Florida State will kick off a season filled with great expectations on Sunday as the Seminoles play host to Nicholls State at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Florida State finished just 17-16 last season, but returns its top six scorers as well as a slew of talented freshmen. Redshirt sophomore Xavier Rathan-Mayes became the first freshman in over a half century to lead the Seminoles in scoring last season while also averaging a team-high 4.3 assists-per-game. Seniors Devon Bookert and Montay Brandon each averaged in double-figures scoring last season.
McDonald’s All-American Dwayne Bacon highlights an outstanding incoming class of freshmen. Bacon at 6’7″, can play inside or out. Guard Malik Beasley should be able to provide some offense as a freshman and forward Terance Mann filled up the box score in FSU’s two exhibition games.
Key Players for Nicholls State (Stats from last season)
- T.J. Carpenter (Sr.-G): 10.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
- Ja’Dante’ Frye (Jr.-G/F): 10.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 51% FG
- Sam McBeath (Sr.-F): 9.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 46% FG
Key Players for Florida State (Stats from last season)
- Xavier Rathan-Mayes (So.-G): 14.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.3 APG
- Montay Brandon (Sr.-G/F): 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 54% FG
- Devon Bookert (Sr.-G): 10.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.6 APG
The question marks for Florida State this season will likely lie inside. The Seminoles have three 7-footers on the roster, but 7’4″ freshman Jean Marc Christ Koumadje isn’t expected to be a major contributor. Seniors Boris Bojanovsky and Michael Ojo each bring size, but have been non-factors on the low block offensively for the majority of their FSU careers. Bojanovsky did lead the team last season with 1.3 blocks-per-game and a field goal percentage near 58.
Nicholls State returns its top two scorers after finishing 10-19 during the 2014-15 season. The Colonels were 7-11 in Southland Conference play.
T.J. Carpenter and Ja’Dante’ Frye each averaged nearly 11 points-per-game for the Colonels last season. Senior Sam McBeath led the team in rebounding last season with 6.7 per game while junior center Liam Thomas at 7’1″, has the size to match up with FSU up front. Thomas is coming off a campaign in which he shot 58 percent from the field and averaged 1.6 blocks-per-game.
Florida State and Nicholls State last met in the 2007-08 season-opener with the Seminoles winning 81-58 in Tallahassee. Jason Rich scored 17 points to lead four Seminoles in double-figures in the contest. Sunday’s game will tip off just after 3:00 P.M. eastern time and can be seen on ESPN3.
