Game Preview by Bill from Tampa
Tip-off time 7pm at Silvio Conte Forum
TV: FSN
Records:
FSU 14-5 (ACC 2-3) 0-2 ACC road, 2-4 road overall
Boston College 13-5 (ACC 5-1) 2-0 ACC home, 10-2 home overall
Last Game:
FSU beat Miami 86-67; Boston College lost to Clemson 74-54
Key Stats:
Scoring offense – FSU 76 ppg (7th in ACC); Boston College 77.7 ppg (5th in ACC)
Scoring D – FSU 67.1 ppg (6th); Boston College 69.5 ppg (8th)
Free throws – FSU .777 (1st); Boston College .723 (4th)
Field goal % - FSU .486 (4th); Boston College .480 (5th)
Field goal % Defense – FSU .443 (11th); Boston College .425 (7th)
3-Point FG % – FSU .357 (7th); Boston College .327 (12th)
3-Point FG % Defense – FSU .311 (4th); Boston College .308 (3rd)
Rebounding – FSU 31.6 rpg (12th); Boston College 38.1 rpg (5th)
Assists – FSU 13.26 (12th); Boston College 15.94 (5th)
Steals – FSU 8.74 (5th); Boston College 7.17 (8th)
Turnover margin – FSU +2.95 (3rd); Boston College -1.06 (11th)
Leading Players:
Florida State
Al Thornton – 17.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, .551 FG %, .837 FT %
Toney Douglas – 13.5 ppg, 2.89 apg, .497 FG %, .412 3-pt %
Jason Rich – 10.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .537 FG %, .800 FT %
Other players of note
Isaiah Swann – 8.24 ppg, 3.26 apg, last game 4-6 from 3-pt,
4 assists, no turnovers
Uche Echefu – 7.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, last game 3.6 from 3-pt
Bench scoring – 17.6 ppg
Boston College
Jared Dudley (F, 6-7, 225, SR) – 18.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, .555 FG %,
.769 FT %
Tyrese Rice (PG, 6-1, 190, SO) – 16.2 ppg, 5.89 apg, .437 FG %, .763 FT %
Sean Marshall (SG, 6-6, 212, SR) – 16.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg,
.460 FG %, .366 3-pt %
Other players of note
John Oates (F, 6-10, 255, JR) – 4.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Shamari Spears (F, 6-4, 245, FR) – 8.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Bench scoring – 6.8 ppg
With the dismissals of leading shot blocker Seam Williams
(5 blocks per game) and Akida McLean, BC is down to a rotation of seven players. BC will now have to rely on more minutes from JR big man Tyrelle Blair who played at FSU High School. That is a significant drop off from Williams.
In addition Dudley has a stress fracture in his foot that caused him to miss three straight games earlier this month. How the foot holds up will be a question especially since Dudley played all forty minutes the last two games.
FSU will have to deal with the size and physical play of the Eagles and their flex offense. However BC will have to contend with the speed and quickness of the Seminoles and Thornton who scored 37 points at Conte Forum in last season’s only contest between the two teams. The Eagles won that game though 90-87 on the strength of Craig Smith’s 28 points and 14 rebounds.
BC could counter somewhat by going smaller and inserting the more athletic Marquez Haynes, a 6-3 guard.
Comments? Questions? Kudos?