Florida State University Athletics
Basketball’s Vassell Named ACC Co-Player of The Week
1/20/2020 3:01:37 PM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Florida State sophomore guard Devin Vassell, who averaged 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in two games last week and who has led the Seminoles into the Top-5 of the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ Polls, has been named the ACC Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Vassell led the Seminoles to victories over both Virginia and Miami and shares the honor with Buddy Boeheim of Syracuse. It marks the first time Vassell has earned the weekly award from the ACC.
Vassell scored his career-high of 23 points against Miami – besting his previous career-high of 18 in the Seminoles’ victory over Virginia earlier in the week and totaled the first double double of his career with 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Seminoles’ victory at Miami.
In averaging over 20 points in Florida State’s two wins last week, Vassell played well after halftime of both games as he scored seven second half points against Virginia, six second half points against Miami – and more importantly he scored five points in the overtime period as Florida State outscored Miami by a 14-10 margin to claim the ACC road win.
In the final five minutes of the Seminoles’ come-from-behind win over Virginia, he totaled one assist, took a charge, hit what proved to be the game-winning 3-point shot with 14 seconds remaining to be played and made two free throws with four seconds remaining to ice Florida State’s 54-50 win over the defending national champions.
In the final 5:20 of the second half of the Seminoles’ come-from-behind win at Miami, he totaled two blocked shots, one assist and one steal as Florida State recovered from a nine-point deficit (65-56) to force overtime. In the overtime period he won the jump ball to start the period for Florida State (and the Seminoles’ scored on their first possession), made a crucial 3-point shot to give the Seminoles’ a five-point lead (79-74) with 1:27 left, assisted on a dunk by Trent Forrest that made the score 81-79 with 13 seconds left, then took a charge with six seconds left and iced the game with two of two free throws made.
Vassell finished as the Seminoles’ leading scorer in both games last week and enters Saturday’s game against Notre Dame averaging a career-high 13.2 points scored per game – an improvement of 8.7 points scored per game over his scoring average as a freshman.
Florida State has tied its best start to an ACC season in school history (6-1). The Seminoles have won 15 of their last 16 games this season and are 45-10 (.818 winning percentage) since the beginning of the 2018-19 season.