The competition level is about the rise dramatically this weekend, but if the first six games are any indication, this Florida State men's basketball team will not be lacking for offensive firepower this season
Despite losing six of their top eight scorers from a year ago, the Seminoles are putting up some very impressive numbers -- especially when it comes to shooting efficiency.
After a brilliant team shooting performance Monday night, FSU is now connecting on 48.0 percent of its shots from the floor, 81.7 percent from the free-throw line and 35.4 percent from 3-point range.
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The overall field goal percentage ranks second best in the ACC, and the free-throw percentage is No. 1.
"I've been curious to see whether or not we could shoot the ball in a game setting as well as we've been shooting it in practice," FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said after the Seminoles blistered the nets Monday against Chicago State to improve to 5-1 on the season. "I was glad to see us shoot the ball very well from the perimeter."
The Seminoles hit 10 of 23 shots from 3-point range in that game, and 27 of 31 free throws. In the last two games combined, FSU is 42 of 48 from the charity stripe; that's 87.5 percent.
While it's not likely that FSU will keep up that torrid pace, it does appear that Hamilton's squad will continue to show the improvement that was on display one year ago. After shooting slightly less than 70 percent as a team in recent years, the Seminoles hit 74.4 percent from the free-throw line in 2018-19.
They currently are seven percentage points better than that.
"The last couple of years, we've been really harping on it," Hamilton said, noting that free-throw shooting is especially important in the Atlantic Coast Conference, where so many games are decided by four points or less.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of FSU's impressive shooting is how well the newcomers are performing.
First-year forwards Patrick Williams and Malik Osborne are both shooting at least 50.0 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. Williams, a freshman, has actually connected on all 17 of his free-throw attempts thus far.
Freshman center Balsa Koprivica and graduate transfer center Dominik Olejniczak are also both shooting well from the field, and guards RayQuan Evans and Nathanael Jack have shown scoring potential as well.
"This is definitely, by far since I've been here, the best shooting team that we've had," senior point guard Trent Forrest said. "We're shooting it well from the free-throw line and the 3. We just have guys that want to get into the gym so much and put time into their shot. And I feel like it's definitely paying off."
Perhaps no one on the FSU roster has shown more improvement than Forrest.
During his first three seasons as a Seminole, Forrest connected on just 11 three-pointers combined. After knocking in both of his 3-point attempts on Monday, he now has five through six games.
If the Seminoles' team captain can keep that up, it should force opponents to extend their defenses, which will only make him more effective when it comes to attacking the paint.
"It definitely helps when you have that because it opens up so much more for me," Forrest said.
The senior's improved accuracy also has paid off at the free-throw line. After connecting on a solid 77.9 percent of his freebies last season, Forrest has hit 20 of 23 (87.0 percent) so far this year.
"I'm just so happy for him," sophomore guard Devin Vassell said. "He's been in the gym all summer working on his shot. He'll be in there for hours ... just trying to build confidence and get his shot right."
Florida State will return to action Friday night against No. 17 Tennessee in the next round of the Emerald Coast Classic. The winner of that game will face the winner of Purdue-VCU on Saturday.
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