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FSU basketball: Takeaways from ‘Noles win over Penn in season opener

By Kelvin Hunt

Leonard Hamilton gives his words to the referee during a game between FSU and the University of North Carolina at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center Monday, Feb. 3, 2020.Fsu Vs Unc Mens Basketball 020320 Ts 1836
Leonard Hamilton gives his words to the referee during a game between FSU and the University of North Carolina at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center Monday, Feb. 3, 2020.Fsu Vs Unc Mens Basketball 020320 Ts 1836 /
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FSU basketball begins the 2021 season with several new faces, but the product looked like they haven’t missed a beat in their 105-70 victory over Penn Wednesday night. The student section was rocking in the Tuck Center, and FSU basketball used their length and athleticism to force 16 first-half turnovers to take a 51-39 lead into halftime.

The defense was great, although Penn hit several tough and contested shots to hang around early. The offense will be a work in process as the players gain experience and chemistry with one another. Shot selection would be my only gripe for the most part.

Caleb Mills looks to pick up where Scottie Barnes left off in terms of defensive pressure on the ball. Malik Osborne had a double-double with 17 minutes remaining, and several other players impacted the game.

3 Takeaways

-Defensive Effort
-Offensive Chemistry
-Limited turnovers and steady FT shooting

FSU is the typical deep Leonard Hamilton team we’ve grown accustomed to over the past few years. They’ll be able to rotate guys and wear teams down while possessing incredible length and athleticism.

Their defensive effort was tremendous, holding Penn to 38.6 percent shooting and creating 26 turnovers.

Offensive chemistry will be better as they play more games. However, FSU showed an ability to create offensive off of their defense in transition. They had 13 different guys to score in the game.

One noticeable difference from last year’s team is the ability to penetrate off the dribble and get to the rim. They shot 34 free-throws in the game. Despite a shaky start, the Noles shot well over 50 percent from the floor before the green team came into the game with five minute remaining.

One thing that impressed me was the low number of turnovers. FSU only had 10 turnovers while making 24 of 34(70.6 percent) from the free-throw line.

Final Thoughts

It was an overall impressive effort for a team that has a lot of new faces. If they maintain this defensive effort, that will keep them in games when the offense isn’t as efficient as it needs to be.

They have guys that can do damage in every facet and should be a fun team to watch this season while challenging for the ACC title.

Next. Top 3 Miami Weaknesses That Benefit The Noles. dark

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