TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Seminoles Taking Serious Approach To New Season

ADVERTISEMENT

By Scott Carter, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Many of the elite college basketball programs around the nation will hold their first practice of the season Friday in a packed gym as part of Midnight Madness.

Florida State will not.

The Seminoles, coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in 14 years, will open practice Friday night with a business-as-usual approach. No fans or generated hoopla are allowed. It won't exactly be Midnight Sadness, but without Al Thornton, runner-up for Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year a season ago, FSU is facing a difficult task of reaching 20 wins for the third consecutive season.

For Coach Leonard Hamilton, entering his sixth season, hope lies in the promise of four talented incoming freshmen: 7-foot-1 center Solomon Alabi, 6-10 power forward Julian Vaughn, 6-7 guard/forward Jordan DeMercy, and 6-5 point guard Chris Blake.

Hamilton doesn't like to hype freshmen - he doesn't allow them to talk to the media until they have played in a game - but he knows that for the Noles to reach their first NCAA Tournament since 1998, the first-year players must make an impact.

'They are probably a little more capable of making contributions at a quicker pace,' Hamilton said during the summer. 'These guys have been exposed to strong competition and they bring winning attitudes to the program.'

Vaughn graduated as the all-time leading rebounder in the history of Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, a top prep school that has turned out numerous college players. Alabi arrives from recent state power Montverde Academy near Orlando, and DeMercy's team last season at Norcross (Ga.) High was nationally ranked.

While Thornton's departure to the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers will certainly hurt, FSU does return a strong trio at guard: seniors Isaiah Swann and Jason Rich, and junior Toney Douglas. Swann is a pure shooter, while Rich and Douglas are more versatile and better defenders. Douglas was the team's second-leading scorer behind Thornton but missed a critical five-game stretch late in the season with a broken hand.

'I think we have the nucleus of a pretty good team returning,' Hamilton said. 'I like the potential I see. I think as a result of the issues we had to go through last season, we'll be of a stronger mind-set.'

How the Noles do on the court will determine whether they finally snap their streak of missing out on March Madness, but there are off-the-court factors brewing that are expected to play a role in the direction of the program.

FSU athletic director Dave Hart's imminent departure could impact the future of Hamilton. Although Hamilton's extended contract doesn't expire until after the 2009-10 season, without an NCAA Tournament berth to show for his time in Tallahassee, fans and boosters are becoming a little restless considering the Noles just lost the best player they have had in more than a decade in Thornton.

Hart, a former point guard at Alabama, was instrumental in the hiring of Hamilton before the 2002-03 season. Hart also spearheaded a campaign to build FSU's $10 million men's and women's basketball facility next to the Donald L. Tucker Center, which opened shortly after Hamilton took over the program.

Hart has already been notified by school president T.K. Wetherell that his contract won't be renewed when it expires, so what does that mean for Hamilton's future if the Noles once again are watching March Madness?

That's the largest question facing a team with many of them as another season approaches.

HONOR ROLL: Junior soccer midfielder Mami Yamaguchi is leading the nation in scoring (15 G/6 A). She added to her total with a game-winning goal in the 75th minute of FSU's 1-0 win at Virginia Tech on Sunday.

SOUNDBITE CENTRAL: "Thursday night's good when you're trying to build a reputation. If you've already got one, you don't need to be playing it." - FSU coach Bobby Bowden on playing at Wake Forest on Thursday night as part of the ACC's deal with ESPN.

WATCH OUT FOR: Receiver Greg Carr, who has 23 career TD receptions, will move him into a tie for ninth place on the ACC's all-time career list with his next TD catch.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: In QB Xavier Lee's first two games of the season, how would you rate his performance? Go to TBO.com, Keyword: Noles to vote and monitor results.

TBO.COM POLL RESULTS: Based on FSU's performance so far, how many games do you think the Noles will win this season? Seven (14.9 percent); eight (20.6); nine (32.6); 10 (20.6); 11 (11.3).

BLOG BONUS: For most of his career, Carr has been labeled as overrated despite all the touchdown catches. Why are some critics starting to change their opinion? For more, go to TBO.com, Keyword: Noles.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT