It appears those of us who thought Boston College would be the sleeper this year in the ACC were wrong. But it appears we have a team that has taken over that sleeper role: Florida State. After knocking UMass from the ranks of the unbeaten, the Seminoles are 8-3, with wins over a VCU team that was ranked in the top 10 at the time of the win, a one point loss to Florida on the road, and a two point overtime loss to Michigan on a neutral court. Do you think they tried to call Michael Snaer and see if he could come back and play the end of those two games?
Why has Florida State been better than expected? For one, the Seminoles are shooting much better this year. Their field goal percentage has gone from 44.4% last year to 48.9% this year. The team's scoring average has risen astronomically, from 67 points per game last year to 78 points per game this year as a result of that. The Seminoles rank fifth in that category.
There are three players that have really had great starts to their seasons, which have helped Florida State get to this point: Okaro White, Aaron Thomas and Ian Miller. White has been one of the better shooters in the ACC. His 54.5% shooting ranks fourth in the ACC, and is a three percent improvement over last year. His scoring has improved 1.4 points per game from last season as a result. Thomas has shot nearly eight percent better this year compared to last year, shooting 48% from the field this season, and he has doubled his scoring average from 6.0 points per game last year to 12.4 points per game this year. Miller has been the biggest improver of the trio. He shot a dismal 32% from the field last year, and is shooting 45% this year. He's also improved his three point shooting from 27% last year to 32% this year, and his free throw shooting from 63% last year to 89% this year.
Of course, the defense is as stout as it normally is under Leonard Hamilton. Teams are shooting 37% from the field, and 30% from three point range. Both rank in the top five in the ACC. But it's not just that. The Seminoles are second in the league in blocks per game, and third in steals. Thanks to that, the Seminoles are second in the ACC in forcing turnovers, forcing 15 turnovers per game. To dig deeper, the Seminoles are seventh nationally in defensive efficiency, and fifth in the nation in effective field goal percentage defense. They are also third in the nation in two point percentage defense, and some of that has to do with their front court size. Boris Bojanovsky and Michael Ojo are combining to average over three blocks per game, and altering many more shots.
If there is one thing Florida State does need to improve on to be in contention, it is to cut down on turnovers. The Seminoles are 334th in turnovers per game, and have committed at least 10 turnovers in all but one game this year, and have committed at least 20 turnovers twice. Oddly enough, The Seminoles won both of those 20 turnover games.
As long as the Seminoles continue to shoot the ball as well as they have through the early portion of the season, they will be a team to watch once conference play starts. We know they will continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, but as I said, they need to continue to shoot the ball well, and limit the turnovers, because if they keep turning it over like they have in league play, they will lose some of these games that they are winning.
