April 3, 2011

Andrew Skwara

Deividas Dulkys
Stats: 7.3 ppg, 1.3 spg, 36.6% FG, 52.0% FT, 33.3% 3-pt
Overall Analysis: One of the best 3-point shooters in the ACC last season, Dulkys endured a rough year on the offensive end. The junior shot 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, down from 39.7 percent in 2009-10. Twice, he fell into severe slumps, including an 8 of 42 stretch from 3-point range in the middle of the season and a 1 of 16 stretch in March. Defensively, the veteran was far more reliable. The coaches consider Dulkys the team's second best perimeter defender behind Michael Snaer (not counting Chris Singleton) - which is the main reason his playing time didn't dip - and he finished third on the team in steals.
Needs To Work on: More consistency with his outside shot. Dulkys' slumps hurt the team, especially since he is fairly limited offensively. He'll keep getting the green light next season and while he doesn't need to shoot at a record clip it's important that he avoid falling into lengthy cold spells again. Heading into his senior year, he must handle more of a leadership role as well.
Season Grade: C+: Most players with Dulkys' offensive stats would get lower grades, but he is an underrated defender and a major part of why the Seminoles were so strong defensively again. (Last Season's Grade: B-)

Xavier Gibson
Stats: 4.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 41.4% FG, 68.6% FT
Overall Analysis: This was supposed to be a breakthrough year for Gibson, who Leonard Hamilton said could be the team's leading scorer. But, it will be remembered as an injury-marred campaign. A torn MCL and a broken hand cost the 6-foot-11 junior nine games in the middle of the season and though the big man returned, he never seemed to regain his rhythm or shooting touch, coming off the bench as a role player the rest of the way Still, prior to the injuries, Gibson wasn't playing up to his potential, averaging a modest 6.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Had he stayed healthy, it's likely Bernard James would have soon replaced him in the starting lineup anyways.
Needs To Work on: Regaining full strength and confidence in his knee. Playing with a large knee brace upon his return, Gibson often looked tentative. He needs to get healthy and start playing with more intensity and aggressiveness. If that happens, he could lift FSU into one of the nations' top froncourts next year.
Season Grade: C: Gibson deserves credit for trying to fight through some injuries, but when healthy he wasn't consistent enough. With his rare combination of size, athleticism and a soft shooting touch, he should be much more productive.(Last Season's Grade: B-)

Bernard James
Stats: 8.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 65.7% FG, 50.4% FT
Overall Analysis: No player on the roster was a more pleasant surprise. A junior college transfer, James emerged as FSU's best post player and carried the team for some of its most important stretches. The former Air Force Sergeant excelled defensively, ranking third in the ACC with 2.4 blocks and totaling 82 blocks, the second-highest total in school history. Those numbers are remarkable considering James only averaged 21 minutes a game and didn't become a starter until late December. He played some of his best ball in the NCAA Tournament, scoring four straight baskets to spark FSU's comeback win over Texas A&M in the round of 64 and had a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the upset of Notre Dame.
Needs To Work on: Post moves. James developed a solid hook shot, but lacked a second move to fall back on. He needs to widen his offensive skills in order to become a steady inside scoring threat.
Season Grade: A: James exceeded anybody's expectations. Without the big man, injuries to Xavier Gibson and Chris Singleton would have been costly and FSU wouldn't have reached the NCAA Tournament.

Derwin Kitchen
Stats: 10.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg, 49.4% FG, 75.5% FT, 35.5% 3-pt
Overall Analysis: Efficient. That's the one word that best describes Kitchen's last college season. The departing senior posted career-highs in virtually every statistical category, including field goal percentage (49.4 percent), free throw percentage (75.5 percent) and steals (1.6 spg). His 5.8 rebounds (another career-high) are an especially high number for a point guard. Kitchen also had plenty of clutch moments. His three double-doubles came in in FSU's upset of then-No. 1 Duke (22 points, 10 rebounds), a key road win over NC State that locked up an NCAA Tournament bid (17 points, 13 rebounds) and in the 'Noles' one-point loss to VCU in the Sweet 16 (23 points, 12 rebounds). But, looking for his own shot on the offensive end was a problem at times, which was an issue throughout his career. Time management was also an issue as Kitchen was caught dribbling as halftime buzzers sounded in the last two games. He also passed up a game-winning shot attempt in the final seconds of the Sweet 16 loss largely because he wasn't aware of how little time was left.
Needs To Work on: Being more aggressive on offense. At the professional level, Kitchen will likely be moved back to shooting guard (his original position at FSU), a position that makes looking for your own shot a priority.
Season Grade: B+: How many point guards do you know that shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor and pulled down nearly six rebounds a game? Kitchen was the only one to do so in the ACC and made a bigger impact than his scoring average (10.4 ppg) indicates. Without him, FSU wouldn't have reached the NCAA Tournament (Last Season's Grade: B-)

Jon Kreft
Stats: 3.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 47.5% FG, 51.1% FT
Overall Analysis: Kreft wasn't the dominating inside force many fans were expecting, but the former five-star recruit was a solid bench player who added some quality depth. After sitting out the first nine games, the 7-footer saw action in the final 25 contests and often contributed valuable minutes. His biggest highlight came in a key road win over NC State that sewed up an NCAA Tournament bid where he scored 12 points in 13 minutes. Racking up unnecessary fouls was his biggest weakness. He averaged a foul every 4.6 minutes.
Needs To Work on: Defensive fundamentals. His effort was solid, but he racked up too many quick fouls, which often helped opponents get into the bonus. He also needs to become a better free throw shooter (he has good form), especially since he does a good job drawing fouls.
Season Grade: C+: Proved to be a valuable reserve and helped to give FSU one of the deepest benches in the nation.

Luke Loucks
Stats: 2.9 ppg, 2.2 apg, 34.2%FG, 72.5% FT, 32.0% 3-pt
Overall Analysis: FSU's back-up point guard, Loucks managed to cut down on his turnovers over the last two months of the season after struggling to protect the ball early on, largely because of throwing too many risky passes. Racking up too many fouls on defense remained an issue all season long. The junior's brightest moment came in FSU's upset of Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament where he dished out four assists without committing a turnover and nailed a 3-pointer himself.
Needs To Work on: Decision making. Loucks must be more cautious with his passes and more protective of the ball if he's going to be FSU's starting point guard next season - his average of one turnover for every 9.3 minutes played was the highest of any guard on the team. He also needs to cut down on committing frequent fouls
Season Grade: C-: Loucks cut down on his mistakes in the second half of the season, but he still turned the ball over more and shot a lower percentage than he did last season. (Last Season's Grade: C)

Ian Miller
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 37.5% FG, 35.8% 3-pt
Overall Analysis: The freshman showed he could score in a hurry and provided an offensive lift off the bench, though he missed 10 games due to a groin injury. Miller scored 10 points in 12 minutes in a loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament, which left many fans wondering why the former four-star recruit wasn't playing more. A fearless shooter, he too often took ill-advised shots and played the kind of defense you expect from a freshman.
Needs To Work on: Shot selection. Miller has great range, but too often took contested shots when passing the ball was the right decision. He will likely play some point guard next season, which means he must upgrade his ball handling and decision making too.
Season Grade: B-: Miller was a streaky shooter, but he contributed immediately, which isn't easy for a freshman in the ACC, especially on a team that was this deep.

Terrance Shannon
Stats: 4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 40.0% FG, 54.5% FT
Overall Analysis: You have to give Shannon some extra credit for extraordinary toughness. He had knee surgery in the middle of the season and managed to return just 17 days later. Prior to the injury, the sophomore proved to be a sparkplug. Inserted into the starting lineup against Duke, the move started a streak of four straight wins for the Seminoles. He played with great energy and hustle and created an inside presence at times. But, his shot selection and decision making were often poor - shooting 40 percent from the floor for a post player is a damaging figure.
Needs To Work on:Awareness. Shannon forced too many low-percentage shots. He needs to play more within his role and more to his strengths.
Season Grade: B-: The bullish big man went from barely playing last season to becoming a valuable reserve and a part-time starter. He had his rocky moments, but was one of the most improved players on the team.

Chris Singleton
Stats: 13.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 bpg, 43.4% FG, 66.7% FT, 36.8% 3-pt
Overall Analysis: Had Singleton not fractured a bone in his right foot against Virginia on Feb. 12, he likely would have had earned a first-team All-ACC selection (he still earned third-team honors despite missing six games) and been the ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. At the time of the injury, the junior was leading the team in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals. He was also heating up offensively, making 15 of his previous 20 shots from the floor. It was still a strong year for Singleton, who raised his scoring average from 10.2 to 13.1 points a game, thanks largely to raising his free throw percentage from 49.7 to 66.7 percent. He also delivered the first ever triple-double to include steals by an ACC player against UNC-Greensboro (22 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals).
Needs To Work on: Ball handling. In order to raise his draft stock and develop into a steady scoring threat in the NBA (Singleton is projected as mid-to-late first round pick), he must prove that he can attack off the dribble.
Season Grade:A: Singleton improved significantly on the offensive end, which was his main priority this season. He deserves some extra credit for rehabbing hard and returning from the injury too. (Last Season's Grade: B+).

Michael Snaer
Stats: 8.8 ppg, 2.2 apg, 40.0% FG, 77.6% FT, 36.8% 3-pt
Overall Analysis: If the players got to vote, Snaer probably would have landed on the All-ACC defensive team - at least if they were being honest with themselves. The sophomore emerged as a lockdown defender for the nation's top defense, giving every elite guard FSU faced problems. With Snear as the primary defender, Duke's Nolan Smith (ACC Player of Year) went 6-of-16 from the floor, Virginia Tech's Malcom Delaney (first-team pick) went a combined 8-of-26 in two meetings, Boston College's Reggie Jackson (first-team) went 4-of-12 and Ben Hansbrough (Big East Player of Year) went 5-of-13. Offensively, Snaer was much more inconsistent. He shot 40 percent from the field, down from 44 percent last year. But, his free throw percentage rose from 65 to 76 percent. He excelled in the mid-range area, but struggled to finish around the basket and turned the ball over too much.
Needs To Work on: Ball handling. Many of Snaer's turnovers came when dribbling through traffic. He needs to develop a better feel when it comes to deciding when to pass or shoot.
Season Grade: B+: Snaer was one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation. That makes up for much of his inconsistencies on offense. (Last Season's Grade: B)

Okaro White
Stats: 6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 44.4% FG, 82.8% FT
Overall Analysis: White was one of the most productive players on the roster when you consider what each did with the playing time they were given, which is especially impressive considering he was a true freshman. Despite averaging 16 minutes a game (he started the last 13 games), the four-star recruit ranked fourth on the team in free throws attempted (82) and offensive rebounds (49) and first in free throw percentage (82.8 percent). He went 4-of-4 from 3-point range in a win over Hawaii, which was his brightest moment of the season, but the wiry forward did much of his damage around the basket, excelling at getting tip ins. He also developed a reliable mid-range jump shot.
Needs To Work on: Getting stronger. White has added around 20 pounds since enrolling last summer, but he's still relatively thin. He needs to get bigger in order to hold his ground and get position on the inside and become a better defensive rebounder.
Season Grade: A: He played with the kind of poise and smarts that is still rare to see in freshmen even in the one-and-done era.

Leonard Hamilton
Team Record: 23-11, 11-5 ACC
Overall Analysis: You can't argue with Hamilton's results. FSU finished in third place in the ACC for the second straight year and got past its biggest hurdle by not only winning an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in the Hamilton era but reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1993. The Seminoles were only a basket away from reaching the Elite Eight. The fact that the Seminoles didn't have their best player (Singleton) for six games and had four other players out for lengthy stretches makes this undoubtedly Hamilton's best coaching job in his nine seasons in Tallahassee. Despite losing their best post defender (Ryan Reid) and the ACC's leading shot blocker (Solomon Alabi), the 'Noles managed to lead the nation in field goal percentage defense for the second straight year - no program has led the nation in that stat in back-to-back years since Georgetown in the early 1980s. But, offense was an entirely different story. The Seminoles weren't really able to cut down on the turnover issues that plagued them last year (they averaged 15.9 turnovers a game, down slightly from 16.5) and they often struggled to score, twice finishing with 44 points (in losses to Ohio State and Clemson), which is the lowest total of the Hamilton era.
Season Grade: A-: The program made a huge step forward by reaching the Sweet 16 and doing so despite so many injuries is mighty impressive. But, the same problems on offense that needed fixing at this time last year remain. (Last Season's Grade: B)