FSU Wins Exhibition Over Southeastern, 119-58

Most things went right and few things went wrong for Florida State during Thursday night’s exhibition. The Seminoles were unveiled to the public for the first time in an exhibition game against the NAIA Southeastern Fire out of Lakeland, winning handily by a margin of 119-58.

As usual with exhibition games, fans should not get too excited based on the results. Lesser competition can deceive and have developments that do not stand the test of time. That being said, there are still valid takeaways from the victory, mainly around which players seemed to have improved in their respective roles.

The Daily Nole will be bringing you coverage for basketball all season, and tonight’s recap is the first in a long line of analysis coming out of the Tucker Civic Center.

Observations

• FSU was aggressive on both ends of the court. It goes for the steals and blocks on defense, and also attempts the fast-breaks and quick scoring offense. This will likely not be the strategy when the schedule begins to toughen.
• Michael Ojo is more aware on the court. The graduate center did not make bad passes and seems less rushed in the offensive post. Fouls are still an issue, as he had already amassed four by the beginning of the second half.
• Jonathan Isaac is ready for the college game. The highly-touted freshman looks very fluid on the court, unexpectedly tenacious on the defense. He always has his hands up.
• Offense is much more based on wing players than down low. Almost the whole time, the Seminoles only had one player in the paint. For that matter, FSU seemed okay with players other than Xavier Rathan-Mayes bringing the ball up court.
• Christ Koumadje has made serious strides in the offseason, showing more post moves, better ball control and more awareness. The 7-4 sophomore also had multiple vicious blocks throughout the game. He still commits some unnecessary fouls on defense however, which was a recurring trend in his freshman year.
• Oddly enough, the FSU offense really started to shine when it began to let certain players go into isolation. Isaac was simply too much for any Southeastern player to guard, while Dwayne Bacon consistently forced help when driving to the basket.
• Rebounding was clearly in FSU’s favor (by a 63-22 margin) but that number hides the issue: Florida State’s big men only started to get their rebounds in the second half, when Southeastern was so tired that it hardly gave a fight down low. Ojo was the only big man who seemed adept in this area. Koumadje fumbled it around too much, and Jarquez Smith did not play.
• C.J. Walker’s aggressiveness has certainly translated to the college game. He was constantly attacking the rim and seemed to catch the Southeastern defenders off guard.
• 3-point shooting did not seem to be markedly improved. Florida State only shot 33 percent at half, and finished the game at 34 percent. The good news is that the expected shooters like P.J. Savoy and Dwayne Bacon were the ones who took the attempts. As they get more in rhythm throughout the year, the numbers will likely go up.
• Terrance Mann has the makings of a great defender, possessing quick hands, quick feet, and avoids fouls.

Notable Numbers
Phil Cofer: 20 points (7-for-8), 9 rebounds
Jonathan Isaac: 17 points (7-for-9), 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Terance Mann: 10 points (4-for-8), 9 rebounds, 6 assists
Michael Ojo: 14 points (7-for-10), 13 rebounds
Jase Miguez (SU): 18 points (8-for-18)
Harry Hebert (SU): 20 points (8-for-21), 5 rebounds