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Florida State Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Seminoles

By Brad Cavallaro

GAINESVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 04: Terance Mann
GAINESVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 04: Terance Mann /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 24: M.J. Walker #23 of the Florida State Seminoles reacts against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional Final at Staples Center on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 24: M.J. Walker #23 of the Florida State Seminoles reacts against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional Final at Staples Center on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Starters

Point Guard – Trent Forrest, Junior

Forrest split the PG position with CJ Walker last season but still played over 25 minutes per game. He has great size for a lead guard at 6’5” which makes him an extremely versatile and disruptive defender. Forrest stuffed the stat sheet as a sophomore averaging 7.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, and 1.6 spg. His main weakness is his long-range shooting since he has shot 4-22 from three in his Seminole career. Even with this major deficiency in his skill set, Forrest is an excellent player who is being overlooked nationally. Over his last ten games last season, he averaged 12.6 ppg and 5.1 apg and is poised to take a major step forward in his third season.

Shooting Guard – MJ Walker, Sophomore

Despite being ranked as a 5-star prospect, Walker played a relatively limited role as a freshman. The 6’5” wing averaged 7.0 ppg and played just under 19 minutes per contest while mostly being used as a shooter. Unlike Forrest, Walker saw his role shrink in postseason play as he only averaged 2.5 ppg and 13.3 minutes per game in the NCAA Tournament.

However this season, Walker should see an expanded role with much more offensive responsibility where he will be relied upon to create more often. He is an ideal candidate to make a sophomore jump and he will appear on almost every breakout player list.

Small Forward – Terance Mann, Senior

Terance Mann has been a staple in the Florida State lineup for the past few seasons. He was the lone returning starter last season as Jonathan Isaac, Xavier Rathan Mayes, and Dwayne Bacon all left school early. The 6’6” senior is long and athletic and can both defend and attack the basket at a high level. He took a step forward as a junior and averaged 12.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 2.6 apg and should put up similar numbers this season. His shooting (25% from three) is concerning, but his positive attributes more than make up for it.

Power Forward – Phil Cofer, Senior

Cofer was awarded an additional year of eligibility which could make the difference between solely making the Tournament and making another deep run. He can play the four and the five and is so valuable because of his ability to play inside and out. Cofer averaged a team-leading 12.8 ppg and hit 48 threes at a 38% clip which adds some much-needed shooting to this lineup. This versatility on both sides of the ball is so crucial and makes Florida State super dangerous.

Center – Mfiondu Kabengele, Sophomore

Christ Koumadje was the nominal starter last season and could retain that role this season, but Kabengele is the better player and should play more minutes. Kabengele is a mobile and athletic five man who plays with great energy and can score inside. He is extremely long and has also flashed an ability to stretch the floor. Hopefully, he will be able to show off his promising skill set with more minutes as a sophomore. Last season, he averaged 7.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and shot 39% from three, but could easily average double figures this season.

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