ChantRant

Snaer's 3 at the buzzer clocks Duke

by Bill from Tampa

Obviously Florida State wanted to end the game right then and there. The Seminoles seemed determined that there was not going to be an overtime.

Just four plus seconds remained on the clock.

Luke Loucks pushed ball up the floor. Bernard James set the pick allowing Loucks to easily get past the defense. Loucks then found Michael Snaer who calmly stroked the the three ball from the right wing. And as the buzzer sounded, the ball found the bottom of the net.

Pandemonium erupted on the Seminole bench with players rushing the floor swamping Snaer. Leonard Hamilton simply nodded his approval as his team had just knocked off the fourth ranked team in the country, 76-73, ending a 45 game home winning streak for the Blue Devils. In addition, Duke had not lost to an unranked opponent since 2007.

Well, that might just change for the Seminoles who in the span of a week went 3-0 and demolished the Tar Heels by thirty three points. At the very least it is a certainty that the 'Noles will pick up more than one vote under the Others Receiving Votes column as they did in last week's poll.

Clemson, new Daddy Warbucks of the ACC

Think coaches salaries are getting out of hand? Clemson is just getting started. Word is that the big orange paw will be writing a check for $800,000 a year to new D.C. Brent Venables, who just jumped off the Sooner wagon. That's on top of Chad Morris hitting the jackpot for $1.3 million -- annually for six years. Whew, two coordinators raking in over $2-mil combined. By comparison, Mark Stoops recent raise brings him to $575,000.

Looks like Clemson's coaching payroll will outstrip FSU's as the biggest in the ACC and one of the richest in all of Div. 1. Morris alone is now the nation's highest paid assistant, taking sole possession of the title since Gus Malzahn chose relative obscurity at Arkansas State.

Clemson can afford to up the ante because of increased revenue from the new TV contract, and because of the millions in reserve in its IPTAY program. The Clemson booster group has been around since 1934 (IPTAY originally meant "I Pay Ten A Year") and raises enough dough that it can even chip in $1.25 million for non-atheletic scholarships.

Clearly Dabo Swinney can spend like there's no tomorrow because Clemson fans give like there's no bigger priority than Tiger football.

In the last 3 games the Noles have outscored ACC opponents 250 to 200

Noles muscle past Maryland, 84-70

by Bill from Tampa

After the thirty three point pasting of North Carolina on Saturday, the question was how would Florida State come out and play against Maryland particularly on offense?

That question was answered with another very solid offensive game, beating the Terrapins 84-70 on Tuesday night.

Perhaps the Seminoles have finally found their offensive stride as FSUused a variety of ways to score. The 'Noles were very efficient in the half court scoring 42 points in the paint, 17 from offensive put backs, and 11 fast break points. The defense kicked in as usual with 19 off of 15 Maryland turnovers.

That efficient offense was reflected in the 48% shooting from the floor. Add to that a stellar 20 of 23 from the free throw line. Screening to open up shooters or lanes to the rim was especially well executed.

Defensively it was not quite the gem the UNC game was. Maryland became just the third team in well over one hundred games to shoot 50%. However, several baskets were scored near the end of the game when the outcome had long since been settled making the final score look closer than it actually was.

Offensive line prospect Menelik Watson "will be in the NFL in 2 or 3 years"

FSU is obviously going after bigger offensive linemen in this year's recruiting class. And they don't come much bigger than Menelik Watson from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. But will his raw inexperience outweigh his intimidating size (6 ft. 7, 310 lbs.)?

Waston, who's from England, has played just one year of football. But Don Butcher, Director of Football Operations at Saddleback, told us he believes Menelik is ready for the big time. Here's how our conversation went.

How raw is Menelik?

"He just learned to play last year. In August we were teaching him stance."

But is he a fast learner?

"Yes, he is."

And you think he's ready for Div. 1 football?

"Yes. He's 6 foot 7, 310 pounds and runs 4.72. He'll be in the NFL in two or three years."

Can you confirm that he took a recruiting trip to FSU last weekend?

"Yes."

Has he made up his mind where he wants to go?

"Not as far as I know. I won't know until the end of the week."

Of FSU's Top 5 Plays of 2011, only two were by the Noles offense

Exciting to watch and gets you pumped for 2012. But interesting that out of the five highlights, two were by the defense and one by special teams: Greg Reid's punt return against Miami. Oh, and those two offensive highlights? Both by the same player, a true freshman.

High above the action in the Seminoles biggest homecourt win in recent memory

The town and campus turned out for this mid-winter thriller as Leonard Hamilton's team put together a nearly perfect game, pulling a massive and memorable upset against no. 3 North Carolina. Captured here by photographer Chris Holder.

Seminoles hand Heels their worst loss during the Roy Williams era

by Bill from Tampa

The game between Florida State and North Carolina was to feature a top defense in the country and a prolific offense.

Little did anyone expect that both aspects would be combined into one team.

If you had asked most people, they probably would have said Carolina's offense that averages 87 ppg would put up 90 points and FSU whose offense has struggled much of the season would have 57. Instead it was the other way around, much to the pleasure of the Seminole fans packed into the Tucker Center who witnessed a 90-57 pasting of the Tar Heels.

Defensively the 'Noles were their usual selves, holding the Tar Heels to just 37% from the floor and forcing them into a whopping 22 turnovers.

UNC helped FSU's cause as well by shooting a miserable 9-20 from the free throw line. The Tar Heels had not been tested on the road in 42 days and it showed. North Carolina never got in its usual offensive rhythm, thanks in no small part to the Seminole defense that only allowed a handful of quick transition run out baskets UNC is known for. In fact, UNC had just 4 fast break points in the game.

Also known as a team to get a lot of offensive rebounds, North Carolina collected its share with 14 but could only manage 11 second chance points, primarily due to the FSU frontcourt that was unwilling to give up any cheap points.

Seminoles stomp Heels, 90-57

Today, 3-point magic replaced ugly turnovers as the Noles lived up to their Jekyll & Hyde personality. Almost as exciting was the final buzzer when a full house swarmed over the court, captured in the video above by Chris Holder. Stay tuned for a game wrap up by Bill from Tampa.

Kevin Steele may be out at Clemson but his influence at FSU had a lasting impact

Since Kevin Steele's reputation took such a hit after Clemson's Orange Bowl beat down, it's interesting to look back at the impression he left from his time at FSU. At least in the case of one guy who knew him well. Buster Davis is a former Nole who says he owes a lot to Steele -- including coaching tips. Davis just signed on as head coach at a new school in Jacksonville. In an interview featured on our sister site Garnet and Great, Davis told us:

"I was fortunate enough to have a coach like Kevin Steele to come and raise me, pretty much, those four years I was in school. He had a dramatic impact on my life, on and off the field. And that propelled me to be successful there and also in the NFL...I remember the first day I met him. I had a meeting with him, and I had missed a class. And he ran me for that, something that happened when he wasn't even there (yet). So he pretty much taught me how to be a professional in college…on the field, how to think like a pro, how to practice like a pro. Off the field, how to watch film...what to look for. Taking notes. And then also, in the classroom. Being on time. I think that had the biggest impact on us -- time management. I think a lot of guys in college forget about that. But it's a lesson that goes with you throughout life. Well, time management was an issue for me, so he ran me a couple of times. That's one of the things I learned from him that filters down to the guys I coach now."