October 13, 2006

Chris Nee & Derek Redd
Warchant.com

The NBA will have to wait (By Chris Nee, Warchant.com)

With practices officially starting Friday ? Florida State is happy to have a familiar face still wearing the garnet and gold.

During the later part of the 2005-2006 season many Florida State fans were concerned that the 'Noles would lose All-ACC second team selection and leading scorer Al Thornton to the NBA Draft. The future held a twist though as the team did lose a player but it wasn't their ultra-athletic forward but instead junior center Alexander Johnson.

Now that the time has passed the senior reflected a bit on the process and shared his thought on his former teammate's decision.

"We talked a lot," Thornton said, "My impression on that is that I thought he was going to stay.

"I am happy for AJ, people have to make decisions that are best for them and their career. I am just focused on the team we have got now and how we are going to be able to adjust to that with (Alexander Johnson) leaving."

Johnson kept his name in the draft after signing with an agent and was eventually drafted in the mid-second round and after two trades landed with the Memphis Grizzlies. This past week, Johnson played in his first NBA preseason game scoring 13 points and pulling down five rebounds.

With his decision now behind him and a senior year to look forward to, Thornton's focus has been apparent to his teammates.

"I think his work ethic just continues to get better," guard Jason Rich said of Thornton. "I didn't think it was possible because he always goes a 110 percent every time."

It took Thornton about three weeks of treatment after last season to recover from being banged up. Now that he is healthy and focused on his final college season, anything less than a berth in the NCAA Tournament would be a disappointment for the All-American candidate.

"I think that is one of the biggest goals," Thornton said, "That is one of my biggest goals, like I said we were that close to getting into the tournament last year and I feel like this is the year for us to make that step."

Another interesting twist in the entire NBA saga is that Thornton may have not been at Florida State this year if FSU made the NCAA Tournament last season.

"It would have (impacted my decision with the NBA)," Thornton said. "That is one of the main reasons (I came back), just to have that experience and this is my senior year."

Lucky for Florida State fans, Thornton's return means the goal of getting an invite to the Big Dance much more likely.

Echefu is healed and ready to go (By Derek Redd, The Osceola)

It's a good thing that forward Uche Echefu's back is feeling better, considering the post-playing responsibilities that will be placed on his shoulders this season.

The sophomore said he had minor off-season surgery to correct a slipped disc in his back, and that, while he's been held from contact, he's been running at shooting at full speed.

"I'm cleared," he said. "I'm ready to go. I've been going full speed, so there's no problem. I find myself moving better. I feel much better now. (Before), it would just tighten up, just a nagging thing."

Echefu played sparingly as a freshman, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.4 minutes a game. Those numbers undoubtedly will increase now that he's the top dog in the post. The 6-foot-9 Echefu was the nation's second-ranked center out of high school according to Rivals.com, but spent much of his freshman year facing the basket.

Then Alexander Johnson jumped to the Memphis Grizzlies and former recruit Jon Kreft's legal troubles tossed him out of the equation. Echefu will continue to utilize his shooting touch, something that should create match up problems for opposing defenders this season, but he'll also have to mix it up down low.

"When I heard that I knew there was going to be a lot of work for me to do," he said. "That won't stop us from doing what we have to do as a team."

It took Echefu some time to get used to college basketball. There were points last season where older players were offering on-court pointers, but Echefu said he never got frustrated.

"It's not frustrating at all," he said. "It's a process you have to go through. You just have to listen to the veterans and follow the system. It's a learning experience and I've learned a lot. I watched a lot of tape from last year, what I've done wrong and what I can get better doing.

"I'm ready," he added. "I just have to go out there and take care of business. We have great players on the team. I'm looking forward to this season. I got a lot of experience from last year. This year, I have to go out and just do the right things."

Staying out of foul trouble key to Seminoles success (By Chris Nee, Warchant.com)

Despite averaging only two and a half fouls per game last season, Al Thornton found himself in foul trouble in some key situations.

A prime example was the tilt against Florida. In that game, Thornton picked up his fourth foul with a little over 17 minutes remaining in the game, which forced him to the bench for nearly a 10 minute span. During that time the Gators were able to take a lead they would never relinquish.

For the senior forward, memories of getting into foul trouble at just the wrong time is something he thought a lot about in the off-season.

"I think about that a lot," Thornton said. "I feel like I took myself out of games."

Instead of changing his style of play, Thornton says he intends on playing smarter.

"That is the way I play," Thornton said. "I am really aggressive and I enjoy playing defense and trying to find a way to get steals but I just have to be smarter.

"I have to make the adjustment this year. I understand now that my team needs me out there on the court to win and produce."

With Florida State's thin frontcourt, keeping players like Thornton out of foul trouble becomes even more of pivotal to FSU's success.

"We've got to keep the bigs that we've got out of foul trouble." new assistant coach Tim Carter said. "You can not have the wrong guy get in foul trouble. Al cannot get in foul trouble."

Taking a leap of faith (By Chris Nee, Warchant.com)

During the later part of 2003, Florida State landed its backcourt of the future when they got commitments from Jason Rich and Isaiah Swann, both of whom were ranked as four-star guards by Rivals.com.

While it par for the course for the football team to land highly ranked prospects, having two blue chip guards commit at the same time was not common for a basketball program that was mediocre at best. According to the duo, the decision was based on believing in the head coach and believing in what Seminole basketball could be.

"I had a choice between UConn, Arizona, and schools like that," Swann said. "(Coach Hamilton) is like you can come here and build a legacy, you can build something we don't have yet and something that we want. I am just thinking, why don't I just go to this place where it is already built and it is just easier but that is why I came here. I wanted that challenge."

Rich shares a similar story. His belief in Florida State and the coaching staff was also influential in his decision. He hopes his belief in the program will become a reality and that may be happening if you believe some of the preseason publications and media. There is a lot of buzz that FSU is very capable of reaching the NCAA Tournament, something they haven't done since 1998.

But for Rich, simply reaching the tournament isn't good enough.

"That was a big reason why I wanted to come to Florida State because I felt like Coach Hamilton and my teammates, that we had that capability," Rich said. "At the same time, I think people would expect us to just be satisfied with (reaching the NCAA Tournament) because that is something we haven't had in so long but I don't see that with the coaches or definitely my teammates."

With greater expectations comes greater pressure but that doesn't concern the dynamic duo because that is what they signed up for.

"We know that peoples' expectations in the city of Tallahassee have grown after the kind of season that we had last year but there is no added pressure on us." Rich said. "It definitely feels nice to know that they see us as a program that is on the rise and that it is right there on that doorstep. It is going to be on us to take it to that next level."

For Swann, he sees simple reminders of how far the program has come just strolling around campus.

"You are going around and you see people on campus, or run into people on campus, that you don't even know talking about how they can't wait for this season." Swann said. "A couple of years ago they would just look at you and just keep walking. They didn't know anything about basketball, wouldn't say anything about basketball, it was all about football so I am just glad that we are getting to the point where it is not just football."

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