It didn’t end the way that many had hoped, but now that the dust has cleared, another season of Florida State men’s basketball has come to an end. Despite a 91-66 loss to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the 2016-17 campaign was the best for FSU in five years as the Seminoles far exceeded expectations.
For FSU, the 2016-17 season brought many great moments. During the year, the Seminoles set a new school-record for regular season wins as well as tied previous bests for highest ACC and NCAA Tournament seeding.
Some moments however, stood out above the rest. Looking back at the season that was, here are the top 5 for the Seminoles:
5. Super Sunday
Feb. 5, 2017
Super Bowl LI stole the sports headlines on Feb. 5 as the New England Patriots rallied from 25 points down to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the first Super Bowl ever to go into overtime. It was also a historic day for FSU basketball however, as the Seminoles notched their largest margin of victory ever in ACC play with a 109-61 win over Clemson. Dwayne Bacon’s career-high tying 29 points headlined a contest where the Seminoles shot 66 percent from the field and 17-for-30 from beyond the 3-point arc.
4. Surviving the Gauntlet
Dec. 31, 2016-Jan. 21, 2017
A 6-game stretch against ranked opponents was viewed by many as a make-or-break slate dubbed the “gauntlet” for Florida State. Instead of break, the result was make. Over the six games, FSU went 5-1 with a road loss to North Carolina serving as the only blemish. The streak started with a win at then 12th-ranked Virginia and included home victories over No. 21 Virginia Tech, No. 7 Duke, No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 12 Louisville. It served as a clear sign to the rest of the ACC and country that the Seminoles were for real.
3. Three Straight Over Gators
Dec. 11, 2016
Florida State’s first home victory in eight years over a ranked team in the non-conference came in mid-December as the Seminoles beat arch-rival Florida, 83-78. The victory for FSU was also the third straight over the Gators, which tied the longest streak ever over its rivals. Bacon scored 24 points in the victory while Terance Mann added a double-double. FSU held on as KeVaughn Allen missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final minute. It was the fourth win over Florida across the athletic spectrum in 16 days. The victory also propelled Florida State to a national ranking it would not relinquish.
2. Senior Day
March 4, 2017
Senior Jarquez Smith and Michael Ojo got to walk the floor before Florida State’s regular season finale against Miami and combined for 11 points, nine rebounds and a block in the win. More importantly, the victory over the Hurricanes gave the Seminoles their first perfect home slate since the 1975-76 season and first sweep of Miami in six years. Dwayne Bacon scored 23 points in the victory for FSU as the Seminoles also clinched a No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament and set a new school-record for wins during the regular season.
1. Bacon’s Dagger in Charlottesville
Dec. 31, 2016
Florida State’s 5-1 record against a slate of six ranked teams was well-documented this season and mentioned above. Where it began however, may have also served as the initial sign that the Seminoles were in for a special season. Against 12th-ranked Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena, FSU did something visiting teams rarely did there. It won. Thanks to 26 second-half points from Bacon, the Seminoles overcame an early 9-point deficit to lead for the latter parts of the second half. After Kyle Guy’s 3-pointer with eight seconds left put the Cavaliers up 58-57, Bacon decided that he wasn’t going to let FSU lose, knocking down a triple at the other end with two seconds left to give the Seminoles an improbable 60-58 win. The dagger serves as the second game-winner of Bacon’s career. He hit a pull-up jumper as a freshman in Gainesville to knock off the Gators the season prior.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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