Florida State men?s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton stressed one key to the Seminoles? success this season will be identifying an effective and productive player rotation.
Judging by Saturday?s season-opening victory over Manhattan, expect the team?s younger players to have a key role in that process.
Freshmen Robbie Berwick, Dayshawn Watkins and Phil Cofer and sophomore Jarquez Smith combined for 31 points and 16 rebounds in FSU?s 81-66 win over the Jaspers at the Tucker Center.
The quartet was also on the floor when the Seminoles erased an early 10-point deficit and helped fuel a 24-8 closing run to end the first half against a Manhattan team that played in the NCAA Tourney last season.
And, with the expected return of freshman Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who missed the opener to unspecified reasons, Hamilton appears to have a number of viable options for Tuesday night?s home game against Northeastern. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
?The success of this team this year will be in direct proportion to how much we are able to develop a rotation that will be able to perform at an efficient level when some of the guys are not playing well, or are in foul trouble, or you have an injury or illness,? Hamilton said.
?(Saturday) our guys exceeded some of my expectations. I thought Robbie and Dayshawn played a lot better than they?ve practiced?Their ability to come into the game and be calm and execute the things we had in our game plan said an awful lot about them.?
Smith also displayed his strengths in his first career start.
Known for his athleticism around the basket, the Georgia native scored six of his career-high 13 points during the Seminoles? surge late in the first half.
A highlight of that run was Smith?s thunderous dunk off a Devon Bookert assist, igniting the crowd of 6,271.
?Mostly what I am pleased with was when I was with the younger group, we were able to bring the energy back,? said Smith, who also made 9 of 11 free throws.
?That was mainly what the focus was the entire game, to keep our energy up.?
Judging by Saturday?s season-opening victory over Manhattan, expect the team?s younger players to have a key role in that process.
Freshmen Robbie Berwick, Dayshawn Watkins and Phil Cofer and sophomore Jarquez Smith combined for 31 points and 16 rebounds in FSU?s 81-66 win over the Jaspers at the Tucker Center.
The quartet was also on the floor when the Seminoles erased an early 10-point deficit and helped fuel a 24-8 closing run to end the first half against a Manhattan team that played in the NCAA Tourney last season.
And, with the expected return of freshman Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who missed the opener to unspecified reasons, Hamilton appears to have a number of viable options for Tuesday night?s home game against Northeastern. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
?The success of this team this year will be in direct proportion to how much we are able to develop a rotation that will be able to perform at an efficient level when some of the guys are not playing well, or are in foul trouble, or you have an injury or illness,? Hamilton said.
?(Saturday) our guys exceeded some of my expectations. I thought Robbie and Dayshawn played a lot better than they?ve practiced?Their ability to come into the game and be calm and execute the things we had in our game plan said an awful lot about them.?
Smith also displayed his strengths in his first career start.
Known for his athleticism around the basket, the Georgia native scored six of his career-high 13 points during the Seminoles? surge late in the first half.
A highlight of that run was Smith?s thunderous dunk off a Devon Bookert assist, igniting the crowd of 6,271.
?Mostly what I am pleased with was when I was with the younger group, we were able to bring the energy back,? said Smith, who also made 9 of 11 free throws.
?That was mainly what the focus was the entire game, to keep our energy up.?
