September 29, 2006

Warchant.com & Osceola
Warchant.com

Can you hear me now? (By Derek Redd, The Osceola)

Senior forward Al Thornton's game screams excellence. An All-ACC second team selection as a junior, he enters this season as a candidate not only for the All-American team, but also as a candidate for the ACC and national player of the year awards.

While his abilities speak volumes, Thornton has been trying to find his voice as a leader. A quiet giant, he said he's attempted to become more vocal with the team.

"That's something I had to learn," he said. "I've really been kind of laid back and reserved."

That's not something he can do anymore, considering that he's one of three seniors on this year's team and the only one who started a game last season. While he said several players have stepped up to become more vocal, he's tried his best to take that role and it hasn't been easy.

"It's tough," he said. "I'm not used to it. It's kind of out of my way to be a vocal leader and be outspoken, but I'm growing in that area."

The rest of the Seminoles basketball team has to get accustomed to Thornton's voice as well. That's also taken a little time, Thornton said.

"There have been several times I've done it in the heat of the moment and I've gotten an awkward look," he said. "They're not used to seeing me in that way."

Junior Isaiah Swann agreed that it's been interesting watching Thornton evolve into a vocal leader.

"Nobody says anything, but we look at him and we're like, OK, all right," Swann said. "He's not very vocal, but he's working on it and it's coming along."

Thornton has not only surprised his teammates. He's surprised himself with his assertiveness from time to time.

"I've caught myself a couple of times doing that," he said. "But I know it's something that's got to be done."

New assistant already making an impact (By Derek Redd, The Osceola)

Call Florida State assistant basketball coach Andy Enfield "The Shot Whisperer." Junior guard Isaiah Swann swears by him after Enfield tinkered with Swann's free-throw shooting technique last season.

Swann said he needed it, as he was plagued with a dismal percentage ? "It was something like 32 percent," he said ? from the free throw line. But that changed when Enfield worked his magic, telling Swann he was leaning a little to the right on his shots and to move a tad to the left.

That one nudge made all the difference, Swann said.

"So I move over to the left and I'm right in the middle facing the basket," Swann said. "And I shoot the ball and I hit the first one and I'm like, oh, that's nothing. And I'm shooting and I'm shooting and I just keep hitting shot after shot after shot. I made like 30 in a row. So I'm like, OK, I'll start shooting like this now.

"It's just little things," he continued. "It wasn't even that much. It's just moving my body to the left and it was automatic."

Swann said that's the beauty of Enfield's instruction. It's not rocket science, just a tweak here and a polish there. Swann finished the season shooting 65 percent from the free throw line, not stellar, but a lot better than where he started.

Swann said Enfield practices what he preaches and what he preaches should be heard.

"He makes it so simple that all you have to do is just do what he says and that's just how it is," Swann said. "I don't know how he does it. Even when he's shooting, he doesn't miss too often, so he challenges us to shooting and I don't think anyone's beaten him yet."

Summer School (By Chris Nee, Warchant.com)

While most players spend the summer working on their game in the weight room and in pick-up games, one had the pleasure of getting a little tutorial from someone that knows how to play the game.

That player is junior guard Isaiah Swann, who took a two-week break during his summer to get some help from a former NBA player and coach, John Lucas.

"There were two weeks where I was down in Houston at the John Lucas Camp," Swann said. "It was fun down there with a couple of pros and other college basketball players."

Swann, who averaged 8.4 points per game last season, explained that the camp was about making yourself a better player by working on every part of your game.

"Basically all he does is drills," Swann said. "It is pretty much a whole bunch of shooting drills, ball handling drills, and a couple of defensive drills. You basically just get in shape and get your shot better."

While the camp sounds simple enough, Swann said it made quite an impact on him because it helped to reinforce everything Coach Hamilton and his staff continuously preach at practice.

"It just makes you look at things totally different," Swann said. "When the coaches are telling you to do this, do this, do this, and you are like they are just saying that, they are not because everywhere you go it is the same thing so it was good for me to go away and have somebody else tell me that."

Filling a void (By Chris Nee, Warchant.com)

Alexander Johnson's early departure for the NBA combined with the graduation of Diego Romero and the loss of 7-foot signee Jon Kreft left the 'Noles with a huge void in the middle for this upcoming season.

One player that the 'Noles may have to count on to fill that void this coming season is 6-foot-8 freshman Ryan Reid. Expecting a true freshman to fill those shoes is a lot to ask for.

With the lack of frontcourt depth most opposing teams will assume Florida State has no inside presence. However, some of the veteran players have confidence in Reid and sophomore Uche Echefu will be able to pick up the slack.

"I think teams are thinking that just because Alexander Johnson is gone that they are going to pound it inside and do all they can on the inside but it is not going to be like that," guard Isaiah Swann said. "Ryan is a terrific player and Uche is fundamentally sound and both of them know what they are doing down there so it is not going to be a cakewalk for nobody."

As for what to expect from Reid, another veteran gave a synopsis on what he has shown so far in practice.

"He is doing well ? he has kind of an 'old school' game," Rich said. "Everybody can see the potential that he has and the things that he can possibly bring but at the same time I think Uche is capable of doing the same things. It is not particularly that Ryan is going to fill that void, I think along with him and Uche and other guys are going to be able to fill that void and we can get the job done."

Another way Leonard Hamilton plans to make up for the depleted frontcourt is through a strong backcourt.

With the addition of former freshman All-American point guard Toney Douglas, an Auburn transfer who sat out last season, as well as returning the experience of Swann, Jason Rich, Ralph Mims, and Jerel Allen the 'Noles will have a veteran group of guards they can rely on. Those talented guards will be complimented by one of the ACC's top players in senior Al Thornton and super athletic sophomore Casaan Breeden. With so much athleticism and talent at the guard and forward spots, a more up-tempo game is likely.

"We don't have the necessary so-called 'big men' so I feel like it is going to be best for us to have a more up-tempo game ? to be a guard oriented team." Thornton said.

Jason Rich says the possibility of having four guards on the court at the same time is music to his ears. While it would be a different look for Leonard Hamilton's squad, it's something FSU definitely has the personnel to pull off.

"It is definitely different from your traditional line-up," Rich said. "I think we have the talent and definitely the guys who have the knowledge to be able to play with three other guards out there."

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