Florida State Seminoles
ACC (22-9, 11-7)
Florida State is not opposed to dropping 90 points on an opponent. And that was not just in non-conference play. ACC competition did not fare much better against the ferocious Seminoles offense. A team that missed out on the NCAA Tournament in 2012, the Seminoles are a team full of upperclassmen who could surprise this year’s tournament field. At the very least, they are fun to watch.
Big Wins: 11/24 vs Vanderbilt (73-59), 2/17 North Carolina (80-73), 2/28 Maryland (72-71)
Bad Losses: 1/10 Wake Forest (72-80), 2/14 North Carolina State (69-76), 2/24 at Virginia Tech (52-71)
Coach: Sue Semrau
Why They Can Surprise:
Unlike many high scoring offenses, Coach Sue Semrau’s frontcourt is the catalyst. Chelsea Davis, Natasha Howard and Chasity Clayton are all double figure scorers who shoot at least 50 percent from the floor. That is a handful for most defenses. Not only are they big, but they will get up and down the floor too. Davis, who averages 13.2 points per game, can knock down the mid-range jumper, but will spend most of her time around the basket. Howard is the tallest player on the team at 6-3. She uses that size to dominate on the glass and, along with Davis, block a few shots. Clayton, who usually comes in off of the bench, is nearly another double digit scorer. Clayton is not a traditional interior scorer, but has enough strength to help out on the glass and attack the basket.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The defense is always going to look bad when the offense puts up so many points in a hurry, but the opposition also shoots well from the floor. Even in a high scoring game, a few possessions here and there can make all of the difference and the Seminoles need to stay tough on defense during every play. The lack of three-point shooting could also turn into a problem. Yet, Leonor Rodriguez and Alexa Deluzio are two very capable shooters even though the team as a whole is not much of a threat from long range. Rodriguez is having an amazing senior season and has boosted her production immensely. She is an efficient shooter from outside the arc and inside. Deluzio is having a great senior season as well. She no longer needs to worry about running the point and has emerged as a great scoring option. Deluzio’s shooting can be a bit streaky, but she will still score by attacking the basket even on those days when her shot is not falling. Morgan Toles and Yashira Delgado will mostly run the show, freeing up the rest of the team to do what they do best; score. As long as the turnovers do not get out of control, this is a Florida State team that has the offense to outscore any team in the nation.
Probable Starters:
Morgan Toles, Senior, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 3.9 apg
Leonor Rodriguez, Senior, Guard, 15.1 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.0 spg
Alexa Deluzio, Senior, Guard, 14.2 ppg, 1.7 apg, 4.6 rpg
Chelsea Davis, Senior, Forward, 13.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Natasha Howard, Junior, Forward, 13.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Chasity Clayton, Senior, Forward, 9.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Yashira Delgado, Junior, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.0 spg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.8 (6th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.0 (249, 9)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.5 (4, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.9 (239, 9)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 3.7 (268, 10)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: n/a
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.8 (112, 5)
Rebound Margin: 1.4 (136, 8)
Assists Per Game: 15.4 (37, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 17.0 (165, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Stamford
2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Georgia
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Louisiana Tech
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over St. John's
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Mississippi State
2010 NCAA Regional Final loss to Connecticut
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over North Carolina A&T
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Arizona State
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Ohio State
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Oklahoma State
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Old Dominion
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Stanford
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to LSU
*all team stats through 3/7
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
