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Noles Glad To Have Day Off

By COREY CLARK

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: March 12, 2009

ATLANTA - It's a well-deserved day off.

Today, when the first round of the ACC Tournament tips off at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the Florida State men's basketball team won't be on the court at all.

After earning the school's first-ever first-round bye, the No. 22 Seminoles will simply watch as eight other ACC teams battle on the opening day.

"When we were playing against Virginia Tech on Sunday, we were like, 'Guys, we have to get that day off,'" said FSU sophomore Jordan DeMercy, a native of nearby Norcross. "Because playing four days in a row is a hard task to do. So it feels nice to have a day off and observe today and see who we're going to play."

The Seminoles (23-8) are the No. 4 seed in the tournament and will play the winner of the Georgia Tech-Clemson game at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

On Wednesday, most of the players got their first taste of the spacious, sprawling venue.

After practicing in Tallahassee on Wednesday morning, the Seminoles bussed to Atlanta and took the Georgia Dome court for a brief shootaround in the evening.

"We got some shots up tonight just to get a feel for depth perception in a cavernous facility like this," FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said. "They'll see that it's the same. And there won't be any anxious moments when they come out here."

Elsewhere, Miami star Jack McClinton was slowed at the end of the regular season by a sprained left knee, but he's feeling a lot better heading into the Hurricanes' game against Virginia Tech today.

"It feels a lot better," he said. "It's not 100 percent, but it definitely feels a lot better."

If McClinton is close to full strength, the Hurricanes could be ready make some noise in the tournament.

If nothing else, McClinton knows the Hurricanes are stuck on that bubble and in desperate need of a win.

"We've got to get this one," he said. "This is a must-win."

Information from Tribune wires was used in this report.

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Noles Glad To Have Day Off