Bulldogs know the score: FSU defense dazzles

BUFFALO – It is the classic clash of styles, but the last thing Gonzaga wants to do now is dramatically change how it operates.

Florida State has carved out its identity with defense. The Seminoles are tall, long, physical and athletic with size in the paint and speed on the perimeter. They can pressure and force turnovers. They try to contest every shot. They can take chances because they have 7-foot-1 shot-blocker Solomon Alabi as the last line of defense. They are often so good at stopping people that it essentially jump-starts their patchy offense.

That presents the Bulldogs’ dilemma and opportunity tonight against the Seminoles in a first-round NCAA tournament matchup at the HSBC Arena.

“You are who you are at this time of year, and we’ve been pretty darn effective (on offense) all season,” said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, whose team is shooting 49.4 percent from the field and averaging 77.6 points. “It might not have been pretty or aesthetically pleasing, but at the end of the day we‘ve been pretty darn efficient.

“It’s going to be hard to consistently generate baskets against this type of defense. I think we’ve got to get stops on the defensive end to try to get our break going. And then we have to do a good job on the defensive glass to get the break going and also on the offensive glass to get some easy baskets.”

The eighth-seeded Bulldogs (26-6) have had mixed success against opponents somewhat similar to No. 9 Florida State (22-9). GU grinded out an overtime win against Cincinnati to claim the Maui Invitational. The Bulldogs led most of the game before falling at Michigan State. Gonzaga also lost to Wake Forest in a game that turned after the ejection of Elias Harris.

“All those teams, and then they’re a lot like Memphis because they’re so athletic and really get out and pressure you on defense,” Gonzaga junior guard Steven Gray said. “We have to slow down and not let them hurry us up on offense, make sure we block out and rebound like we did at the start of the year.”

Gonzaga associate head coach Leon Rice, who compiled the scouting report on FSU, said it’s imperative the Bulldogs “be crafty with the ball.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean beating defenders off the bounce. Rice noted Gonzaga needs ball movement and execution is paramount.

“If you try to stick the square peg in the round hole, they’re going to be waiting for you at the rim,” Rice said. “And they’re right there on the boards with any team we’ve seen: big, physical and relentless. It looks the same from the first minute you turn on the tape to the last minute. They keep coming at you.”

That was probably a lesson driven home a year ago when fifth-seeded Florida State lost its NCAA opener to No. 12 Wisconsin.

“We had control throughout,” Seminoles sophomore forward Chris Singleton said. “It was just the last 10 minutes we buckled under the pressure. It was a big stage for us. We had never been there. This year we all know what to do.”

That’s yet to be proven, but both teams bring inexperienced rosters, at least in terms of NCAA tournament experience. Gonzaga has five players with tourney experience, led by senior Matt Bouldin (five games) and Gray (four).

“I’m not too worried about it,” Harris said. “We’ve been getting great game experience and we’ve played very well and responded with short prep time, like in Maui. We think we have a really good shot in this tournament.”

FSU, which has just one senior and one junior in its rotation, is making consecutive NCAA appearances for the first time since 1992-93.

Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton is somewhat mystified by his team’s inconsistent offense. In practice, his players drain outside shots and make free throws. In games, baskets don’t come as easily and they rank among the bottom 50 in free-throw percentage (64.6).

“We took a tour of Spain this summer and averaged 106 points per game,” he said. “We didn’t run one defensive drill – all offense. Once we got into (fall) practices, we found out our skills hadn’t developed to the point where we could be as efficient as we’d like to, but we’re very capable.”

Still, this one figures to come down to GU’s success against FSU’s defense.

“You have to play hard and execute,” Bouldin said. “And definitely run. We need to keep running like we have been all season, so they don’t get a chance to set their ‘D’ up.”