Florida State should be No. 1 in the nation
Many pundits assumed the nation's No. 1 team would come out of the ACC this season, but few thought it would be a school that doesn't reside in North Carolina.
Duke and North Carolina were ranked No. 1 and No. 6 in the preseason AP Poll, but it's Florida State that has emerged as the conference, and country's best team.
The Seminoles' defeat over No. 12 Louisville on Saturday marked the sixth straight game against a top-25 opponent, and somehow Florida State emerged with a 5-1 record in those contests. Nobody has come close to playing a stretch that difficult this season, and the astonishing mark in those matchups has proven that Florida State is the top team in the land.
Leonard Hamilton's outfit entered play Saturday as the No. 10 team in the country, but when examining their resume against the teams ahead of them, they deserve to be atop the list.
| Rank | Team | Record | Record vs. Current Top 25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova | 19-1 | 4-1 |
| 2 | Kansas | 18-1 | 1-1 |
| 3 | UCLA | 18-1 | 1-1 |
| 4 | Gonzaga | 18-0 | 3-0 |
| 5 | Kentucky | 16-2 | 1-2 |
| 6 | Baylor | 17-1 | 3-1 |
| 7 | Creighton | 18-2 | 3-1 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 15-3 | 2-0 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 18-3 | 2-2 |
| 10 | Florida State | 18-2 | 5-1 |
Here's three reasons why Florida State should be ranked No. 1 in the country:
Depth
The Seminoles boast an incredibly deep lineup that sees 12 players average double-digit minutes this season.
That depth allows them to play at a frenetic pace that tires opponents and leads to endless fast-break opportunities. Nine players scored against Louisville, while the bench scored 41 points in the midweek win over No. 15 Notre Dame. Coaches can plan on slowing down one of two Seminoles, but that will just lead to punishment from one of the other talented scorers.
As a team, Florida State is fifth in the country, connecting on 50.5 percent of its shots from the floor.
Stars
While the Seminoles do display incredible depth, there's no doubt the stars run the show in Tallahassee.
Star freshman Jonathan Isaac has burst onto the scene, averaging 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds, while also shooting 38 percent from three. With his lanky 6-foot-10, 210-pound frame, Isaac is virtually unguardable when on his game. Should Isaac falter, sophomore Dwayne Bacon will pick up the slack, as the Seminoles' leading scorer is pouring in 17.4 points per game. Bacon's biggest moment this season was certainly a game-winning triple for a massive road win at Virginia.
Dwayne Bacon nailed the game winner with 2 seconds left to beat #13 Virginia today. (via @theACCDN)pic.twitter.com/ZSmXyd2OM5
— DAILYSP0RTS (@DAILYSP0RTS) December 31, 2016
Length
The shortest player on the Seminoles' roster is 6-foot-1 freshman C.J. Walker. Nobody else stands under 6-foot-4, and Florida State boasts 11 players who are 6-foot-6 or taller. Driving into the lane is borderline insane against this towering team, with four players averaging more than a block per game. Anytime the Seminoles take the floor, they are immediately hold a distinct height advantage. Not surprisingly, Florida State ranks near the top of the ACC, allowing opponents to shoot just 39 percent from the floor.
Looking ahead
While the treacherous run against top-25 opponents is done, Florida State now heads out for three straight road matchups in ACC play. The Seminoles should be favored in their next five games before a massive road contest at No. 15 Notre Dame on Feb. 11.
No matter what the number beside Leonard Hamilton's outfit is when the AP poll drops on Monday, there's little debate that Florida State deserves to sit atop that list.