Luke Loucks is learning on the job - and Tuesday night, he earned his first real badge of progress.
In a season that’s been defined more by growing pains than glory, Florida State finally broke through with an upset win over Miami, a much-needed jolt for a program still searching for its footing. The Seminoles walked into Coral Gables as 12.5-point underdogs, winless in ACC play, and staring down a Hurricanes squad slotted as a No. 9 seed in the latest NCAA tournament projections.
But none of that mattered once the ball tipped.
Florida State came out swinging, forcing 14 turnovers and playing with a level of urgency that Miami head coach Jai Lucas admitted his team simply didn’t match. The win marked FSU’s first Quad 1 road victory since February of last year - a long drought finally snapped.
“You can learn a lot from losing,” Loucks said postgame. “At times, you can learn a lot more from losing than winning.
We had a tough schedule, we did that for a reason. I wanted a barometer of how far we have to go as a program.
We’re going to keep building this program the right way.”
That’s been the tone all season long from Loucks - honest, direct, and focused on building something sustainable. He’s not sugarcoating where the Seminoles are, but he’s also not backing down from the challenge. And on Tuesday night, his players responded to that message.
It’s been a rough ride to this point. Two separate five-game losing streaks.
Blowout losses. A 44-point drubbing at home against NC State that set a record for the largest margin of victory in ACC play.
That kind of result can break a locker room. But Loucks didn’t let it.
Instead, he called it out.
“Our players did not play with the level of effort and competitive spirit that we need,” he said after that NC State loss.
Since then? A different team has shown up.
Over the next three games, FSU forced 33 total turnovers and started winning the battle on the offensive glass - no small feat for a team that’s often undersized. The effort flipped, and with it, the energy around the program.
Loucks has also shown he’s not afraid to hold players accountable - publicly, if necessary. After a loss to UMass earlier this season, he was blunt in his assessment of senior forward Chauncey Wiggins, a transfer from Clemson.
“Chauncey’s been at a pretty big program at Clemson, but I need more from Chauncey. That’s why his minutes were down,” Loucks said. “He played 17 minutes and had one rebound.”
Since then? Wiggins has responded.
He’s hit double figures in six of his last nine games, including a 22-point performance against Duke and a clutch second half against Miami. That’s the kind of bounce-back you want to see from a veteran, and it’s a credit to both the player and a coach who knows when to push the right buttons.
But Loucks isn’t just demanding - he’s also empowering. After Robert McCray V committed 11 turnovers in a brutal one-point loss to Wake Forest, Loucks didn’t bench him or bury him.
Instead, he drew up the final play for McCray. The shot didn’t fall, but the message landed.
Fast forward to Tuesday night, and it was McCray stepping to the line with 1.7 seconds left in a tie game against Miami. Two free throws later, FSU had its first ACC win of the season. That’s trust repaid.
Loucks is also showing a willingness to adapt. Florida State has leaned heavily on a run-and-gun, three-point-heavy offense this season - sometimes to a fault.
But against Miami, Loucks shifted gears. The Seminoles attempted just 17 threes, well below their season average of 32, and instead focused on attacking the paint.
The result? A more efficient offensive game plan that produced 43 of their 65 points either at the rim or the free-throw line, and a 50% shooting mark inside the arc.
That’s the kind of midseason adjustment you want to see from a first-year head coach. It’s not just about sticking to a philosophy - it’s about reading the room, reading the roster, and putting your players in the best position to succeed.
Now, let’s be clear: one win doesn’t mean Florida State is back. The Seminoles are still three games under .500 at 8-11 and will need a miracle run in the ACC tournament to avoid missing March Madness for a fifth straight year.
But this season was never supposed to be about the win-loss column. It’s about building something.
About laying a foundation.
And on Tuesday night, Loucks and his team poured a little more concrete.
There’s still a long way to go. The program is battling uphill - limited NIL resources, administrative support that’s lagging behind, and a roster that’s still coming together.
But Loucks isn’t looking for excuses. He’s looking for progress.
And for the first time this season, Florida State took a step forward that felt real.
That’s how rebuilds start - not with a bang, but with a fight. And finally, the Seminoles are fighting back.