It's no secret that the Florida State men's basketball team has been limping through the early stages of ACC play -- figuratively and literally.
The No. 23 Seminoles needed a second-half rally at home against Clemson on Tuesday to improve their record to 2-4 in the conference. And a large reason for that slow start has been nagging injuries to star players Phil Cofer, Terance Mann and Trent Forrest.
Cofer (foot) has missed the Seminoles' last two games, and Mann (heel) and Forrest (toe) have both been limited for weeks. Neither player looks as explosive as usual around the basket, and both have missed practice time while trying to get healthy.
If there has been a positive aspect to those maladies, it has been the emergence of sophomore forward Mfiondu Kabengele as the Seminoles' top offensive weapon. Over the last four games, the 6-foot-10, 250-pounder is averaging 19.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Although he has not started one game this season -- FSU's coaches like his energy off the bench -- Kabengele actually now leads the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game.
"It's been great because I feel like I caught a rhythm," Kabengele said of his impressive start to the conference slate. "I kind of know where my spots are gonna be. ... I feel like at this point in the ACC, I'm kind of coming into my own."
While Kabengele would certainly prefer that his teammates return to full speed as FSU marches into the thick of conference play, which continues today at rival Miami (6 p.m., ESPNU), he doesn't mind shouldering more of the load.
The sophomore led FSU with 17 points in the Clemson win, and he set a career high with 26 points last Sunday at Boston College.
When asked if he felt pressure to produce more on offense, Kabengele said that's not the right way to describe it. He said it's more a matter of answering the call for his team: "I would say that the coaching staff has given me a lot of confidence to be aggressive."
The versatile big man, who is a strong finisher around the basket and a dangerous jump-shooter, has taken that confidence and run with it. Despite averaging only 18.9 minutes per game, which is tied for sixth on the team, Kabengele leads FSU in both shots attempted (160) and made (81).
For perspective, Mann and Forrest rank second and third in both of those categories, and they have each played more than 560 minutes this season. Kabengele has played 360.
There are occasional drawbacks to his energy and aggressiveness. Even Kabengele admits that he sometimes takes ill-advised shots because he is so confident in his abilities, and his intensity on defense frequently leads to foul trouble.
But the Canada native said Leonard Hamilton and the FSU coaching staff have encouraged him to keep his foot on the gas at all times. (It's worth noting that Kabengele also ranks second on the team in blocked shots and third in rebounds.)
There were times last season when Kabengele felt unsure about his role on the team and wondered if his teammates were comfortable with his high-volume approach. But those seem like distant memories now.
"I was anxious," Kabengele said. "I hadn't really built equity with the team yet. Guys didn't know my skill set or my game yet. Everything I did was new to them for the first time. ... This season I feel I've built equity with this team. Guys trust me to take certain shots, and they have confidence whether it goes in or out. And they continue to give me confidence in time outs and huddles.
"So I feel like with this year, I feel I'm much more comfortable on the offensive end."
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