Timeouts
Thank the Lord above they have reduced the number of timeouts from a max of four in the second half to three because it was absolutely killing the end of a game. This will improve the flow on the court at the end of the game, instead of a basket followed by the timeout and an Applebee's commercial over and over. I believe this timeout rule will benefit the Seminoles big time. It seems like at some point every year we call a timeout and come out with some amazing play to get us over 50 points around the two minute mark. I believe that will still happen this year but where this really benefits us is defensively. If we can score a basket and then set up a press with Jarquez Smith on the inbounder, Xavier Rathan-Mayes (XRM) and Dwayne Bacon guarding the first pass and applying pressure, with Malik Beasley and Montay Brandon waiting to jump a pass and channel their inner Phil Cofer - man I get goosebumps just thinking about it - our press could be deadly. Granted, Hamilton is not huge on the press but given the amount of depth and athleticism he has this year, I think we should press in spurts throughout the game. Another rule about the timeout issue, that is pretty fan-friendly, is that if a coach takes a timeout within 30 seconds of a media timeout (16, 12, 8, and 4 minute marks), then the team's timeout will count as a media timeout as well. The NCAA came in like an angry parent and nipped these timeout shenanigans in the bud.
The Charge Circle
I cannot lie, I love a good charge call. It takes some real cojones to take a charge from a freak athlete coming at you 110% and I believe it can change the momentum of the game. At the same time, I CANNOT STAND FLOPPING. What a freaking joke, this is basketball and no film directors are scouting games for the next great Oscar winner so stop acting - I'm looking at you Duke. The NCAA has extended the arc under the basket from three feet to four feet, which will take out more charges than you would think. This will allow for players to be aggressive and not be penalized as much for a player flopping. As for FSU, we do not take a lot of charges as we are very physical and try to block/alter your shot rather than stand there and let an offensive player destroy us. Where we benefit is on offense, a majority of our points should come from XRM, Montay Brandon, Dwayne Bacon, and Malik Beasley attacking the basket. The arc being moved will allow us to attack the basket relentlessly and opposing teams (DUKE) will not be able to slide in and take away our points. Flopping will still be a issue, players will still slide in late and refs will still blow the call and reward them, but this is a step in the right direction.
The Shot Clock
Everyone in the college basketball world and their mother have been asking for the shot clock to be reduced and Santa came early and granted their wish. This will not fix the poor offense in college basketball, but it will help players and coaches realize they need to be sharper in their half court sets. Going from 35 seconds to 30 seconds is a big deal and the strategy of coaches will be interesting to see. Hamilton and company will still struggle in the half court offense as they traditionally do unless they can get consistent shooting to space the floor. Defensively, the reduced shot clock will allow FSU to be one of the best defenses in the nation. With all the length on their roster, the 'Noles could switch in and out of an aggressive man to man or a zone defense where the guards could shoot the gaps. Given the depth we have compared to in years past, our guards can be more aggressive and go for steals that will lead to easy fast break points. I dream of Malik Beasley jumping the passing lanes and doing this often next year. The reduced shot clock benefits us because it helps our defense and can lead to more fast breaks, where the 'Noles look to be a serious threat in the open court. You all do not understand how exciting this team can be next year! Anyways as exciting as the shot clock could make them, don't expect Hamilton to change his facial expression.
Freedom of Movement
The NCAA is going to finally get rid of hand checking and the physical defense played on the perimeter - well, they are going to try. This same conversation was talked about two years ago, but after a month of whistles on the perimeter, referees gave in and let the old defense return. In my opinion, it might be annoying but I really hope they enforce the new rule this year because coaches and players will adjust at some point. They love to blow their whistles for dumb charges and random illegal screens, so the NCAA is trying please them as well. The NCAA has changed the rules to be similar to the NBA, where guards are free to roam around with the ball and hand checking is not allowed. I believe this rule will help and hurt Florida State. Defensively, our guards can be very physical so there will be some adjusting. As for offense, this could be a huge advantage, if the refs enforce the new rules, for the aggressive, slashing Semiole guards. XRM and Montay Brandon will have to improve their free throw shooting and we do not know for sure about Bacon and Beasley from the free throw line, but I see both as about 75% free throw shooters. These freedom of movement rules could allow Florida State to get in the bonus early and if our guards and wings can knock down free throws, we could get some easy points for a team that consistently struggles in the half court. I love this rule change, but it is on the refs to sack up and enforce these rules.
All in all, I love the rule changes and I believe our team will really benefit from these new rules. Most importantly, the fans will benefit, but they will need to have patience because this year could be a rough transition year for players and coaches.
Soon I will be writing about how the hype with Seminole hoops is not all about the freshmen, but also the returning talented veterans so keep an eye out for that. This program has an extremely bright future.
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