With FSU’s roster dominated by sophomores and juniors, only contains two scholarship seniors have careers that have come to a close. It’s likely Chris Singleton has played his last game in garnet and gold, but it’s not official yet, and this post is about the seniors.
First up is Derwin Kitchen. The much travelled PG first played in 2008-09 after transferring in from Iowa Western C.C. He participated in the NCAA Tournament in all three of his seasons. His offensive rating improved each year (98.4, 102.7, 114.1) and he was FSU’s best offensive player in 2010-11, and he also played more minutes than any other player this season. His ball handling and leadership will be difficult to replace next year. He appeared in 91 games over three seasons, and was one of the best rebounding guards in FSU history, averaging 5.1 for his career. His 12 rebounds in his final game led to his 4th career double-double. He leaves FSU ranked 14th all time in assists, 16th in steals, and 18th in games started.
Senior AJ Yawn isn’t well known by most casual fans, but his loss is much more significant that the typical player who notches only 16 minutes in his career. Yawn is one of the team leaders, is the most popular player on the team, and is responsible for getting everyone pumped up before each game. He scored 2 points at FSU, both on free throws. He attempted to walk-on at FSU for three consecutive seasons before he finally succeeded. In 2006 he developed a case of food poisoning which hospitalized him for three weeks immediately prior to try-outs, then he suffered broken ankles prior to the next two seasons of try-outs. Once he finally got the opportunity, he made the team, and then earned a full scholarship for his senior season. Yawn, who will be leaving with his masters degree, is a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army, and will report to
Walk-on Andrew Rutledge is the final senior. Rutledge appeared in 8 games, and scored 5 points, including a three-pointer against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament.