3 Takeaways from FSU Basketball's Dominant Showing Against West Florida

Florida State looked ready to go in their final exhibition game of the preseason

Nov 17, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton looks on during the first half against the Florida Gators at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida State wrapped up their preseason with an exhibition game against West Florida on Thursday afternoon. It was an odd tip-off time for a midweek game at 3 p.m., so there was some expectation for the Seminoles to start slowly. That didn't happen whatsoever.

FSU led 17-6 at the first media timeout, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Leonard Hamilton's squad did a great job of forcing turnovers and making life tough for the Argonauts, who finished the game with more turnovers (22) than made field goals (20).

Florida State vs West Florida Box Score | October 31, 2024 / Florida State StatBroadcast

Chandler Jackson and Alier Maluk didn't play, and Justin Thomas, Malique Ewin, and Jerry Deng only played in the second half, but the 'Noles were still able to take care of business before their first regular season game against Northern Kentucky on Monday. Here are three takeaways from Thursday afternoon's 100-56 exhibition win over West Florida.

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1. Florida State Might Lead the ACC In Forced Turnover Rate Again

It's an exhibition, so some things need to be taken with a grain of salt. But forcing 22 turnovers, 19 of them coming from steals, is absurd. Taylor Bol Bowen had seven steals by himself in this game. That would've equaled or been better than seven different FSU game outputs last year for steals by himself. What this team lacks in experience, they make up for in length, and Coach Hamilton is sure to use that to his advantage as much as possible.

2. Taylor Bol Bowen, the Stat Stuffer

Taylor Bol Bowen had an underwhelming first exhibition game last week, but that would not be the case here, as he had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals... in the first half. He'd go on to finish with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 steals. This is the Bol Bowen FSU will need this season to have some success and catch some teams by surprise.

3. A Sign of Three-Point Shooting

FSU shot below average in their first exhibition game from three at just 31.6%. Coach Hamilton believes this team has a high ceiling for shooters, so it was one of the things I was looking out for in this one. They were much better in this game, shooting 11/24 (45.8%) from deep and 40/70 (57.1%) overall from the floor. Jerry Deng and Justin Thomas were each 2/3 from deep in the second half, something they'll need to contribute to this team if they want major minutes. Hopefully, this shooting carries over into the regular season, as it's FSU's best chance of having a good offense.

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