ACC Basketball: Analyzing each team’s overall offense for 2020-21 season

Florida State Seminoles

2019-20: 73.7 ppg in ACC play

One of the by-products of having skilled and experienced players in having the ability to win your conferences regular-season championship. Such was the case for the 16-4 Florida State Seminoles. Unfortunately for Coach Leonard Hamilton, a by-product of having experienced players is that they graduate, and a by-product of having skilled players is that they declare early for the NBA Draft. Entering the 2020-21 season, the Seminoles will be doing so without their two leading scorers who made up two-thirds of their three-guard set.

The decision by Devin Vassell to forgo his final two years at Florida State will leave a greater hole than just the 12.7 points he averaged per game. Not only did Vassell’s over one steal per game create offense on the defensive end, but he was great at finishing fast breaks with high-quality shots. Yet, he was able to get to the basket for a dunk off the skip pass if the defense did not rotate quickly enough. A lot of those clear lanes were created by the dribble penetration of point- guard Trent Forrest (11.6 ppg).

As point guard, Forrest would swing to shooter MJ Walker who will be returning to set-up on the wing, then Forrest would face cut through the key, or receive an up-screen in order to get the ball in the slot on the perimeter. The graduation of Forrest as left the Seminoles with no true point guard which could very well lead Coach Hamilton to put No. 5 on the RSCI, freshman Scottie Barnes, who is everything that is advertised at the point.

Barnes and starting center Malik Osborne (6 ppg) will be a formidable duo to stop on the pick’n’roll. JUCO transfer Sardaar Calhoun will be able to provide shooting opposite shooting guard MJ Walker as they utilize strong side cuts through the key to create dribbling space as they set up in the corner for a kick-out three.