April 5, 2011

FSU Press Release

FLORIDA STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM RANKED NO. 19 IN FINAL ESPN/USA TODAY POLL; REPEATS AS STATISTICAL NATIONAL CHAMPION

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida State men's basketball team, which advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993, is ranked No. 19 in the final ESPN/USA Today Poll to mark the second time in the last three seasons that the Seminoles have been ranked in the final coaches' poll. The Seminoles began the NCAA Tournament unranked but defeated No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 5 ranked Notre Dame to advance to the Sweet 16.

Florida State also finished the season as the field goal percentage defense national statistical champion with a .363 mark - the second consecutive season they have led the nation in the most telling defensive statistic kept by the NCAA. The Seminoles are the first team to repeat as the field goal percentage national champions since Marquette in the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Florida State's .363 mark ranks as the fourth lowest mark by a leader in the category since the NCAA began compiling the statistic in 1977.

The Seminoles are only the sixth team in NCAA history to repeat at the field goal percentage defensive national champions.

It marks the third time in the last 14 seasons a Leonard Hamilton coached team has led the nation in field goal percentage defense. The 1998 Miami Hurricanes led the nation with a .379 mark as he took the team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1960. Hamilton guided the Hurricanes to the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons (1998-2000).

Florida State proved to have the nation's top defense as it ranked first nationally in field goal percentage defense (.3630, fifth in blocked shots (6.0 bpg), 15th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.306), 24th in steals per game (8.3 spg) and 27th in rebound margin (+4.9 rpg). The Seminoles were the only team in the nation to finish the season ranked in the top 30 in each of those five statistical categories.

Florida State finished the season with a 23-11 overall record and finished in third place in the ACC standings with an 11-5 record. The Seminoles are one of only two teams in the ACC (also Duke) who have finished in the top four of the ACC standings and received a bye through the first round of the ACC Tournament in each of the last three seasons.

Florida State is the third winningest program in the ACC in the last six years (since the start of the 2005-06 season) in total ACC regular season and ACC Tournament games. The Seminoles have won 58 games against ACC competition. Florida State played in the 2009 ACC Championship game and is one of only two teams in the ACC (also Duke) who has finished with double digit wins and in the top four of the final ACC standings in EACH of the last three seasons.

2011 Final ESPN/USA Today Poll

Rank Team (FPV) Final Record
1. Connecticut (30) 32-9
2. Butler 28-10
3. Kentucky 29-9
4 Kansas 35-3
5. Ohio State (1) 34-3
6. Virginia Commonwealth 28-12
7. Duke 32-5
8. North Carolina 29-8
9. Arizona 30-8
10. Florida 29-8
11. San Diego State 34-3
12. Pittsburgh 28-6
13. Brigham Young 32-5
14. Notre Dame 27-7
15. Wisconsin 25-9
16. Texas 28-8
17. Purdue 26-8
18. Syracuse 27-8
19. FLORIDA STATE 23-11
20. Marquette 22-15
21. Richmond 29-8
22. Louisville 25-10
23. Washington 24-11
24 Kansas State 23-11
25. Utah State 30-4


Back to Back FG Pct. Defense Leaders
1981, 1982, 1983 Wyoming
1984, 1985 Georgetown
1989, 1990 Georgetown
1990, 1991 Georgetown
1993, 1994 Marquette
2010, 2011 Florida State