Florida State gets its second season under Luke Loucks rolling Monday night with a crosstown matchup against Florida A&M in the nightcap of the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic in Tampa, Fla.
Loucks, who played on four NCAA Tournament teams at Florida State, is trying to push the Seminoles back to the event for the first time since 2021. His first year on the job ended at 18-15, and the late surge gave the program some momentum heading into a season with noticeably higher expectations.
That jump in confidence around the Seminoles starts with the roster. The biggest name in the mix is Cincinnati transfer and former McDonald's All-American Shon Abaev, who flashed immediately in Florida State's 89-87 exhibition win over LSU on Oct.
- The 6-foot-8, 215-pound sophomore led the way with 26 points and hit 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range.
Florida State also has a new interior force in 7-foot, 285-pound freshman Marcis "Baby Shaq" Ponder. His exhibitions told two very different stories.
In an 82-71 win over Auburn on Oct. 14, he piled up 21 rebounds, including 12 offensive boards, in only 24 minutes. Against LSU, foul trouble cut his night short and limited him to 19 minutes, five points and seven rebounds.
"(Ponder) could lead the country in rebounding if he stays out of foul trouble," Loucks said after the game.
The Seminoles are also carrying more external buzz this season than they did a year ago. After being picked 15th in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year, they were slotted seventh in the preseason poll this time around.
Florida A&M comes in with its own expectations under Charlie Ward, the Florida State two-sport legend and Heisman Trophy winner who is entering his second season as the Rattlers' coach. Ward guided FAMU to a 15-16 record last season and a trip to the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament semifinals.
The Rattlers were picked fourth in the 12-team SWAC preseason poll, and they bring back two key guards in Jaquan Sanders and Antonio Baker Jr. Sanders averaged 11.7 points and 3.6 assists per game, while Baker posted 9.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Ward also added seven players from overseas to the roster, including 6-9 freshman Ben Ndour from Senegal.
"It's a great group of young men," Ward said at the SWAC's virtual media day earlier this month. "They provide different cultures for us to understand and learn from.
And we're all about diversity. So that's one of the ways that we've been able to incorporate diversity into our team."
In Other News...
FSU Heads Into Clemson With One Big Concern Around Norvell
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Mike Norvell Just Reached A Clemson Moment FSU Fans Can't Ignore
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Norvells situation has also become part of the backdrop, with fan sentiment split in a way that says plenty about the frustration around the program. A new athletic director is expected to take a fresh look at everything, and this game could end up carrying weight beyond one Saturday. A win would give Norvell a stronger case to make, while a loss would only add to the pressure already building around a decision that may not be far off. [Read more 🡒]
Norvell Just Framed FSUs International Recruiting Bet For The Future
Florida States push into international recruiting is becoming a more visible part of Mike Norvells roster-building plan, and the early returns are being measured in potential more than production. Norvell pointed to offensive linemen Luke Francis Jr. from the United Kingdom and Nikau Hepi from New Zealand as examples of the staff looking well beyond the traditional American footprint, betting on raw traits and long-run development at a position where size and frame can matter a lot.
Both players are still new to American football, which means the Seminoles are treating this as a patient project rather than a shortcut to quick help. Norvell said their physical attributes give them a starting point, but the real work will be in sharpening the technical side of the game, a reminder that Florida State is willing to invest in prospects who may take time before they are ready to affect Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]