NCAA Basketball: Loaded field for the 2018 AdvoCare Invitational
Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles went from an eighth-place finish to the Elite Eight, knocking off No. 1 Xavier and No. 4 Gonzaga before falling to national runner-up Michigan, 58-54, in this past year’s NCAA Tournament.
Leonard Hamilton got good news last month when leading scorer Phil Cofer (12.8) was granted an extra year of eligibility after he missed a majority of the 2015-16 season. Last season, 10 Seminoles averaged over 10 minutes per contest, and eight of them return. For a team that averaged 80 points per game, that can be nothing but good news. Cofer and swingman Terance Mann (12.6) are the only double-digit scorers returning, but their depth is where the Seminoles wear teams down, as six others averaged over six points per game.
Not only are they deep but the Seminoles have a chance to be even deeper with the additions of forwards Wyatt Wilkes and Raiquan Gray as well as guard Anthony Polite. The trio saw action in a total of seven games last season. If that wasn’t enough, Hamilton landed David Nichols, a grad transfer from Albany who averaged over 14 points this past season.
LSU Tigers
The Tigers finished just 18-15 with an 8-10 conference record last season. Their season ended with a 2nd round loss to Utah in the NIT.
What does coach Will Wade do to improve the Tigers’ roster that returns only one impact senior?, According to 247 Sports, you land the 3rd best-recruiting class in the country. Wade landed a seven-player class headlined by two five-star power forwards Nazreon Reid and Emmitt Williams. Joining them are a pair of four-star recruits in forward Darius Days and guard Ja’Vonte Smart. 6-foot-6 shooting guard Marlon Taylor out of Texas rounds out the class.
Currently on the roster, let’s not forget the returns of double-digit scorers Tremont Waters and Skylar Mays, who together scored 27 of the team’s 78 points per game last season.