Florida State walked into its preseason finale against LSU and left with a win that said plenty about where this team is right now. The Seminoles absorbed an early 8-0 punch, steadied themselves, and eventually outlasted the Tigers 89-87 in a game that swung wildly in the second half.
LSU opened fast behind Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, using its backcourt to jump ahead before Florida State settled in. From there, the Seminoles took over the first half with Kameron Taylor and Shon Abaev driving the offense.
Abaev was especially sharp, doing most of his damage from deep and showing why the ball keeps finding its way into his hands. Florida State also did real work on the glass, with players like Alex Steen, Sebastian Rancik, and Taylor helping the Seminoles create extra chances, especially on the offensive boards.
By halftime, Abaev already had 12 points, FSU had hit 6 of 13 from three, and the Seminoles had turned that early deficit into a 38-31 lead.
The second half started cleanly for Florida State, beginning with a designed lob for Taylor, and the Seminoles stretched the margin with an 11-2 burst capped by back-to-back threes from Elisee Assui and Abaev. That pushed FSU in front by 14 with 13:42 left and made it look like the game might be slipping away from LSU.
It didn’t stay that way. Abdi Bashir caught fire from long range and sparked an LSU surge, hitting three threes in four minutes to trim the margin to five. He helped fuel a 12-3 run that pulled the Tigers even at 73 with 3:17 remaining.
Florida State also had to navigate a scare when Anthony Robinson II left after coming down hard at the rim on a no-call. The Seminoles, though, answered with an and-one from Assui and a shot clock-beating three from Abaev. Even after LSU kept clawing, FSU appeared to have control when it moved ahead by seven with 50 seconds left.
Then the Tigers made one last push. Skyy Clark buried two difficult corner threes in the final 40 seconds to cut it to two, and Abaev split a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game with six seconds remaining. Luke Loucks wanted to use the foul game and avoid giving LSU a clean look from three, but Anthony Robinson was called for an intentional foul after checking back in for the final minute and a half.
That sent LSU to the line with 2.1 seconds left. Donovan Dent split the free throws, then Robinson forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds, and Florida State escaped with the 89-87 win.
Abaev led everyone with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting, including 5-for-8 from three. Taylor added 16 points. Assui finished with 11 points and five rebounds, while Sebastian Rancik also reached 13 points and five rebounds despite another uneven shooting night.
LSU got huge production from Dent and Clark, who combined for 45 points, but Florida State did a solid job keeping the rest of the roster in check. Bashir’s second-half shotmaking mattered, though he finished just 4-for-11 overall.
The result also underscored how much the Seminoles have changed under Luke Loucks. Will Wade brought NC State into Tallahassee last year and blew past Florida State, 113-69. A year later, Wade returned with LSU, and this time the Seminoles got the upper hand against a more talented roster.
Florida State was also strong at the line again, finishing 14-for-17. The performance offered three clear takeaways.
Rancik’s play remains a mixed bag. There are things to like, but the efficiency isn’t there yet.
He went 4-for-12 from the floor after a 1-for-9 showing against Auburn, and while he was perfect at the line again, the Seminoles can’t count on that alone. He had a few possessions where he tried to spin or drive into traffic and got rejected, along with a couple of turnovers.
For a player expected to be one of Florida State’s best, that level just isn’t good enough yet.
At the same time, if Rancik starts to click while Taylor and Abaev keep producing like this, Florida State becomes a difficult team to handle.
Abaev, though, is the biggest story. What he’s doing now looks like a complete reversal from what he showed last season at Cincinnati.
His 26-point night came with every kind of shot difficulty imaginable, including the shot he hit late in the second half after inbounding the ball. If he keeps playing at this level, Florida State has a real chance to be a serious ACC contender.
Assui, meanwhile, gave the Seminoles exactly what a glue guy is supposed to give. He was steady, decisive, and rarely hesitated.
Whether he was kicking to open teammates, attacking the basket, or finishing through contact, he kept making the right play. For a player who has already played professionally overseas, he’s proving he can translate that experience into a valuable college role.
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Florida State Gets Its First Real Roster Test Against LSU
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The Seminoles will lean on a mix of youth and experience, including freshman center Marcis Ponder, junior guard Kam Taylor and sophomore forward Shon Abaev. LSUs backcourt is the part to watch, with fifth-year guard Donovan Dent in the mix and Skyy Clark recently cleared to play, giving the Tigers another layer of talent as Florida State tries to measure itself before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
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The plan includes a parachute jump by USSOCOM Para-Commandos, Halloween-themed activities around the stadium and a halftime drone show. The night will also carry a special recognition for Peter Warrick in the first quarter, celebrating his College Football Hall of Fame induction and adding another layer to what should already be one of the Seminoles marquee home atmospheres of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Keeps Running Well Despite One Alarming Problem
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The problem is that the support around it has not matched that stability. Florida State has given up 27.9 points per game and 256.3 passing yards a game, with the secondary and second-half defense standing out as the biggest concerns, and that leaves the Seminoles in a frustrating spot: good enough on the ground to stay competitive, but not yet consistent enough everywhere else to look like a true conference contender. [Read more 🡒]