5 Things to Watch for at Seminole Madness

The long anticipated announcement is finally here, Seminole Madness will be held at the Civic Center under a month from now on Friday, October 16th. Renegade Sports has been previewing the future of Florida State basketball since May and now everyone will finally get to see the new talent for the 'Noles in live action. There will be a three point competition, a dunk contest, and a scrimmage for the fans to watch. While we will not be able to form a full opinion just from these events, we will get a preview of what this team could be capable of. Here is a list of 5 things I will be looking for at the event.

5. Have Bojo and Ojo improved? And what will Jean Marc Christ Koumadje provide for this team?

Senior Michael Ojo will be treating fans with his rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" at the event.

It has been a very long and underwhelming career for the two seven footers thus far, but senior year is their chance to make 'Nole Nation (sort of) forget about the first three years. We can only hope that Bojo has added some meat on his bones, which will hopefully mean he plays a little tougher. As for Ojo, I love how hard the big guy plays but we need him to be able to catch the ball in the post, make a move and destroy the rim. Ojo will also need to show improvement in his pick and roll defense, as well as being more of a rim protector.
For the freshman, Koumadje, I'll be looking to see if he can help FSU this year. Personally, I think the most beneficial thing to do would be to red-shirt him and make sure he puts on weight, especially in his lower body. The biggest thing we need to look for is if these big men will be able to run up and down the court for a team that will want to push the ball every time they have it.

4. Will the fans finally get behind a team from the beginning of the year?

Year after year the attendance at the Civic Center is depressing, especially from the students. The tickets are free for goodness sake. I digress, but this is the year it needs to change. The renovations to the Civic Center (thank god we got rid of the puke colored seats) only shrink your list of excuses not to attend. The 2015-2016 'Noles could be one of the most exciting teams in the country this year and they need you to cheer them on. Florida State will likely still play ugly basketball at times, but that is Hamilton's style. It may be frustrating, but we stuck behind the football team when Jeff Bowden was calling the plays. This is your first chance to cheer on the Seminoles and they need you to get behind them and provide a home court advantage this year.

3. How XRM and Bacon work together on the court

Buckets🔥🔥🔥 @YungBoiMayes pic.twitter.com/WuLRPEVs02

— 8God™ (@BaconDwayne1000) August 28, 2015

Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Dwayne Bacon are two of the most dynamic scorers Florida State has seen in the Hamilton Era, but both of these players' styles are synonymous with ball-hogging. Can the two of them co-exist on the court with only one ball? I think they can but I do have my doubts because I remember Aaron Thomas seemed frustrated by XRM last year in their short time together, especially in the Nebraska game. If these two can play well together, the 'Noles will have one of the most explosive 1-2 scoring punches in the nation. Seminole Madness could be our first chance to see them play together if they are on the same team for the scrimmage.

2. How do the newcomers look from behind the arc? Have the returning shooters improved?

Devon Bookert seconds before he broke this Gopher's ankles. He was later found not guilty for animal cruelty.

One of the biggest contributing factors to Florida State's three year NCAA Tournament drought is the inability to shoot the three ball. With the amount of attacking guards that we have, this team is going to need consistent shooters to provide spacing which will give guards like XRM and Malik Beasley more room to attack. Dwayne Bacon, Malik Beasley, and Terrance Mann are all considered average three point shooters but we need one to shoot at least around 40%. Look for Devon Bookert to still be our best three point shooter. XRM is a sharpshooter and should get more spot up opportunities this year with the team's attacking ability opening up opportunities. The 'Noles will also need Robbie Berwick to be more consistent from behind the arc, he has the potential to be a real threat. The three point contest will either have 'Nole Nation feeling even better about this year's team or just another year of low shooting percentages.

1. The Slam Dunk Contest

If Bacon tried this on us in 2 on 2, Sean would have sent the attempt into the 7th row.

Now this is what everyone, including the players, has been waiting for. The main battle will be between Dwayne Bacon and Malik Beasley, in my opinion, but look for Terrance Mann, Phil Cofer and Montay Brandon to also challenge for the title. The main thing 'Nole fans can take away from this competition is the pure athleticism that will be on display all year long when the Seminoles play. This will be your first chance to see the high flying Seminoles and I would not want to miss it.

As we have stated multiple times here at Renegade Sports, the future of Florida State basketball is extremely bright. Seminole Madness will be your first chance to check out Hamilton's new team and if you don't go, well I doubt your fan hood. Johnathan and I will be camping out two days prior to guarantee we are the first ones in the Civic Center, you are more than welcome to join as long as you bring your own s'mores supplies.

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