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Guard exits star, pioneer

Immediately after Florida State's upset win at Maryland last season, Delvon Arrington leapt onto the press row table to celebrate.

"I think everybody remembers that part, but hopefully, everyone understood," said Arrington, who had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. "They were a great team and it was a great accomplishment."

It was his shining moment last season, and it remains one of the brightest in a career that perhaps will be judged by team wins and not enough by individual success.

Arrington, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard, has been his team's unquestioned, unflappable, unselfish leader. He is the all-time FSU assist leader (667) and is second in steals (219), and this season he became the fifth player in ACC history with at least 1,000 points, 600 assists and 200 steals.

The others were Duke's Bobby Hurley, North Carolina State's Chris Corchiani and Sidney Lowe and Georgia Tech's Travis Best. Had the Seminoles won more often, Arrington might be mentioned more routinely among the nation's best.

"When you step back and look at the things he's been able to accomplish during his career, it's really something," said FSU coach Steve Robinson, whose team hosts No. 2 Maryland tonight. "It's Delvon's work ethic that has helped him get to this point as a basketball player."

He has shown that just as impressively off the court, too. Arrington, 23, entered FSU in 1997 as a partial academic qualifier and had to sit out a year. He could regain that lost year only if he graduated with his class, something no partial qualifier had done in the league.

He did, earning his degree in sports management in August.

"He's a pioneer," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Being the first one, he sets an example for other kids who may come into the league and have to follow a similar route that it can be done and, not only that, you can be at your best in that fifth year. He's had a really good year."

ODD WEEK: The baseball team, No. 1 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN coaches poll, won't get any rest this week. After the Seminoles complete a two-game series tonight against Western Carolina, they host Siena on Thursday, travel to Gainesville to face No. 6 Florida on Friday and Saturday and return home to meet the Gators again Sunday. What, no second game with UF at home as usual?

"With Florida playing Miami and Florida State, it covered up four weekends in February, and with the 10 weekends they have to play in play in conference, that makes for a pretty rough situation," FSU coach Mike Martin said. "That was the reason the schedule was reduced. I'm not critical of the decision, I'm just disappointed. But I must say, I probably would have done the same thing."

Next season, FSU hosts UF twice and plays one game there. UF plays Miami once on the road and twice at home, the opposite of this season's schedule.

HOT HAND: Sophomore pitcher Jessica van der Linden certainly earned her ACC co-softball player of the week award. She pitched her first career perfect game and allowed no earned runs in 20 innings in three games last weekend at the New Mexico State Tournament.

She also hit .471 while playing centerfield.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE: Women's swimming and diving star Chelsie Lerew, a sophomore from Lake Highland Prep, was named ACC diver of the year for the second straight year. She won the league championship in the 3-meter and was third in the 1-meter competition last week at Maryland.

END OF THE ROAD: Sophomore fullback Randy Golightly, who missed most of last season with an Achilles' tendon injury, will not participate in spring practice. The injury might prove career-ending.

-- Brian Landman covers Florida State athletics. He can be reached at landman@sptimes.com or at (813) 226-3347.

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