FSU Basketball: Top 4 Reasons Noles Have Dominated Early Season

Dwayne Bacon is playing at a new level

By all accounts, Dwayne Bacon had an incredible freshman year. He came into Florida State as the 11th McDonald’s All-American in the program’s history. He was one of the highest-rated recruits to ever sign with the Seminoles. Bacon finished his senior year rated as the 17th-best prospect in the country.

Once he hit he hardwood, he didn’t cower in the face of huge expectations either. This is just part of his extensive bio on the official Seminoles website:

"Averaged 15.8 points (first on the team), 5.8 rebounds (first), 0.9 steals (second) and 1.5 assists (fourth) while shooting .447 from the field (sixth) and making 32 3-point shots (fourth)…became the first freshman in school history to lead the Seminoles in both scoring and rebounding in the same season…established Florida State freshmen records for total points scored (536), points scored per game (15.8), field goals made (197), field goals attempted (441) and free throws made (110) as he enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons by any Florida State player in school history…earned Freshman All-American honors as he was named to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-American team by collegeinsiders.com…earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors as selected by both the 15 ACC coaches and the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association"

No one would have been surprised had Bacon declared for the NBA Draft after having such a standout year. But after flirting heavily with the idea, he decided to come back for his sophomore season. Bacon told the media that he did so to become a more complete player, and a better leader. So far, it looks like he made the right call.

One area that Bacon needed to refine was his three-point shooting. After making a paltry 28 percent of his attempts from three as a freshman, Bacon is currently shooting them at a respectable 38 percent clip. His overall field-goal percentage has also gone up. He’s currently shooting 50 percent from the floor, up from 45 percent as a freshman.

This improvement shooting the basketball has transformed Bacon as a player, and helped the team overall. When the offense stagnates, FSU can hand the ball to the sophomore forward and ask him to bail them out. Because opposing defenses have to respect Bacon’s shot, that opens up the floor for him to get to the basket.

For an example, just take a look at his drive and score late in the Minnesota game. The defense has to remain attached to Bacon, considering that he had already made two three-pointers. Because he’s being played so close, he’s able to use his athleticism to blow by his man and get to the rim. Observe:

Bacon is scoring 17 points per game to go along with his new sense of leadership, and improved defense (just look at him deflect a pass and still get out to contest this shot, all in the same sequence). He is a vital member of the team, and they would almost certainly have more than one loss had he bolted to the NBA. Thankfully, the Seminoles got him to stick around for another season.