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

Key Questions and Prediction

1. Can Trent Forest elevate his game as the starting PG?

Forrest might be the X-factor for Florida State and his play could determine the Seminoles’ fate. As mentioned in the Starters section, Forrest really came on strong during Florida State’s postseason push and if he can replicate that performance they will be a top ten team. The Seminoles could have an elite defense and Forrest would be a major contributing factor. He should also make a jump offensively and eclipse the double-figure scoring plateau while remaining a strong facilitator.

2. Who replaces the departed rotation players?

CJ Walker should be replaced by David Nichols and an increased role from Forrest. Nichols fits the same mold as Walker since both players can hit shots and provide that scoring pop. I would think Nichols plays closer to 13-15 minutes rather than Walker’s 23 minutes, but that role and production should be replaced.

Obiagu doesn’t have a one for one replacement, but Kabengele should take his minutes and see a bigger role. While not the rim protector that Obiagu was, Kabengele is leaps and bounds better offensively. Koumadje provides ample rim protection and could even see a slight bump in playing time.

Angola-Rodas might be the biggest loss as his shot making, defense, and secondary creator skills were all extremely valuable. MJ Walker and PJ Savoy will be tasked with filling this void. Offensively this should not be a problem, but the two returners will have to improve their defense to match Angola-Rodas’ impact on that end of the floor.

3. Can the Seminoles jump from a 8/9 seed to a top 15 team?

The Seminoles have great PG play (Forrest), two excellent seniors (Cofer and Mann), a deep veteran-laden bench, and a quality frontcourt. This roster is not only talented but also fits extremely well and has few (if any) holes in terms of skill set and position. Multiple Florida State players are poised for breakthrough seasons as they step into starting roles which should more than make up for the departures. This leads me to believe that Florida State can jump into the Top 15.

I have the Seminoles finishing 4th in the ACC and 10th in the country. This would make Florida State a three seed in the NCAA Tournament which is an aggressive prediction, but given their returning talent and potential breakout players, it is not unrealistic.