Leonard Hamilton and Florida State won their third straight ACC game, beating a good Wake Forest team 87-82 on Tuesday night at the Donald L. Tucker Center. What’s been the difference for this team, one that has seemingly done a 180 from the last couple of weeks?
Defense has returned to creating chaos
The Seminoles have forced 46 turnovers in their last three games against Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Hamilton’s teams have traditionally taken pride on the defense side of the ball and when he adapted to defending with all five players switching man to man, deflections and forcing turnovers became paramount in the scheme. Hamilton said his team deflected 38 (!) passes against the Demon Deacons and turned them over on 25 percent of their possessions. That will get the job done.
Credit to Darin Green Jr., who had five steals against Wake Forest, and Baba Miller, who had three blocks in the game. The effort on that side of the ball is noticeable and is key for the rest of the season. Per Ken Pomeroy’s metrics, on the season the Seminoles are now forcing turnovers on 21.3% of opponents’ possessions, good for 33rd in the NCAA out of 362 teams.
Baba ... Oh, baby
Speaking of Mr. Miller, the Spaniard might be finally seeing the light turn on in his career. The 6-foot-11 big man has been a force for FSU the last few games and capped it off with a brilliant performance against the Deacs with a career-high 14 points and three blocks. Hamilton said after the game the normalcy of playing basketball for Miller has been key as he has battled injuries and a major suspension since arriving to Tallahassee.
He’s still young and the traits that NBA scouts love are slowly materializing. He can pass well for a big man (five assists vs. GT), be a menace on defense (three steals vs. GT, three blocks vs. WF), as well as score and grab rebounds (10 rebounds vs. VT). Miller noted Tuesday night that effecting the game on defense has been a priority for him of late and he is realizing the impact he can have on that side of the ball.
Sum of their parts
Hamilton has often said FSU is the type of team that needs all of its cogs playing well to be effective. It’s the reason the Seminoles play up to 12 players and rotate waves of depth. The rotations haven’t been healthy the last few years and it has shown. Injuries have ravaged a system that relies on multiple players in different rotations contributing at a high level.
The last three games have seen important contributions from Darin Green Jr., Jamir Watkins, Jaylan Gainey, Miller, Chandler Jackson, Primo Spears and on the down the bench. Spears’ eligibility was a key to the season and a healthier Gainey makes a big difference down low for the Seminoles paired with Miller, Cam Corhen and De’Ante Green. Taylor Bol Bowen has also had some important moments and looks more comfortable by the game, showcasing athleticism, long arms and energy. Bowen has even shown some ability to shoot the basketball. His future is bright in Tallahassee.
Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes commented that the depth FSU plays with wore them down some and the ability to run that many guys out there in a game is an advantage for the Seminoles. The quality of the depth might not be as strong as in years past. But it’s healthier than it’s been in a while and allows the FSU system to operate at a more efficient level.
Extra: This and that
The Seminoles have gotten to the free-throw line 76 times in the last three games. It’s important for this team to be aggressive getting to the rim. When the Seminoles play downhill they are tough to stop on offense. FSU converted at a high rate against the Yellow Jackets (77%) and Deacons (80%) from the charity stripe, including an 11-for-11 performance from Watkins against Wake. That’s a big deal and crucial for an offense that at times stagnates in the halfcourt. For the season FSU is now 45th of 362 teams at getting to the free-throw line, a positive trend as we get into the thick of conference play.
A road game against Notre Dame (2:15 p.m. on The CW) is up next. While the Irish might be one of the worst teams the Seminoles play the rest of the year, they’ve been much better during ACC play and have been tough at the Purcell Pavilion. The Seminoles haven’t played well in South Bend over the years, so this will be a key game to examine just how much progress the team has made over the last few games.
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