Florida State gets one more preseason tune-up in Tallahassee, and this one feels like the last clean look before the real thing starts.
The Seminoles will face LSU in their second and final exhibition, giving Luke Loucks a final chance to sort out rotations, test combinations and make sure his group is where he wants it before the first regular season game against Florida A&M. Florida State already opened preseason play with a win, rolling through the second half against Auburn at the Ballin in Boutwell preseason event.
Exhibitions do not usually tell the whole story, but this matchup should help answer a few useful questions.
The first centers on Alex Steen and how quickly he folds back into the mix. Steen was a reliable piece for Florida State last season, the kind of role player whose minutes mattered because of how often he helped the Seminoles win. After appealing the original decision, he was granted a fifth year of eligibility and cleared to return immediately.
That is a major lift for Florida State, and Loucks made clear how he feels about it. He had already been outspoken on Steen’s behalf, and now the coach finally gets him back on the floor.
Loucks has confirmed Steen will play against LSU, though how much remains to be seen. What is clear is that Florida State will use this exhibition to see how the lineup settles after the Auburn game.
Loucks played that first exhibition like a real game, and he has said he wants this one to feel the same way.
The most likely outcome is that Steen slides right back into a significant role, possibly even the starting group. A pairing with Marcis Ponder could be especially interesting.
Ponder himself is the other big storyline worth watching. It is still early, and one exhibition does not make a season, but his showing against Auburn gave Florida State something to think about. The 7-foot, 285-pound center was strong in a double-double performance and looked much more comfortable using his body than you might expect from a player that size.
That kind of progress matters. The raw tools have always been obvious, but the question has been whether Ponder can control all that power and turn it into consistent production.
Against Auburn, he looked like he had taken a step in that direction. If he can back that up against LSU, the buzz around him starts to feel a lot more real.
The Tigers should provide a good test for that. LSU is described as having perhaps the weirdest roster in college basketball, but Will Wade’s team is still expected to be competitive.
Wade has never won fewer than 18 games in a season in his 12 years as a head coach, and that kind of experience matters even in an exhibition. For Florida State, it is a useful measuring stick against a roster full of players who have seen plenty at the college level.
That makes the Auburn result worth noting, but not overvaluing. A preseason win is nice, but it only becomes meaningful if Florida State can back it up with another solid showing. LSU gives the Seminoles that chance, and it should offer another sample of where Loucks’ team stands before the games start counting.
In Other News...
FSU Is Turning Clemson Night Into A Doak Campbell Showcase
Florida State is dressing up its Oct. 31 meeting with Clemson at Doak Campbell Stadium as more than just another ACC marquee game. The school unveiled Operation Garnet Storm, a Halloween-flavored game-day plan that blends campus pageantry with military appreciation, aiming to make the night feel like a full-scale event long before kickoff.
Peter Warrick will be honored in the first quarter for his College Football Hall of Fame induction, adding a familiar Seminole touch to a night built for spectacle. The rest of the evening is set to feature a parachute jump by USSOCOM Para-Commandos and a halftime drone show, giving FSU a chance to turn Clemson night into one of the most distinctive atmospheres on its home schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Florida State Loss Suddenly Looks More Complicated
A preseason exhibition can be an unreliable snapshot, but Florida State found plenty to like in its meeting with Auburn, especially from the frontcourt. Freshman center Marcis Ponder was everywhere in 25 minutes, piling up rebounds, scoring, and rim protection as the Seminoles used a second-half comeback to turn the game their way.
The bigger takeaway may be what the matchup suggested about Florida States depth near the basket, particularly with forward Alex Steen back in the mix after becoming eligible to play through a temporary injunction. It is still only an exhibition, and those games do not always carry over cleanly once the regular season starts, but the Seminoles suddenly have a much clearer reason to feel better about the shape of their front line. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Bye Week Puts Mike Norvell Under Real Pressure
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The pause before Clemson in Week 9 gives Florida State a chance to reset, but it also sharpens the pressure around a season that still has a path to bowl eligibility. Norvells standing has been buoyed by the teams belief in him and the flashes his offense has shown, yet the margin for error is now thin. How the Seminoles handle the next stretch will say plenty about whether this bye week becomes a turning point or just another stop in a frustrating season. [Read more 🡒]