Coach Luke Loucks and the Florida State men's basketball team completed perhaps the toughest game of the season, hosting the top-ranked Florida Gators in the Tucker Center. The Seminoles had lost the last five meetings in a row to the Gators, as well as the last 14 meetings against ranked opponents.
The Seminoles certainly fought hard, with multiple lead changes in the first half of play before the Gators were able to take over the game. Florida State dug itself into a hole, and then struggled to shoot out of the hole without the three-point buckets draining. Beating a team like Florida means you have to outplay them, and Florida State was unable to do that in Tallahassee.
With the dust settled on the 81-72 loss, here are a few players who performed well, and a few who had some issues against the Gators.
Buckets:
1. G Anthony Robinson II
Perhaps the best performance of the game for Florida State came from the Missouri transfer guard, Anthony Robinson II. The veteran guard recorded 19 points, one rebound, three assists, one steal, and one block. Robinson did a bit of everything for the Seminoles during the hard-fought loss, and that might be just what the team needs moving forward.
The keyword there is "team" because the Seminoles need more than just explosive scoring efforts from a few players. Florida State needs players who can be consistent and produce each game, even when they are not necessarily the hot hand that night.
Robinson has been extremely consistent this season, with at least three assists and a steal each game. The guard had a great performance against Troy as well, with multiple passes leading to fouls and conversions at the line. Robinson has a great basketball IQ, and Florida State will likely lean upon his veteran experience as the season progresses.
2. G Kam Taylor
Taylor has quietly been one of the best additions to the Florida State team with his consistent effort and ability to score on a moment's notice. The guard is a high-flying, physical player who can score over players with ease. Taylor made his impression felt against Troy, as the Trojans' defense had no way of stopping the guard from driving without fouling him.
Against the Gators, Taylor finished the game with 10 points, four rebounds, three steals, and a block while going five-for-nine from the field. Taylor did have three turnovers, but his performance was one of the most well-rounded for Florida State against a very tough opponent.
With players like Shon Abaev and Sebastian Rancik doing most of the scoring, Taylor isn't always the first option for the team on offense. That needs to change for Florida State moving forward, given his slashing abilities and wild athleticism.
Bricks:
1. F Sebastian Rancik
It might seem nuts to put the guy who just scored a team-high 23 points on the "bricks" portion of the list, but there is one issue that landed Rancik here. The forward is exceptional at leaning into contact and getting the foul when driving, and it helps that he also tends to convert his chances through contact. The issue is that Rancik often takes shots from three-point range that only add to some of the scoring problems.
Florida State did a great job adapting through the first two games when the outside shots were not falling, but the team struggled to do so against Florida. The Gators have a very strong and experienced team, but what truly held the Seminoles back was the errant three-point attempts that occurred before the play progressed.
One big problem with the Seminoles' roster coming into this season was that the team lacked an established perimeter threat. Rancik has the best career three-point percentage out of the starting lineup, but it is still not what he does best on the court. The Seminoles need to find a way to generate more perimeter offense, so it isn't up to Rancik to take more three-point attempts than he needs to.
2. F Shon Abaev
Abaev has struggled a bit in the field through three games for Florida State, shooting 34.6% from the field, but the forward has found other ways to help the team. Against Florida, Abaev shot 25% from the floor, finishing the game with 10 points, six rebounds, and one assist.
Currently, Abaev is the heart and soul of the offense and the player who has the basketball in his hands the most. Florida State can't just rely on Abaev and Rancik to do the scoring, however, and players like Kam Taylor and Marcis Ponder need to be prepared to lead the offense on a given night.
If Loucks can find a way to get Abaev to relax and settle into the offense more often as he did in the exhibition against LSU, he might be able to produce more accurate outings from the field. Abaev struggled with his shot selection last season, and those issues have crept up on him multiple times this season. Florida State cannot afford to have empty possessions because of poor shots, the same way the team struggled a season ago.
3. F Alex Steen
Steen was originally supposed to provide a big boost off the bench for Florida State, but the forward hasn't exactly had the biggest impact through three games. Steen is averaging six points, five rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game this season. It is virtually the same production he provided last year with Florida State, but the difference is that he has arguably a much better supporting cast top to bottom this season.
The Seminoles have scoring potential for days within the starting lineup, but the bench is where things get tricky with multiple young, unproven guards. Elisee Assui is becoming the top guard off the bench for Florida State, but he is primarily a defensive-minded player, and his presence does not necessarily benefit the offense. If Florida State can find a way to get more offense out of Steen this season, the bench would look far more formidable.
Add us as a preferred source on Google