2006 Florida State Seminoles Basketball Preview

2006 Florida State Seminoles Basketball Predictions

This team showed a lot of improvement last season, winning 20 games for the first time in almost a decade and posting a 9- 7 ACC mark. Despite their strong showing, which included a 79- 74 upset over Duke, they did not get an NCAA invitation, which coach Leonard Hamilton thought they deserved. Can Florida continue their winning ways, especially with the early loss of center Alexander Johnson (13.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG) to the NBA?

In the backcourt, this is an undersized team. Look for junior Isaiah Swann (8.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 44.2 FG%, 65.4 FT%) to provide solid leadership on one wing and hopefully develop some defensive chops, while Jason Rich (10.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 46.8 FG%, 73.7 FT%), on the other wing, will offer consistent scoring from the outside and mid-range. The third guard, playing point, will be Auburn transfer Toney Douglas. He has great court vision and is able at ball distribution. Douglas also has the potential to score in bunches.

In the frontcourt, 6’ 9” and 220-pound sophomore Uche Echefu (2.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.2 APG, 44.8 FG%, 54.5 FT%) is expected to start. The Seminoles will be looking for the lanky, athletic Echefu to make a major developmental leap in 2006, while senior Al Thornton (16.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 51.8 FG%, 74.4 FT%) must excel at the other forward position. Freshman Ryan Reid, who stands 6’ 8” and weighs in at 215 pounds, will see major playing time.

Coach Hamilton isn’t going to cry over last season’s snub by the NCAA. Instead, he and his team will work hard to prove the selection committee wrong. The Noles have less up front than last season, which means more defense from the guards. In his four seasons as the Seminoles head coach, Hamilton’s compiled a 65- 58 record, which includes an impressive .731 home winning percentage.

This is a tough team to figure out. They could perform as well or better than last season, especially if Thornton and Echefu can turn it up a notch this year.

If you want more info on the 2006 Florida State Seminoles College basketball team check out the NCAA's official basketball team page of the program or check out some rival previews from Maddux Sports of schools like the Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Tech Hokies.