After another dazzling season, Florida State basketball heads into next season in good shape to be again among the top teams in the ACC.
Leonard Hamilton won’t quit. At age 71, the legendary Florida State men’s basketball head coach pulled a rabbit out of his hat again, losing two players to the NBA Draft in 2019 and still finishing the season 26-5.
After the departure of Terance Mann and Mfiondu Kabengele in 2019, the Seminoles reshaped the team quickly. Hamilton found young contributors in Devin Vassell and Patrick Williams, who played well sooner than expected, particularly on defense, and churned out yet another highly competitive roster. The Seminoles lost just three games in conference play.
Hamilton already knows that in 2020-21, he will be without Vassell and Williams, who turned impressive breakouts as underclassmen into quick decisions to declare for the NBA Draft. Still, Hamilton has another stud freshman headed his way, and most of the 2019-20 roster will remain intact.
The ACC had a bit of a strange year with Virginia and North Carolina struggling a bit, but it should be back in top shape again next season, with Florida State in prime position to challenge for a conference championship once again.
Let’s explore what the lineups might look like.