FSU Basketball Recap: Win Streak Ends in Loss to North Carolina

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Jan 14, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) passes the ball as Florida State Seminoles guard Terance Mann (14) and Florida State Seminoles center Michael Ojo (50) and guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) and forward Jonathan Isaac (1) defend in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Free-throw shooting needs to improve

The Seminoles have not been a good free-throw shooting team this year. On the season, they’ve shot 71 percent from the line, which is, well, bad. They took that to a new level against the Tar Heels, though.

On Saturday, the team shot a pathetic 12-for-26 from the stripe, which amounts to 46 percent. That wouldn’t even be excusable if the team were made up of 10 Shaquille O’Neal’s. Much less a group as talented as the Seminoles.

It’s impossible to single out one guy either. Isaac, Bacon and Trent Forrest went 7-for-9, so you can deduct how awful everyone else was just by that.

The staff needs to find a way to get these guys to improve from the line, plain and simple. FSU’s free-throw shooting ranks 138th in the country. Just not good enough, from a squad this good.

2. Team struggled to keep UNC off the glass

The Tar Heels are the best rebounding team in the country. Florida State didn’t do much to buck the trend. Carolina out-rebounded the Seminoles by an absurd 56-34 margin. They had 21 offensive rebounds (which equates to 21 extra possessions), to FSU’s nine. Overall, it was a demolition on the glass.

Isaac did manage to pull down 12 boards by himself, but he didn’t get help from his teammates. Terrance Mann had five, and no one else had more than three.

Hopefully the poor showing leads to Florida State toughening up on the glass going forward.

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