FSU Basketball: How The 2015-16 Season Went So Wrong
By Jason Parker
Now that FSU basketball has been knocked out of the ACC Tournament, we take a look back at how a season of promise went downhill fast.
After the clock had gone well past midnight and Wednesday turned into Thursday in our nation’s capital, the FSU basketball team walked off the court of the Verizon Center on the wrong end of the scoreboard in their ACC Tournament second round game against Virginia Tech. Unlike the regular season meeting between the ‘Noles and the Hokies, FSU basketball was never really in this game and saw chances fade fast for making a comeback.
The 11 point defeat put the final nail in the coffin of FSU basketball’s hopes of making the NCAA Tournament (which would have likely required winning the whole thing in Washington D.C.) and assured the ‘Noles they would be waiting for a NIT bid for the third time in the last four seasons. But why did this take place? Weren’t the ‘Noles fighting for a spot in the top part of the conference not that long ago? Two things took place that brought FSU basketball down over the course of the year.
No. 1 – Relying too much on freshman stars
When Dwayne Bacon and Malik Beasley stepped foot on campus, there weren’t that many people who thought the two freshman stars would be as good as they were so quickly. For the season, each player averaged over 15 points a game and, on many occasions, were the leading scorers for the ‘Noles each game.
But as the two newcomers went, so did the team. Going 18-12 in the regular season, Bacon scored nine and 11 points respectively in two point losses to Miami and Pittsburgh (two wins that would have likely been enough to get FSU basketball over the hump and into the big dance). Beasley scored just six points in that loss to the ‘Canes while having just nine points in a close loss to a Georgia Tech team the ‘Noles had no business losing to.
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It’s not fair to put all the eggs in baskets belonging to players that are in their first year of college ball. If the rest of the team steps up in those three games, FSU basketball is planning for their first tournament appearance since 2011-12.
No. 2 – Forgetting their defensive origins
It wasn’t the sexiest style of basketball for many fans, but Leonard Hamilton’s strong defensive strategy was effective for FSU basketball during the past half decade. In 2015-16, the ‘Noles seemed to have gotten away from it and try to outrun their opponents…a gameplan the ‘Noles weren’t prepared for in the ACC.
There was a time when FSU basketball would consistently hold their opponents under 60 points a
game, more than enough for Hamilton’s team to overcome and win the game. This season alone (including the regular season and the ACC Tournament), FSU basketball was 7-11 when allowing more than 70 points a game and 1-9 when allowing more than 80 points a contest.
It’s not a knock against the ‘Noles, but they aren’t built to be running up and down the court. If the ‘Noles have any hope of getting back to the Big Dance, it’s going to be because they slow things down.
Six times this season, FSU basketball lost a game by seven points or less. At 19-13 on the year, there is no one to blame but themselves for being in this position. With another top ten recruiting class coming in next season, one has to wonder if the ship can be righted and we can root for FSU basketball when filling out March Madness brackets instead of doing NIT brackets each March.