Forrest’s surge could fuel FSU in round 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Before suffering an injury that kept sidelined him for roughly seven weeks during the preseason, Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton says sophomore guard Trent Forrest may have been his best player.
If Forrest’s performance in FSU’s NCAA Tournament victory over Missouri late Friday night is any indication, Forrest may be coming into his own at the most ideal time for the Seminoles.
Forrest pushed the pace, set the tone and engaged his teammates, finishing with eight points, six rebounds and eight assists during No. 9 seed FSU’s 67-54 win over No. 8 seed Missouri at Bridgestone Arena.
FSU hopes Forrest can continue being a catalyst in tonight’s rematch in the second round against No. 1 seed Xavier, which ended the Seminoles’ season with a 25-point blowout a year ago.
“He makes great decisions with the ball — there’s no doubt about that,” Hamilton said of Forrest. “He very seldom ever makes a mistake, and plays with emotion our guys rely on. He’s consistent, but we win games by committee.”
FSU opened leads of at least 20 points in the first and second half against Missouri, sparked by Forrest with hearty contributions from players like senior forward Phil Cofer, freshman forward Mfiondu Kabengele, senior guard Braian Angola and junior forward P.J. Savoy.
The Seminoles will need to continue playing with the same approach if leading scorer Terance Mann, who injured his groin twice during the Missouri game, is unable to play against Xavier.
Hamilton said Saturday he did not expect Mann to play, but also did not want to declare Mann out of the game before practice. FSU’s late start time, expected to be around 8:40 p.m., could also help Mann’s case.
“I don’t expect him to play, unless the doctor comes and tells me something different. But we have to wait and see,” Hamilton said of Mann. “I don’t have anything officially I can tell you other than that he had been bothered by that prior to coming to the tournament.”
With or without their most experienced player, the Seminoles will rely on Forrest to provide a calming presence while playing with a tenacious demeanor on the court.
Forrest suffered a bone bruise and hyperextension of his left knee in October, causing him to play with slight apprehension for much of this season.
It was not until midway through ACC play that Forrest started to feel back at 100 percent. He has scored in double figures for FSU in five of his last seven games, averaging 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists during that stretch for the Seminoles.
Forrest takes pride in his friendships with his teammate that has translated into him finding them in their favorite spots on the court as an ideal floor general for the Seminoles.
“I’d say the relationships I have with everybody on the team — they trust me and I trust them,” Forrest said when asked about a key part of his success.
“When I’m able to get out and just find my teammates— and I enjoy doing that — it gets them easy shots. I know if I’m able to find them, they’ll be able to do a lot for this team.”
Last season, Xavier ended FSU’s historic campaign, as the Seminoles finished one win shy of tying the school record.
Xavier’s players believe FSU will be playing with revenge in mind, while the Seminoles insist they simply have their minds on reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011.