Preview: Seminoles Host Dolphins in Game 2

Florida State will look to start 2-0 for just the second time in four years on Tuesday as the Seminoles play host to Jacksonville.

FSU is coming off a 109-62 victory in its season-opener against Nicholls State. The Seminoles were propelled by the performances of three talented freshmen. Dwayne Bacon led Florida State with 23 points and 8 rebounds while Malik Beasley and Terance Mann added 21 and 15 points respectively while shooting a combined 14-for-17 from the field. The 109 points was the most scored by a FSU team since the 1993-94 season-opener against Florida Atlantic.

Key Players for Jacksonville

  • Kori Babineaux (Sr.-G): 8.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 APG
  • Marcel White (Jr.-F): 21.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 50% FG
  • Antwon Clayton (S0.-F): 7.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 SPG

Key Players for Florida State

  • Xavier Rathan-Mayes (So.-G): 11.0 PPG, 11.0 APG, 63% FG
  • Dwayne Bacon (Fr.-G/F): 23.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.0 SPG
  • Malik Beasley (Fr.-G): 21.0 PPG, 2.0 SPG, 78% FG

Florida State will also play a plethora of upperclassmen. Senior guard Devon Bookert scored 11 points in FSU’s season-opener. Redshirt sophomore and last year’s leading scorer Xavier Rathan-Mayes also scored 11 in the opener to go along with a game-high 11 assists.

Jacksonville will come in 0-1 after dropping its season-opener at Appalachian State, 76-68. Junior forward Marcel White led the Dolphins with 21 points in the opener. Senior guard Kori Babineaux returns after leading the team in scoring a season ago. 6’6″ sophomore forward Antwon Clayton impressed in his 2015-16 debut with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Dolphins finished just 10-22 a season ago and only 4-12 in Atlantic Sun play, but returns its leader in every major statistical category. The Dolphins and Seminoles last met in the season-opener two years ago with FSU winning 91-67 in Tallahassee. Okaro White led five Seminoles in double-figures scoring with game-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds in that one. Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 9:00 P.M. eastern time and will air on the Raycom Sports Network.

About Mike Ferguson

Mike Ferguson is a Bloguin contributor, the editor of Noled Out and a lifetime Florida State sports enthusiast. Mike vividly remembers watching Warrick Dunn run down the sideline in Gainesville in 1993, the "Choke at Doak" in 1994 and Monte Cummings' driving layup to beat #1 Duke in 2002. Mike has worked as a sports reporter in both print and online. For isportsweb in 2013, Mike gave press coverage of Florida State football's run to the 2013 national championship. Mike has been featured on SI.com, FoxSports.com and Yahoo Sports while interviewing major sports stars such as 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen. Mike graduated from Florida State University in 2009 with a major in Religion and a minor in Communications. Mike currently resides in Haines City, Florida with his wife Jennifer and daughters Trinity and Greenly. Mike is a full-time reporter at Polk County's newspaper, The Ledger, in Lakeland, Florida. Mike can be followed on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.

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