Rushed Reactions: #3 Florida State 86, #14 Florida Gulf Coast 80
Posted by Walker Carey on March 16th, 2017RTC will be providing coverage of the NCAA Tournament from start to finish. Walker Carey (@walkerRcarey) is in Orlando this weekend.
Florida State Spent Much of Thursday Night Flying Around the Arena (USA Today Images)
Three Key Takeaways
- Florida State’s vast size advantage was just too much for Florida Gulf Coast to overcome. There are teams that are said to look good coming off the bus and then there are teams like Florida State that look good getting on the bus, sitting on the bus and getting off the bus. The Seminoles are huge and athletic at all positions. Their size and speed are areas in which they have a decided advantage in nearly every outing. This advantage was evident almost right off the bat in tonight’s victory. Florida Gulf Coast often struggled to get into its offense because of the problems that the Florida State length was causing them. The Seminoles finished the night with a +20 rebounding advantage and a +8 advantage in blocked shots.
- Dwayne Bacon was excellent. Florida State’s offense put together a strong performance tonight — scoring 86 points while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. The center of that offensive attack was sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon. He finished with 25 points (11-of-17 FG) and was the go-to guy whenever the Seminoles needed a basket. In the spots where Florida State needed a bucket, Leonard Hamilton put the ball in Bacon’s hands and let him go to work. Bacon and super freshman Jonathan Isaac totaled 42 of Florida State’s 86 points, both showcasing why they are thought so highly of in terms of NBA potential.
- Florida Gulf Coast deserves credit for making things more interesting than they probably should have been. Florida Gulf Coast has now been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past five years, but tonight’s game should not have been a six-point contest. Florida State, vastly superior in size and talent, probably should have had a firm handle of things by halftime. Florida Gulf Coast, however, had other ideas. The Eagles put forth an admirable effort in making sure that the game was in doubt until the very end. It definitely seems like Joe Dooley has a very good thing going there. The effort and enthusiasm of his entire squad was on full display, and those are the building blocks of any successful program. It is fair to presume that we will be seeing more of the Eagles in future postseasons.
Star of the Game. Dwayne Bacon, Florida State. The sophomore guard’s ability to score was evident throughout tonight’s victory, but what separates Bacon from many other scorers is that he seems to only take good shots. He did not force the issue at all and if he can duplicate tonight’s effort in NCAA Tournament games going forward, the Seminoles may find themselves very deep in the bracket.
Quotable.
- “We had a lot of anxious moments.” – Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, noting that his team’s demeanor was off at times in the victory.
- “They might be Dunk City, but I think we actually led the nation in dunks.” – Florida State forward Jonathan Issac, proving that along with being a top NBA Draft project, he is also a good quote.
- “We just made some plays that were not smart and you cannot do that against a team like that.” – Florida Gulf Coast guard Brandon Goodwin, lamenting some of his team’s mistakes.
Sights and Sounds. Florida State probably had the most impressive fan contingent of the day in Orlando. The Seminoles were very well-represented and there was a lot of nervous energy in the building throughout the evening. When it became clear that the game was in hand, the entire cheering section rose to its feet to salute a job well done.
What’s Next. Florida State advances to the Second Round, where it will play Xavier on Saturday night.
