Colleges

Next season looks bright for Hamilton

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published March 23, 2006

Men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton purposely doesn't set an artificial timetable for the "process" of building a consistent, big-time winner.

But he goes into his fifth season in Tallahassee knowing and freely talking about one definite.

"As we look back on it," he said the day after the Seminoles ended their season with a 69-68 overtime loss to South Carolina in the second round of the NIT, "we realize we're making some progress. With the exception of one game, that being the North Carolina State game ... we've been right there."

The Wolfpack was the lone team to beat Florida State by more than nine points. The Seminoles lost at home to North Carolina 81-80, at Florida 74-66 after leading by 17 points early, at Boston College 90-87 and at Duke 97-96 in overtime. The latter three reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

"I do think our players have bought in and are playing with the spirit that it takes to keep moving our program forward," he said.

The next step for the Seminoles (20-10) has to be their first NCAA berth since 1998, and based on who's coming back and who's coming in, that should be expected.

Forward Al Thornton had a breakout junior season and earned second-team all-ACC honors.

Junior center Alexander Johnson emerged as one of the league's top big men, averaging nearly a double double the last half of the season. He had 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Gamecocks.

Sophomore guard Jason Rich improved his offense, and fellow sophomore guard Isaiah Swann, still not as tenacious defensively as he could and should be, can be a dazzling scorer.

Sophomore Toney Douglas, who transferred from Auburn and sat out the season in accordance with NCAA rules, will be eligible. Douglas made the SEC's all-freshman team after averaging a team-high 16.9 points and 5.3 rebounds.

FSU also welcomes three touted freshmen, 7-foot center Jon Kreft (Parkland Stoneman Douglas), dazzling point guard Josue Soto (Jacksonville Arlington Country Day) and sharpshooting guard Aaron Holmes (St. Petersburg Catholic) to join promising rising sophomores Uche Echefu and Casaan Breeden.

Top-25 talent aside, Hamilton saw another positive during the NIT in that his players, unlike some who felt snubbed by the NCAA Tournament, didn't mail it in. They played hard.

"That shows a tremendous sign of maturity," Hamilton said. "Yes, they were extremely disappointed, but that shows the kind of character that we've been able to develop on this team."

. . .AND STAYING THERE: You didn't need to see the tears streaking down the cheeks of the women's basketball team to sense the players' disappointment after Monday's loss to Stanford in the NCAA Tournament second round.

And that was a good thing.

"Last year, I think there was a satisfaction in being there," coach Sue Semrau said of the 2005 NCAA appearance that also ended in the second round. "This year, there was a genuine disappointment in not going on."

The expectation to reach that stage then win on it is usually a sign of a program that is blossoming, not content with being a one- or two-hit wonder.

Although FSU (20-10) loses key seniors Holly Johnson, Ganiyat Adeduntan and LaQuinta Neely, it returns junior forward Alicia Gladden, the leading scorer (13.1 points) and rebounder (6.4) and a third-team all-ACC pick, as well as center Britany Miller (10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds), an all-freshman ACC selection and the lone player to start every game.

Sophomore center Nikki Anthony, in her first season not trying to play volleyball and basketball, can be powerful inside. She had eight rebounds against Stanford. Freshmen guards Tanae Davis-Cain and Mara Freshour had their moments.

Then there's sophomore point guard Shante Williams, who returned this season after taking a year off when she had a baby. She scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting against Stanford.

"Shante really showed who she can be and who she wants to be," Semrau said. "You look at all those things, and it puts us in a good position for the future. That's how you want to finish up a season and you look at the next one."

Brian Landman covers Florida State athletics. Reach him at 813 226-3347 or landman@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 23, 2006, 02:30:12]