Board work crucial for Florida State men in GaTech matchup
Maybe it's too simple. Too black and white.
But it's a reality for the Florida State men's basketball team. At least early on in the ACC schedule.
If the Seminoles out-rebound their opponent, they win. If they don't, they lose.
See. Simple.
Or, according to head coach Leonard Hamilton, a pretty significant over-simplification.
"I'm not real sure there's a direct correlation to wins and losses," he said. "Controlling the boards is important, but there are a lot of different factors ? turnovers, free-throws, field-goal percentage.
"?When you evaluate all the ACC games and you see how many close games there are. And then you try to look at statistics to determine why one team wins more than another you would probably just confuse yourself."
With that said, he knows his team will have to do a better job of limiting opponents' second-chance opportunities. There's no confusion there.
Despite having a distinct height advantage against both teams, FSU was outrebounded by Maryland and N.C. State in back-to-back games last week. They lost both.
Maryland had 14 offensive rebounds against the Seminoles. N.C. State had the same number two days later.
"You've got to rebound," senior forward Ryan Reid said. "Like Coach says, those possessions count. Every possession counts. If we're going to play good defense for 30 or 35 seconds or whatever and then let them get the ball again, it doesn't do us any good."
Virginia Tech had 13 offensive rebounds on Saturday night, but the Hokies had very little success putting the ball in the basket. Until a last-minute, three-point barrage, Virginia Tech had just 49 points against the FSU defense.
There is a stark difference though between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, who the Seminoles host on Sunday afternoon.
Unlike the Hokies, if the Yellow Jackets pull down an offensive rebound they're likely going to score very quickly. Many times with a layup or an emphatic dunk. From one of their future NBA draft picks.
"We can't let that happen," said sophomore forward Chris Singleton.
When the two teams met on Dec. 20, the Seminoles did a good job of keeping junior Gani Lawal and freshman Derrick Favors off the offensive glass. The two combined for just five offensive rebounds (four by Favors) as FSU won the battle of the boards 46-42. It also won the game.
The Seminoles will need a similar effort on Sunday if they're going to pull off the sweep of the No. 18 Yellow Jackets.
"Every game depends on rebounding," said Singleton, who leads the team with 7.6 per game. "It's something we know we have to get better at, especially for this game. Because they've got two or three guys that go really hard."
Lawal is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game and Favors is averaging 8.9.
Though Lawal only had four points and four rebounds against the Seminoles in the first meeting, he was still able to leave quite an impression on the FSU frontline.
"They go after it every time," said Reid, who had a career-high 17 points in the win over the Jackets in December. "Lawal is like some kind of animal, you know? He doesn't get tired. He just keeps going. So we've just got to keep up with them."
Favors, who is considered a lock as a lottery pick the moment he decides to enter his name into the NBA Draft, had eight points and 12 rebounds against the Seminoles.
"Those guys are high-energy guys," said sophomore center Solomon Alabi, who had nine points and 12 rebounds the first meeting. "The first game we did a good job of boxing them out. We're going to try to do the same thing, and do a lot better job of boxing them out."
If they do, then they will improve their chances of knocking off the Yellow Jackets again.
But as Hamilton points out, it doesn't guarantee it.
"Rebounding is important," he said. "That's what they excel in. They have such great athletes that normally they just pound you on the back line. So you have to at least be competitive with them on the boards."
Maybe it's too simple. Too black and white.
But it's a reality for the Florida State men's basketball team. At least early on in the ACC schedule.
If the Seminoles out-rebound their opponent, they win. If they don't, they lose.
See. Simple.
Or, according to head coach Leonard Hamilton, a pretty significant over-simplification.
"I'm not real sure there's a direct correlation to wins and losses," he said. "Controlling the boards is important, but there are a lot of different factors ? turnovers, free-throws, field-goal percentage.
"?When you evaluate all the ACC games and you see how many close games there are. And then you try to look at statistics to determine why one team wins more than another you would probably just confuse yourself."
With that said, he knows his team will have to do a better job of limiting opponents' second-chance opportunities. There's no confusion there.
Despite having a distinct height advantage against both teams, FSU was outrebounded by Maryland and N.C. State in back-to-back games last week. They lost both.
Maryland had 14 offensive rebounds against the Seminoles. N.C. State had the same number two days later.
"You've got to rebound," senior forward Ryan Reid said. "Like Coach says, those possessions count. Every possession counts. If we're going to play good defense for 30 or 35 seconds or whatever and then let them get the ball again, it doesn't do us any good."
Virginia Tech had 13 offensive rebounds on Saturday night, but the Hokies had very little success putting the ball in the basket. Until a last-minute, three-point barrage, Virginia Tech had just 49 points against the FSU defense.
There is a stark difference though between Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, who the Seminoles host on Sunday afternoon.
Unlike the Hokies, if the Yellow Jackets pull down an offensive rebound they're likely going to score very quickly. Many times with a layup or an emphatic dunk. From one of their future NBA draft picks.
"We can't let that happen," said sophomore forward Chris Singleton.
When the two teams met on Dec. 20, the Seminoles did a good job of keeping junior Gani Lawal and freshman Derrick Favors off the offensive glass. The two combined for just five offensive rebounds (four by Favors) as FSU won the battle of the boards 46-42. It also won the game.
The Seminoles will need a similar effort on Sunday if they're going to pull off the sweep of the No. 18 Yellow Jackets.
"Every game depends on rebounding," said Singleton, who leads the team with 7.6 per game. "It's something we know we have to get better at, especially for this game. Because they've got two or three guys that go really hard."
Lawal is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game and Favors is averaging 8.9.
Though Lawal only had four points and four rebounds against the Seminoles in the first meeting, he was still able to leave quite an impression on the FSU frontline.
"They go after it every time," said Reid, who had a career-high 17 points in the win over the Jackets in December. "Lawal is like some kind of animal, you know? He doesn't get tired. He just keeps going. So we've just got to keep up with them."
Favors, who is considered a lock as a lottery pick the moment he decides to enter his name into the NBA Draft, had eight points and 12 rebounds against the Seminoles.
"Those guys are high-energy guys," said sophomore center Solomon Alabi, who had nine points and 12 rebounds the first meeting. "The first game we did a good job of boxing them out. We're going to try to do the same thing, and do a lot better job of boxing them out."
If they do, then they will improve their chances of knocking off the Yellow Jackets again.
But as Hamilton points out, it doesn't guarantee it.
"Rebounding is important," he said. "That's what they excel in. They have such great athletes that normally they just pound you on the back line. So you have to at least be competitive with them on the boards."
