WATCH: Florida State storms court following upset overtime win over Duke

Florida State upset Duke Tuesday night in a 79-78 overtime thriller which ended on a John Butler block and a ball rolling across the floor. As the final buzzer sounded, the Florida State fans in Tallahassee stormed the court to celebrate the upset win over the No. 6 team in the country.

The game featured 19 lead changes as momentum swung side-to-side for the full 40 minutes and even in the extra five minutes of overtime. While Duke freshman forward Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 20 in a double-double, it was veteran Florida State forward RayQuan Evans who scored what proved to be the game-winning free throws with 12 seconds remaining.

Guard Caleb Mills led the Seminoles in scoring with 18 points, followed by John Butler who played one of the best games of his young career. But mixed with all the player performances was an all-time coaching matchup. The tactics of Mike Krzyzewski and Leonard Hamilton, combined with game management and player management proved as impressive as the stat lines.

SEMINOLES STUN NO. 6 DUKE IN OT‼️‼️@FSUHoops | #NewBlood pic.twitter.com/D3DHSKoN1v

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 19, 2022

Coming out on top, Hamilton moved to the top of the NCAA’s list for most wins against a ranked opponent as an unranked team during the AP Poll era. He secured his 55th such win and broke a tie with former Krzyzewski mentor Bob Knight.

It was also Florida State’s 13th straight overtime win, extending their own record-setting streak under Hamilton.

As fans flooded the floor in celebration of the upset win, Hamilton made sure to point out the strength of Duke’s roster and the effort from his team to pull off a back-and-forth win like that.

Leonard Hamilton and Joe B. Hall

As the college basketball world mourned the passing of legendary Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, ESPN focused its Saturday coverage on his impact. By coincidence, or perhaps fate, the lineup of games has served as a nod to Hall’s lasting impact on the game.

During the opening game of ESPN’s coverage, Kentucky took down Tennessee inside Rupp Arena after a video tribute and recognition of Hall’s legacy. During the second half of the blowout win, color commentator Jay Bilas turned his attention away from the court and told a story about life.

As it turns out, a 26-year old Leonard Hamilton was ready to quit his coaching career before a surprise phone call from Hall reignited the fire. Prior to that call, Hamilton worked as an assistant at Austin Peay and expressed his desire to take over head coaching duties upon the resignation of the former head coach. When the soon-to-be outgoing athletic director chose not to back a Black head coach, he decided to leave and take a day job with Dow Chemical in North Carolina.

After leaving Austin Peay, he started work on Monday. But then Hall called Hamilton and expressed his desire to hire the young coach at Kentucky. Hamilton jumped on a plane to Lexington without telling anyone at Dow Chemical and interviewed the following day. By Thursday, he was back in coaching.

As Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, it is important to focus on those who have promoted and helped create racial equality in sports. Joe B. Hall did so not only by recruiting Black players, but by hiring the first Black assistant coach in school history, Leonard Hamilton.

Hamilton, whose Florida State squad played in the second game of ESPN’s coverage, gives credit for his head coaching career to Hall.