Sleeping with the Enemy: The Seminoles of Florida State

Your Fighting Hoyas of Georgetown head to scenic Tallahassee to take on Florida State and as usual we here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are bringing you everything you need to know about Georgetown's next opponent. Here to shed insight on all things Seminoles are our buddies at Tomahawk Nation, the trusted source for all of your FSU needs on the internet. Casual answers to Seminole questions can be found right HERE. Let's do this!

NIT Sweet Sixteen! Are you at least somewhat excited for this game?

I'm stoked. Depending on which writers you think are smart FSU was either picked to finish 9th in the ACC (the CBS panel), 10th (me), or 14th (Ken Pomeroy), so my expectations were very low. And those predictions were made prior to losing Kiel Turpin (our starting center) for the entire season to a knee injury, and our best recruit (Xavier Rathan-Mayes) due to him attending a fake high school as a sophomore. More basketball is always a good thing.

However, when the camera pans to the crowd, you'll see that not many share my enthusiasm. FSU fans are remarkably spoiled. We won the ACC two years ago and were outdrawn by the last place SEC Team, so an NIT appearance isn't going to go for more than 3,000 fans and that's with the school giving away seats to the first 1,000 students.


Who are a few of the Noles that Georgetown needs to be aware of? Who are the keys to Seminole success?

Our most important player is PG Ian Miller, so of course he's doubtful for the game with turf toe. When possessions go sour, he's the guy you give the ball to and have everyone get out of his way. He also runs the best one-on-three break you'll see. SG Aaron Thomas is the leading scorer and our best perimeter defender. With Miller out in the first round Coach Ham never even thought about subbing for Thomas. He's a scorer who plays angry and is the most likely to put someone on a poster. The third player is senior Okaro White. He's an undersized 4 who in constantly in foul trouble, but is FSU's best interior player and best rebounder. He also likes to hit his head on the rim.


The Seminoles seemed to be on the edge of becoming a legitimate perennial contender in the ACC but have fallen off of late. What do you attribute this to?

The ACC title team from two years ago had six seniors. Last year's team had seven guys who had never played a Division I game, which is a big difference. This year's team is growing up, but with only nine scholarship players (8 when Miller has been injured) there's just no depth or room for error. I expect FSU to be back in the NCAA tourney next season.


Is Leonard Hamilton the answer for the head gig at FSU? Who would you like to see as the next head coach?

He's absolutely the answer. FSU's facilities are so bad that the arena isn't even part of the tour on official visits. FSU doesn't have the support staff of a Division I college, and our old AD didn't bother attending games. FSU pours everything into football and leaves the basketball team with a mid-major budget. Yet since the ACC expanded in 2005 the Noles have more ACC wins than any teams but Duke or North Carolina.

As for who replaces Ham, it hardly matters. We can't afford coaches like Buzz Williams, and were we to land some young guy who found success, then he'd just leave FSU for greener pastures. That means identifying someone like Ham (like Miami did with Coach Larranaga) who is old and doesn't mind competing against a bunch of teams who recruit in private jets and stay in 5* hotels.


How do you feel about the new ACC? Obviously the hoops are better, but as a football stalwart are you concerned that schools like Syracuse are going to ruin the prestige of the Conference as a whole? Do you see FSU in the ACC 5 years from now?

I'm not sure that the ACC has any football prestige that Syracuse could ruin. Yes, they're terrible, but so are a lot of ACC teams. Louisville and Pitt are good additions. FSU football has the luxury of a program that is funded at an SEC level (since Jimbo Fisher was named head coach) but plays in a 2nd tier conference.

From a basketball perspective, the ACC is a terrible fit for FSU. The basketball arms race is just beginning to really take off, and FSU has no interest in competing. The new AD is a basketball guy, and he's talking the talk, but until something happens I'm not jumping on that train. Before Ham took over it was a great achievement to make the NIT, and when he retires I have a sinking feeling that we'll be right back to what it was before he resurrected the program.


Which NFL player do you compare Jameis Winston to?

Jameis is a special kid, not just because of his physical talent but also because he is such a natural, charismatic leader. So that aspect makes him unique and difficult to quantify. But from a purely physical standpoint, I'll say Aaron Rodgers. Winston, like Rodgers, is not a true "running QB, though both can pick up first downs on the ground." Neither will run a 4.5 and both would prefer to make a play with their arm than their legs. That said, Jamies, like Rodgers is agile and quick enough that he can use his feet to extend plays inside and outside the pocket--all while keeping his head down field and scanning for the big play. Also like Rodgers, Jameis is accurate--both from the pocket and on the run--and usually puts the ball in a place for the receiver to make a play after the catch. Unfortunately, like Rodgers, Winston also has supreme confidence in his arm and will sometimes force a throw into a tight window that ends up getting picked.


If I have one night in Tallahassee, where am I eating and where am I partying?

College kid - Eat at Gordos on Pensacola. It's great, cheap Cuban food and you get a nice portion. The service is not quick, but with the amount of talent you usually see there, and sports on the TV, you aren't in a hurry anyway. After dinner, start off by heading over to Potbelly's and just be amazed by the scenery. Eventually, you make your way down to the strip and go into Yannis if you like dancing or Poor Pauls if you like drinking and darts. (Food alternative if Cuban isn't your thing, Monk's--best burger in town).

Working Adult - Head over to Marie Livingston's for the best steak in town. Then make your way over to midtown where you can hop around from Wine Loft, Tap Room, Midtown Filling Station, and Finnegans Wake, enjoying a nice beer selection, live music, and plenty of 25-35 year olds to introduce yourself to. (Food alternative to a steak house, Kool Beanz--excellent food, great variety, and walking distance to all the midtown bars).


That Jen Sterger chick has had her 15 minutes of fame evaporate. Putting her aside, what percentage of chicks at FSU look like her? Is FSU really the greatest party school ever?

Fun is allowed at FSU, and the coeds have great personalities, and by chance my nephew is starting there next year and his mother is likely reading this. Every few weeks students find time to go out, especially to celebrate their latest A+ on a test.


Who is FSU's all-time starting 5?

Dave Cowens, Sam Cassell, Bob Sura, Al Thornton, and Toney Douglas.


Final score prediction?

If Miller can contribute 20+ solid minutes, I really like FSU's chances. But I'm not expecting much (if anything) from him, which leaves us with 8 scholarship players - one a freshman not really ready to compete, and one a sophomore who played a total of 18 organized games before entering college. In that case I think Georgetown should advance to face Louisiana Tech in the 3rd round.