The Seminoles got their first taste of live action on Thursday versus Southeastern, the game went as expected as the ‘Noles routed the fire 119-58 in the first of two exhibitions’.
There is a buzz around the Florida State basketball program that has been absent the past few years. Dwayne Bacon is returning for his sophomore season after a very successful freshman campaign. Michael Ojo is back and healthy, giving you a very important big man in the paint, that will not get boxed out. The man getting the most hype would be Jonathan Isaac, the freshman that many are saying will be a one-and-done type of player.
Being a defense coach, Hamilton has the players he needs to shut opposing teams down.With two ‘7 footers in the paint and a handful of returns that know the system that Hamilton has in place, there’s no excuse for this defense not to shine in 2017.
Phil Cofer looked comfortable shooting the ball which is a encouraging moving forward, Cofer finished with 20-points and nine rebounds to compliment Isaac’s night where the freshman racked up 17 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
After missing all of 2016, Ojo looked healthy and comfortable on the court, Ojo had 13 rebounds and 14 points.
These exhibitions can create a sense of false hope, playing a team that’s not close to Florida State’s level of talent.
But at the end of the day, there are some key takeaways. The chemistry of the team seemed good, early in the year you tend to get guys that do not anticipate what his teammates will do with the ball.
FSU does not have it all figured out, but when you consider it being the first game this squad played together against another team, what a young team put on display is reassuring.
