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Florida State Basketball Florida State Basketball FACTS ABOlff TilE SEMINOLES LOCATION .. .Tallahassee , Florida FOUNDED .. ..... 1857 ENROLIMENT. ...... 23,500 COLORS ... Garnet and Gold CONFERENCE. Metro HOME COURT. .Leon County Civic Center CAPACITY .. r2, 500 AIBINISTRATIVE STAFF PRESIDENT . Dr. Bernard F. Sliger FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE. .Dr. Charles Erhardt ATHLETIC DIRECfOR . C. W. "Hootie" Ingram ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIREcroR ...... Bob Goin ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECfORS. .Dr. Janice Stocker Charles Hurst Larry Pendleton Claude Thigpen TICKET OPERATIONS DIRECfOR. .John Sheffield BUSINESS MANAGER. Joe Labat ACADEMIC ADVISOR. .. Brian Mand SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECfOR . Wayne Hogan ASSOCIATE SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECfOR .Lisa Franson ASSISTANT SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECI'OR (Basketball Contact) .. Rob Wilson BASKETBALL TRAINER. .Kent Knisley COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH. Pat Kennedy Al11A MATER/YEAR • . .King's College/'75 YEARS AT FLORIDA STATE. entering second RECORD AT FLORIDA STATE. 19-11 OVERALL COACHING RECORD .143-71 (7 seasons) ASSISTANT COACHES . .Rich Petriccione David Zimroth Tom Carlson GRADUATE ASSISTANTS . .Michael Hunt Tim Welch BASKETBALL SECRETARY. Mary O'Neal EQUIPMENT MANAGER .Gene Granger TELEPHONES ALL ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT }>HONES. ......... (904) 644-1060 AFTER HOURS PHONES . .... Basketball (904) 644-1072 Spor~s Information (904) 644-1403 The Outlook 1987-88 SDiINOLES WILL BE YOUNG Florida State's basketball program went through an explosive year during head coach Fat Kennedy's first season and it has set a standard that would intimidate most coaches . However, Kennedy saw last season as just an example of the enormous potential of Florida State basketball . "We set goals when I came to Florida State," said Kennedy. "It was one of our goals to compete in a post-season tournament our first year here and we achieved it. In fact, we were disappointed that we suffered the upset loss in the Metro tournament and lost our chance at the NCAA's. It is our goal this year to again make a post season appearance and I have every confidence that our staff and players will work hard enough to make it come true." Kennedy and his staff will have their work cut out for them as they enter the 1987 campaign. The Seminoles return only one starter and will count on a junior college transfer to mount up the points for the garnet and gold . Jerome Fitchett, a 6' 7" senior, will be the lone returning starter from last year's 19-11 squad . The most consistent of the FSU starting five last year, Fitchett will be asked to carry more of the scoring and leadership burden during his final year . He showed that ability down the stretch last year scoring in double figures in 10 of the final 11 games . Fitchett is an excellent shooter with great leaping ability and he should contend for all-conference honors. Tat Hunter and George McCloud are the only other Seminoles with any real experience . Hunter, a 6' 7" junior, will take over at the center position while McCloud should fill in at the shooting guard . Although both showed that they could do the job during short stretches of relief, it remains to be seen how they react as starters . After those three, if Coach Kennedy looks down the bench he will see virtually new faces looking back. The Seminoles will have six freshman and two junior college transfers on the team making preseason drills all important for Florida State . Tony Dawson, a first team JC All-American forward , is expected to pick up the scoring slack created by the graduation of Pee Wee Barber and Randy Allen. A prolific scorer, Dawson's game has been likened to former St . John's star Walter Berry and he should be an immediate factor for FSU. Derrick Mitchell, a 6 '3" guard, will vye for the starting spot at point guard . He will also have to be effective for the Seminole game plan to be effective. Recruiting was . another priority of Kennedy's upon his hiring at FSU and his first class . will go down among the best in the history of Seminole b.asketball . The crop of 1987-88 newcomers has been ranked among the fop five in the nation by most publications . Highly touted signees Aubry Boyd, Michael Polite, David White, John Fedor and Blake Miles will get a "trial under fire" of sorts as plans are to put the young players on the floor early . "I know we surprised quite a few people with our third place finish (Metro) last year," said Kennedy . "We realize that it will be difficult to reach that height again this year with the combination of our youth and the league's strength . I think the Metro will be back among the nation's elite next season. You've got the tradition of NCAA champions, Southern Mississippi's NIT championship last year, perennially talented Louisville and Memphis State and it all points to a great year for the conference." "What we are going to have to do at Florida State is develop as the season progresses. We are going to stress improvement each time on the floor and focus our efforts on a good showing in the Metro Tournament. "Only time will tell if we can achieve that or not." If one looks at the great strides made in just one year under Kennedy's direction, it is not difficult to believe that Florida State will have another successful year. * PLEASE USE TIIIS SCHEDULE AND DISRF.GARD TIMES ON TIIE COVER * 1987-88 FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL SCHEDULE DAY / DAT E OPPONENT SITE TIME ( EST) November Sat . / 28 BUCKNELL Home 8 :00 p . m. December Wed . I 2 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL Home 7: 30 p.m. Sat . I 5 PENN STATE Home 2 : 00 p .m. * Thurs. /10 OKLAHOMA Home 7: 30 p .m. Sa t. I 12 Flor ida Aw ay 7: 30 p.m. Wed . I 16 Stetson Away 7: 30 p .m. Sat . I 19 Tennessee Away TB A Mo n. I 21 HARDIN-SIMMONS Home 7: 30 p . m. Mon . I 28) Citrus Bowl Classic Orland o TBA Tues . / 29) (Alabama , Centr al Fl orida , Pittsburgh) January Wed . I 6 JACKSONVILLE Home 7 : 30 p . m. Sat . I 9 #LOUISVILLE Home 7 : 30 p . m. Wed . I 13 #MEMPHIS STATE Home 7 : 30 p .m. Sat . I 16 South Flor ida Away 7 : 30 p . m. Sat . I 23 /! Cincinnati Away 7 : 30 p .m. Mon . I 25 #SOUTH CAROLINA Home 7: 30 p . m. Thur s . / 28 CENTRAL FLORIDA Home 7 : 30 p . m. Sat. I 30 I/V irginia Tech Away 7: 30 p .m. February Tues . / 2 MONMOUTH COLLEGE Home 7: 30 p .m. Sat. I 6 #CINCINNATI Home 7: 30 p . m. Sat . I 13 #SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI Home 7: 30 p . m. Wed . I 17 I/Louisville Away 7: 30 p .m. Sat . I 20 I/ Memphis State Away 8 : 30 p . m. We d. I 24 ALABAMA STATE Home 7 : 30 p .m. Sa t. I 27 l/ Sout-h Ca r olina Away 7: 30 p .m. March Wed . I #VIRGINIA TECH Home 7 : 30 p . m. Sat . I 5 #Souther n Mississippi Away 7 : 30 p . m. Fri . /1 1 ; Sat . / 12; METRO TOURNAMENT Memphis TBA Sun . /13 * indicates games nat i onally televised by ESPN Indicates Metro Co nference opponents Pat Kennedy Last August , Pat Kennedy spoke befor e a gr oup of incoming freshmen as part of their orientation to Florida State University . Kennedy, who was named as FSU's fifth basketball coach on March 13, 1987 , delivered a simple , but ins piring message . "I'm glad I had an opportunity to speak to this group," Kennedy began . "I have a special feeling for you first year students because like you , this is· also my first year at Florida State . I just want to tell you that we need your support in order to accomplish our goals here . If you will give us that support, I will guarantee you that our basketball staff will work as hard as humanly possible to put the best basketball team together Florida State ever had. And just maybe, four years down the road, you can help us cut down the nets at the Final Four ." Lofty goals? Perhaps , but following Kennedy ' s rookie season at the helm of the Seminole program one would be hard pressed to find anyone who doubts that he is the man to bring Florida State basketball back to national prominence. The 1986- 87 Seminoles' took center stage early last year with wins over rival Florida, nationally- ranked Alabama, and powerhouse Tennessee in route of an 8-1 start and appearance in the USA Today Top 20 . FSU found the early going in the Metro Conference difficult but rebounded for an excellent second half of the season and an impressive 18-10 record. The Seminoles ' accepted a bid to the National Invitation Tournament and hammered Rhode Island before dropping their second round meeting with Vanderbilt and closing the season with a 19- 11 mark . Kennedy, 35, is driven to the point of obsession in accomplishing his coaching goals and it is this attitude for hard work and not missing a beat that has made Kennedy one of the most successful young college coaches in the nation. A native of Keyport, New Jersey, he attended King ' s College in Wilkes- Barre, PA . , on a basketball scholarship. After two years of play, he became head junior varsity coach as a student - coaching that team to a 17- 4 record . In his senior year, he was elevated to the position of the school's number one varsity assistant . After graduation in 1975 , Kennedy was named assistant coach at Lehigh University . In 1977, Iona ' s Jim Valvano asked Kennedy to join his staff.
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