while two regulars from two seasons ago return from injury. Phil Cofer is expected to make big contributions at forward, while rebounding and defense, and perhaps a few points, are expected from big man Michael Ojo.
There is no question some quality talent is there. Hamilton and his staff have proven themselves to be superior recruiters. Criticism comes when the results are thought to be disproportionate to the talent at hand.
The 2016 Seminoles are expected to be in the upper division of the ACC. They were ranked just outside of the top 25 in this week’s USA Today pre-season poll (voted on by coaches).
A slow start or an inexplicable loss will fire up the anti-Hamilton crowd. Earlier this year, FSU Athletic Director Stan Wilcox gave Hamilton an extension through the 2018-19 season.
Anything short of an NCAA tournament appearance is likely to bring calls for Hamilton’s ouster, the extension notwithstanding. The Seminoles’ last appearance in the Big Dance was 2012.
If he can get this talented group of players to play at both ends and the young players show steady improvement and confidence, he should not have anything to worry about. Fans will get a first look at this team on Thursday, Oct. 27 when FSU hosts Southeastern University in an exhibition game at the Tucker Center.
