Florida State has one more tune-up on the basketball court before the 2026-27 season gets rolling, and the matchup comes against LSU on Saturday.
The Seminoles are coming off a strong showing against Auburn, where they won 82-71 in the 2026 Ballin in Boutwell preseason event in Birmingham, Alabama. Florida State lived at the free throw line in that one, going 34-of-40 for an 85.0 percent mark.
Marcis Ponder made an immediate impact in his first outing with the Seminoles, posting 13 points and 21 rebounds for a double-double in 25 minutes. Kam Taylor paced Florida State with 19 points, and he was flawless at the stripe, finishing 10-of-10 from the foul line.
On the volleyball side, Florida State dropped a straight-sets match to No. 3 Louisville on Friday at home, falling 25-21, 25-13 and 25-15. The Seminoles (10-9, 4-4 ACC) were led by Payton Whalen and Nenu Kpea, who each finished with seven kills and two blocks.
The Cardinals grabbed control early in the first set with a 7-1 run, then opened the second with a 7-2 burst to seize the momentum. Florida State kept the third set tighter for a stretch, closing within 13-11 before Louisville ripped off a 12-2 run to close it out.
The Seminoles are back at home Sunday at 1 p.m. against Notre Dame on ACCNX.
Florida State also had a big day in the pool. The No. 23 Seminoles swept all four duals at the All Florida Invite on Friday.
The women beat West Florida 188-71, North Florida 179-81 and Thomas University 217-24, while the men handled Thomas 167-40. Florida State’s women won 12 of 16 events, and the men swept the field.
Andrew Rich turned in a personal-best 43.47 in the men’s 100 freestyle and also won the 50 freestyle in 19.91. Amelia Marek posted a personal best in the women’s 50 free at 23.13 and added a win in the 100 fly at 53.67.
The diving board brought more success. Maxwell Shaver won the men’s 1-meter with a 340.20, while Evelyn Hall claimed the women’s 1-meter at 279.98. Jack Bessire took the men’s 3-meter with 379.50, and Brooklyn Markusson won the women’s 3-meter at 298.58.
In golf, junior Alexandra Gazzoli powered the No. 17 Seminoles to a sixth-place finish among 18 schools after the opening round of the Landfall Tradition at the Country Club of Landfall’s Pete Dye Course on Friday.
In Other News...
Florida State Gets Its First Real Roster Test Against LSU
Florida State is about to get its first meaningful look at where the roster stands when it hosts LSU in an exhibition game at the Donald L. Tucker Center. For Luke Loucks, this is exactly the kind of test he wanted, a chance to see how his group handles a veteran opponent before the games start counting for real. The Seminoles will be leaning on freshman center Marcis Ponder, junior guard Kam Taylor and sophomore forward Shon Abaev as they try to find their footing against a team built to challenge them.
LSU comes in with its own questions, but also with plenty of experience under Will Wade, who has put together a roster that looks tested even after some early uncertainty. Fifth-year guard Donovan Dent gives the Tigers a seasoned backcourt presence, and Skyy Clark could add another layer if he is available after recently becoming eligible. For Florida State, the value here goes beyond the final score. It is a first real measuring stick, and the kind of night that can reveal a lot about where this team still needs work. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Gets One Last Read On A Roster Still In Flux
Florida State gets one more chance to sort through its preseason pieces before the games start to count, with LSU coming to the Donald L. Tucker Center for the Seminoles final exhibition matchup. The recent win over Auburn offered an encouraging early look, and it also gave the staff another live evaluation of a roster that is still being shaped by availability and fit.
One more layer was added with forward Alex Steen now eligible to compete after a temporary injunction, giving Florida State another option as it tries to settle into a rotation. LSU, meanwhile, arrives having won both of its exhibition games and with additional players set to be eligible for the regular season, so this one should provide a useful test for a Seminoles team still trying to answer a few lingering questions before the real schedule begins. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Keeps Running Well Despite One Alarming Problem
Florida State has found one of the few steady answers on offense in a season that has been defined more by frustration than by momentum. The running game has carried a lot of the load, with quarterback Ashton Daniels and running back Ousmane Kromah giving the Seminoles a reliable way to move the ball even as the bigger goals of the year have slipped out of reach.
The problem, of course, is that the ground game alone cannot cover for a defense that has struggled to hold up. Florida State is giving up 27.9 points and 256.3 passing yards per game, with the secondary and second-half performance emerging as the biggest concerns, and those issues have kept a team projected to finish 6-6 from looking like a true conference contender. [Read more 🡒]