FSU Basketball: Numbers show how bad losing Mfiondu Kabengele to NBA is

FSU basketball was already going to have to replace plenty of their production for next year, but the early defection of their sophomore star hurts big time.

When the FSU basketball team lost their Sweet 16 showdown against Gonzaga at the end of last month, it was known that it meant the end of the road for several star players that had been with the program for a while – Terance Mann, Phil Cofer and Christ Koumadje – as well as graduate transfer David Nichols following a record setting season.

What they did not count on – at least when the season first came to an end – would be the news that sophomore forward Mfiondu Kabengele, who was the teams leading scorer despite not starting a game all year, was also going to be gone as he announced he’s heading to the NBA and hiring an agent.

While it’s not something that is completely that hard to figure out since Kabengele did make his name at big times of the season – including over 20 points in each of FSU basketball’s first two tournament games – it will make things even more difficult for the coming season considering the amount of talent the Seminoles already had to replace.

But, one look at the numbers from last season gives a startling look at just how much production from the Seminoles is going to be gone next season.

Here’s a look at the biggest categories and the number of players FSU basketball will have to replace next season.

• Points Per Game: Five of the top seven players, including the top two in Kabengele and Mann
• Rebounds Per Game: Four of the top five (Mann, Kabengele and Koumadje in the top three)
• Assists Per Game: Three of the top five (Mann at No. 2, Nichols at No. 3, Cofer at No. 5)
• Blocks Per Game: All of the top three players (Kabengele, Koumadje and Mann)
• Field Goal Percentage: All of the top three players (Koumadje, Mann and Kabengele)
• Three Point Percentage: Three of the top four (Mann at No. 2, Kabengele at No. 3, Cofer at No. 4)

Literally, the only two players that led one of the six categories last season for FSU basketball are Trent Forrest (assists) and Devin Vassell (three point percentage) to go along with other returning contributors from last year’s team like M.J. Walker, P.J. Savoy and Raiquan Gray, who got plenty of time in the tournament after the death of Cofer’s father.

Now, I’m not Chicken Little and saying the sky is falling for the Seminoles and head coach Leonard Hamilton and it’s back to the NIT next season – but it’s a wake up call that the road back to a deep tournament run just got a whole heck of a lot harder.