F Terance Mann leads FSU to season-opening win
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State men’s basketball team may often be reminded about playing for the first time in three years without a clear-cut NBA prospect during the 2017-18 campaign.
But if forward Terance Mann can sustain his season-opening performance over the course of his junior year, the conversation topic may change for the Seminoles.
Mann made his first seven shots, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds as Florida State (1-0) extended the nation’s fifth longest home-winning streak to 22 games with an 87-67 win over Georgia Washington University at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Tuesday night.
FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton, entering his 16th season with the program, will continue to harp about his team’s necessity to win by committee after the departures of NBA rookies in Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, Hornets guard Dwayne Bacon, and Knicks G-League guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
But the Seminoles believe, with time, their developing group of players taking on substantial roles can make some noise in the ACC this season despite being projected to finish eighth among 15 teams.
“There’s no doubt his role is going to be different,” Hamilton said of Mann. “He was attacking the basket. He also has improved his perimeter shooting … what we need from him and our entire team is to be consistent with the execution.
FSU used tenacious defense to speed up the pace and score in bunches against GW, making 12 of its first 17 shots, finishing 55.9 percent from the field, with 52 points in the paint. The Seminoles also forced 19 turnovers.
“They’re length and athleticism, you can’t replicate with walk-ons in practice. It’s something you have to face,” George Washington coach Maurice Joseph said.
The recipe for success was similar to a season ago where the Seminoles went undefeated in all 18 home games and extending a home-winning streak that began against Notre Dame in Feb. 27, 2016.
The home success led to a second-place finish behind North Carolina in the ACC standings last season and the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in five years under Hamilton.
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