ACC Nation was in Greensboro, NC, recently for the ACC’s Operation Basketball. Patrick and Chris got to talk with all 12 men’s basketball coaches, plus select players from each school, and over the next few days we’ll let you know what they found out. ACC Nation will preview each of the 12 men’s basketball programs, going in reverse order of last year’s final regular-season standings, with one preview a day as we approach the start of the season.

Wake Forest – Oct. 31

Georgia Tech – Nov. 1

Virginia Tech – Nov. 2

Clemson – Nov. 3

Miami – Nov. 4

Virginia – Nov. 5

Maryland – Nov. 6

Florida State
(2005-06 season: 9-7 ACC, 20-10 overall; lost in the second round of the NIT to South Carolina 69-68 (ot))

If Florida State wants to figure out why it didn’t make the NCAA Tournament last year, it can look at any number of games. Perhaps it was the three-point loss to Boston College in January or the one-point loss the next time out to North Carolina. Then there were the overtime losses against Miami and Duke.

The Seminoles had their share of supporters when Selection Sunday came around, but the bottom line is, even with a soft non-conference schedule, a win in any of those four games probably would have put FSU into the tournament.

“We lost some close games last year and we need to be a little more efficient,” Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said when asked about this season.

Hamilton said that after all of his team’s games - both wins and losses – last year, he watched the game film with his players and pointed out what they did right and what they did wrong. He thinks that was as important as anything in getting his players to the point where they come out on top in close games.

“When you do that you give your guys something to hang their hat on and you go out the next day and work on those things,” Hamilton said.

Florida State will lack depth in the frontcourt this season after center Alexander Johnson bolted for the NBA following his junior season. Jon Kreft, a 7-footer out of Florida, would have helped, but drug charges against him forced Florida State to withdraw his scholarship.

But one player that will suit up for the Seminoles this season is preseason All-ACC first-team selection Al Thornton, who scored 16.1 points and pulled down 6.9 rebounds a game last season.

“Al has led by example his entire career,” Hamilton said. “He’s never had a bad effort day. He comes to practice every day and just gives it up. He’s a gym rat, he’s coachable, he’s a sponge, he listens, he’s had a tremendous attitude. And his constant effort in every drill that we run, I think, sets the tone for practice. When your best player gives that kind of effort it’s hard for other guys not to respond.”

But the coach doesn’t want Thornton to be his one and only weapon this year.

“We just can’t allow him to have to carry the burden of our program,” Hamilton said. “We don’t need him to have to be the guy who goes out and carries us night in and night out. We need to have other guys step up.”

Three juniors may provide some answers. Isaiah Swann (8.4 ppg, 2.9 apg), Ralph Mims 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and Jason Rich (10 ppg) should help shoulder some of the load, but a bulk of the additional scoring this season may come from Auburn transfer Toney Douglas. As a freshman in the SEC, Douglas scored 16.9 points a game.

“Toney is a point guard who has potential to score points,” Hamilton said. “And anytime you can put the ball in a guy’s hands who is running your team, who is making decisions for you, it puts a lot of pressure, I think, on the defense to make sure they respect his offensive ability.”

The non-conference schedule, with the exception of a game against defending national champion Florida, still leans to the weak side, but if Florida State can find a way to win some close ACC games they should have a good enough resume to be placed in the NCAA Tournament field come March.

- Patrick Hite