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- Malik Osborne has talked about playing any role the team needs, and right now it needs him to be cleaning up the boards. Against Western Carolina he had nine rebounds for the 2nd time in three games. It’s early, but right now his numbers are slightly better than what Mfiondu Kabengele provided last year. Osborne has grabbed 12.8% of the available offensive rebounds (compared to 11.5% for Kabengele), and 20.6% of the defensive boards (MK 19.9%).
- M.J. Walker scored 18 points which is his highest in 20 games. He made 3-6 3-pointers, and Florida State is now 13-0 in games in which Walker makes three or more 3s. He also went to the line seven times, which is the 2nd highest total of his career, and he continues his impressive early season ability to draw fouls. He’s now drawing 6.5/40 minutes, which is more than twice the rate of freshman and sophomore seasons.
- Freshman Patrick Williams was relatively quiet in the ‘Noles first two game, but in game three he carried FSU down the stretch. With Florida State trailing 70-68, Williams scored nine straight Seminole points to push FSU to the win. He also had two key boards in that stretch. For the night he scored a career high 18 points and was a perfect 7-7 from the line.
- Florida State had 14 turnovers, but it was a relatively high possession game (72) so the ‘Noles turned it over on slightly less than 20% of their possessions. In the preseason Coach Hamilton warned that this team would likely be turning the ball over at a higher rate that recent seasons, but so far they’ve done an okay job valuing possessions. FSU is No. 131 in the nation in turnover%, which would be the best in four years. There is obviously a lot of time for that to change.
- Florida State won 79-74 in a 72 possession game. It was the first time this year that the offense scored more than a point per possession, and the first time this year that the defense allowed more than a point per possession. The FSU defense was much better in the 2nd half, most notably limiting Western Carolina to just nine 3-point attempts, after allowing them to attempt 14 in the first half.