Freshman Latson exceeding expectations, main FSU resurgence
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For each match up, it’s at all times the identical.
Earlier than she takes the courtroom, Ta’Niya Latson goes by way of her typical pregame ritual: she takes a nap, prays, and talks to her mom. Additionally, if it’s a massive sport, she is going to hearken to R&B music. With the matchups she is aware of they will win, rap music is normally the loop of selection.
However irrespective of who the Florida State Seminoles are going through, the standout freshman guard at all times is available in with tunnel imaginative and prescient. Seemingly out of nowhere, Latson has actually come out swinging in her school profession, averaging 21.9 factors, 4.5 rebounds, three assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per sport. She has scored 30 or extra factors in six video games and 20+ in 17 video games, whereas solely scoring in single-digits one time.
Latson presently leads the ACC in scoring, and is eighth within the nation in that class, whereas her group leads the convention and is sixth nationally as an entire in factors per sport, bolstered by her contributions.
Coach Brooke Wyckoff mentioned the younger star’s knowledge belies her years.
“I’ve been impressed together with her poise all through all of it, her confidence degree and the way in which that she has been in a position to be an outstanding teammate whereas taking up a giant scoring load and having to be taught protection at this degree,” Wyckoff mentioned.
Latson has actually made historical past in her debut season, as she is the primary freshman ever in ACC girls’s basketball to guide the convention in scoring, and is simply the tenth Seminole participant to make 200 subject objectives in a single 12 months.
There have actually been phenomenal freshmen on the school panorama earlier than. Two years in the past there was UConn’s Paige Bueckers (20 factors, 4.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists and a pair of.3 steals per sport) and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (26.6 factors, 5.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per sport), with the previous being the primary freshman to win the AP Participant of the Yr award.
Trying again additional, there was Maya Moore in 2008 (17.8 factors, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a pair of.1 steals per sport), Tamika Catchings in 1998 (18.2 factors, eight rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per sport) and Cheryl Miller in 1983 (20.4 factors, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals and a pair of.4 blocks per sport).
Latson, by way of what she is doing in her first 12 months in school, is in good firm when in comparison with two of the best school basketball gamers of all time: Sabrina Ionescu in 2017 and Kelsey Plum in 2014. The previous averaged 14.6 factors, 6.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals throughout her freshman season, and was the No. 1 decide within the 2020 WNBA draft. In the meantime, Plum ended up being the NCAA Division Ⅰ girls’s basketball’s all-time main scorer by the point she graduated, after averaging 20.9 factors, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and one steal per sport in her first 12 months.
However her personal statistics apart, Latson says she’s a piece in progress.
“I really feel like I can go to the basket at will,” she mentioned. “My shot remains to be beneath improvement. I really feel like I have to get that pull-up and that mid-range. I really feel like that’s a misplaced artwork and I have to develop in that.”
Latson has acquired her flowers and props each within the ACC and nationally, as she has been named ACC rookie and participant of the week 9 and thrice, respectively, and was named to the NCAA beginning 5 throughout the second week of the common season. She additionally was lately named to the Naismith participant of the 12 months midseason watch checklist, and thrice was declared the nationwide freshman of the week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Affiliation.
However regardless of the nods, and main Florida State again into the highest 25 rankings this season, Latson nonetheless flies beneath the radar for a participant together with her manufacturing.
The Seminoles aren’t a conventional blue blood program like UConn, Tennessee, Stanford, Notre Dame and Baylor. Due to this – and particularly after the retirement of longtime head coach Sue Semrau final 12 months – Latson and her teammates have shocked the nation with their re-emergence this season.
The Miami native has performed a giant function in returning this system to glory after selecting Florida State over NC State and Texas, on account of her eager to be nearer to residence. She attended Westlake Excessive College in Atlanta, Georgia, for 3 years and received three state titles from 2019 to 2021, and one nationwide title her junior 12 months.
Within the remaining two video games of their nationwide championship run, she scored 26 and 31 factors, respectively, and was the co-MVP of the championship sport. It was an enormous soar from the state title sport throughout her freshman 12 months, the place she got here off the bench and solely scored 2 factors in six minutes.
“She got here again her junior 12 months and there was no worry,” Westlake coach Hilda Hankerson mentioned. “She was one of many biggest belongings on our defensive facet of the ball, and on our offensive facet of the ball.”
Being an elite two-way risk, Latson takes essentially the most delight in her protection since she began enjoying basketball as somewhat child. She has an above-average soar shot that she has been engaged on since not simply her days at Westlake, however particularly when she transferred to the American Heritage College in Plantation, Florida, for her senior season.
At that college, Latson was in a position to not solely proceed to work on her soar shot and protection, however showcase what makes her stand out from different school freshmen: her management.
On her first day of follow at American Heritage, Latson helped out a freshman that was having hassle catching passes from her by speaking to her instantly and instilling confidence. Latson additionally celebrated extra when she had an help than when she scored, and he or she served as an extension of head coach Greg Farias as a group captain – particularly when she would exhort gamers who weren’t working arduous throughout follow.
“She’s not a rah-rah, yelling-in-your-face kind, however she was so efficient that when she needed to communicate, she would and he or she would get in her teammates’ butt at halftime…as a result of she practiced and led so arduous by instance, all people else adopted,” Farias mentioned.
She had numerous hype popping out of highschool, as she was an All-American in 2022, in addition to the winner of the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball Award. She was ESPN’s No. 1-ranked taking pictures guard with a 14th-overall rating.
“Simply by way of her means to be poised and deal with such a giant duty on the courtroom and all of the accolades at a younger age, she actually has a mentality that’s past her years in that regard,” Wyckoff mentioned.
Latson’s humility has helped her to deal with the highlight of enjoying in a Energy 5 convention for one of many nation’s top-ranked applications, and the strain that comes with being a highly-touted recruit. She may be very assured in her skills as a basketball participant and is cautious to not let the arrogance devolve into extreme delight.
“I didn’t count on it to come back this early truthfully, however I’ve simply been enjoying and letting God information me by way of it, so I’m blessed to be on this place and I hope that I can proceed to maintain going,” Latson mentioned.
With 4 video games left within the common season, the Seminoles are in place to get a bye by way of the primary spherical of the ACC Event in a pair weeks. They may additionally probably soar as much as being a No. 3 seed, and prolong all of it the way in which to the second spherical with their upcoming opponents being Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson, that are all ranked decrease in convention.
Latson additionally has an opportunity to make historical past by being the primary freshman to win the ACC participant of the 12 months award. She could have competitors from the reigning winner, Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley, in addition to Olivia Miles from Notre Dame, Hailey Van Lith of Louisville, Duke’s Celeste Taylor and Diamond Johnson from NC State. Latson is the highest candidate for the nationwide freshman of the 12 months award.
If she have been in a position to win each trophies, it might be a real testomony to her religion in herself, her arduous work, her tenacity, and her means to floor herself in actuality. Teammate Sara Bejedi mentioned Latson has far exceeded expectations.
“As a freshman, some undergo adversity and a few don’t, however this group has been nice to Ta’Niya, and he or she stepped up as a frontrunner,” Bejedi mentioned. “Some people can take it and simply do no matter, and take it with no consideration. Ta’Niya took it with delight and poise, and is main the group as a freshman.”
Latson and Florida State tackle Georgia Tech Sunday.
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