New-look FSU men's basketball team opens season tonight in Tucker Center

The Florida State men’s basketball team will tip off the 2024-2025 season today at 7 p.m. against Northern Kentucky at the Tucker Center. After posting a 17-16 record last season, 10-10 in ACC play, the Seminoles are looking to get back to their winning ways of past teams.

FSU will have a completely different look this season, as there are a total of nine new faces that will be on the court for Hamilton in his 23rd season in Tallahassee. The four returning ‘Noles are junior point guard Chandler Jackson, who averaged 5.1 points, 1.1 assists and 1.3 rebounds last season; sophomore forward Taylor Bol Bowen (3.1 points, 2.6 rebounds); forward Waka Mbatch and star senior Jamir Watkins. Last season, Watkins led Florida State in just about every statistical category. He averaged 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists, which earned him a spot on the preseason All-ACC team for the upcoming season.

That core group of returning ‘Noles will be joined in 2024-25 by four veteran transfers, one junior college transfer and five freshmen.

OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK

FSU finished the 2023-2024 season with the fifth-ranked offense in the ACC at 76.5 points per game. While scoring wasn’t a problem for the Seminoles — especially considering three of the four teams ahead of them made the NCAA Tournament — there was plenty of room for improvement, especially when it came to efficiency and shooting percentages. 

Florida State ranked second to last in the ACC in both 3-point shooting (31.7 percent) and free-throw percentage (70.7). These two areas will likely have to see major improvements if FSU is going to become competitive once again in the ACC race.

Some of the Seminoles’ newcomers should give them a boost.

Senior guard Bostyn Holt, who transferred in from South Dakota after playing earlier in his career at Utah, ranked second on his former team at shooting from long range at 39.1 percent. Senior guard transfer Justin Thomas, who sat out last season at Texas-San Antonio, shot 42.9 percent on 3-pointers in his final season at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Neither of those two players were high-volume shooters from the perimeter, but they showed the ability to knock down open looks.

If those new additions and FSU’s other guards can knock down shots from the perimeter, that could be huge for Watkins, who is one of the most versatile scorers in the ACC. The former VCU transfer showed last season that he can score while attacking the basket or as a jump-shooter, and that was without many consistent shooting threats around him. It also would open up space for forwards Bol Bowen, Alier Maluk, Jerry Deng and Anastasios Rozakeas to operate inside and drive to the basket.

To go along with his shooting, Holt also has the ability to finish around the rim. Standing at 6-foot-7, Holt is the kind of guard that @FSUCoachHam likes and adds to Holt’s capability of finishing. pic.twitter.com/YhW3dPn6vk

— Sam Stevens (@stevens63581) July 17, 2024

Either way, this Florida State team’s greatest success offensively likely will come from the ability to pound the ball into the paint and finish around the rim.

Along with Watkins, top JUCO transfer Malique Ewin offers an explosive playing style that will create opportunities for himself and others on the floor. Last season in junior college, the 6-11, 230-pounder averaged 14 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 62.6 percent from the field. His ability to finish around the rim, combined with his passing skills, should create openings for teammates to knock down open 3-pointers and also cut to the basket.

In his first action with the Seminoles, in an exhibition against out-manned Saint Leo, Ewin finished with 19 points (team high) while shooting 8-for-8 from the field. Freshman guards Daquan Davis and AJ Swinton also look like players who will bring confidence when it comes to driving to the rim.

Point guard duties likely will be handled by Holt, Davis and Jackson.

AJ Swinton dunk show in Game 1 of the 2nd annual A Very Melo Classic pic.twitter.com/Mh9rhyMcCm

— Capitol Hoops (@CapitolHoops) February 3, 2024

DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK

While the names and faces may have changed, Leonard Hamilton is always going to build his defense around long, athletic players who can harass ball-handlers, clog passing lanes and alter shots. So it’s no surprise that of the nine newcomers he brought in this off-season (three guards and six forwards/centers), all but one are 6-foot-6 or taller.

One thing the Seminoles have lacked in recent seasons is athletic big men who could protect the rim, but the veteran head coach believes he will have that luxury again in 2024-25.

“We have about three or four real shot-blockers this season,” Hamilton said.

Ewin could be at the top of that list. He was dominant at South Plains College in Texas last season, racking up 92 blocks, which ranked No. 8 in the country among junior college players. Maluk, Deng, Christian Nitu and Swinton were other names mentioned by Hamilton for their ability in this area.

Florida State’s defensive struggles last season were very uncharacteristic for a Hamilton-coached team. The Seminoles ranked 13th in the ACC in opponent field-goal percentage and 14th in opponent 3-point percentage. Hamilton believes the additional height, length and depth of this team should help to improve those areas.

FSU also hopes to be a much better rebounding team, which will be essential to making a run toward the postseason. Even when Florida State got initial stops last season, the Seminoles struggled to finish possessions defensively as they ranked 14th in the ACC in total rebounding margin.

Stay connected with Warchant.com for coverage of tonight’s game at 7 p.m.

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