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Freshmen Give Height To Noles

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By SCOTT CARTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 23, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton is hoping to rewrite the old saying that the best things in life come in small packages. If he's successful, a big factor likely will be a towering tandem that stands 13 feet, 11 inches and weighs 480 pounds.

FSU freshmen Solomon Alabi (7-1, 241) and Julian Vaughn (6-10, 239) stand head and shoulders above their teammates, their arrival providing the Seminoles with enough optimism to envision a nine-year NCAA Tournament drought ending soon.

"We like this team," Hamilton said. "We feel it really has potential to surprise some people. It's going to be nice to have a couple of big guys down there who can put the big hand up."

Most of Hamilton's outlook is based on FSU returning four starters, including a veteran guard trio of Toney Douglas, Isaiah Swann and Jason Rich. But despite the loss of All-American forward Al Thornton, the Noles aren't preparing to rebuild from the ground up.

They see it more as putting on the finishing touches.

"They are going to help us as true freshmen," Douglas said.

In FSU's first six games entering tonight's game at No. 25 Florida, Vaughn has played in every one and started three, averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in nearly 18 minutes a game. Alabi, working his way back from a stress fracture in his right shin, has appeared in only two games, averaging two points and 1.5 rebounds.

The numbers aren't important at this stage. Their potential is, especially for a program that has lacked size and a true low-post offensive and defensive presence in recent years.

"I want to be one of the people to come in and help change that," said the soft-spoken Vaughn, who helped Oak Hill (Va.) Academy finish No. 1 in the USA Today Super 25 national poll last season.

As they open their collegiate careers, Vaughn is the more versatile of the two big men. He has better skills playing away from the basket and, with a 7-3 wingspan, disrupts shots defensively and shoots over defenders. Alabi is better defensively, a true shot-blocking presence.

Prior to coming to FSU, Vaughn and Alabi had only met briefly at a Nike summer camp. They have yet to play together, but that could change any day with Alabi's injury healing.

"I can't wait to start playing with him," Alabi said. "I am so excited about the team. I want to contribute to the program."

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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