A traditional football powerhouse, bright days certainly seem to lie ahead for Florida State on the hardwood. With a national top 10 recruiting class coming in and Florida head coach Billy Donovan leaving Gainesville for the NBA, it seems plausible that Florida State could replace Florida as the preeminent men’s basketball school in the state.
The Seminoles received more good news this week when guard Trenton Forrest, a top 50 recruit for 2016, committed to Florida State. While there is a possibility for some to leave for the NBA, Forrest could join a FSU roster that will feature Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Dwayne Bacon, Malik Beasley, Benji Bell, Terance Mann and Phil Cofer.
Rathan-Mayes this past season became the first freshman to lead FSU in scoring in over 60 years and averaged more assists than any Seminole since Delvon Arrington dished out over six per game during the 2001-02 season. When Bacon steps on the court next season, he will become the fifth McDonald’s All-American to play for Leonard Hamilton at Florida State.
Though it finished just 17-16 this past season, Florida State got noticeably better down the stretch while Florida finished with a losing record for the first time in 17 years and only the third time under Billy Donovan. The other two came in Donovan’s first two seasons in Gainesville.
Donovan recently left the Gators to become the new head man of the Oklahoma City Thunder and on Thursday night, the Gators named Louisiana Tech head coach Michael White his successor. White went 101-40 in four seasons with the Bulldogs.
Donovan however, won’t be easily replaced as he led Florida to four Final Four appearances, three other Elite 8s and back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. He was also 12-7 against Florida State during his 19-year tenure.
Thanks to a tip into the wrong basket in December, the Seminoles snapped a 5-game skid to the Gators with a 65-63 victory.
A walk-off home run on the baseball diamond last month gave the Seminoles the season series over Florida in baseball, marking the first time in 35 academic years, it had done so while also defeating the Gators in football and men’s basketball. It however, is too early to say whether or not the Gators will be the Seminoles’ biggest in-state challenger in hoops in the years to come.
With Jim Larranaga, who coached George Mason to the 2006 Final Four, at the helm, the University of Miami has become more of a force on the basketball court.
After winning its first ACC title in 2013, Miami narrowly missed being included in the NCAA Tournament field this past season, but reached the final of the NIT where it fell in overtime to Stanford.
With the Hurricanes fueled by a pair of Big XII transfers in Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan and the ACC’s leading rebounder Tonye Jekiri, they split the season series with the Seminoles this past season with each team winning at home.
The top 10 incoming class for Florida State might give the Seminoles a brighter future for the time being over their in-state counterparts, but FSU will actually be the most veteran of the teams next season. Florida State loses just one senior and will have a roster comprised of four seniors including Montay Brandon and Devon Bookert, the team’s second and third leading scorers.
Though Florida State missed out on playing in a postseason tournament for the first time in a decade this past season, the ‘Noles may not be that far away.
FSU overcame a tough 1-3 start to notch a 10th straight winning season while hanging tough with very good competition. The Seminoles lost to Duke and North Carolina by a combined seven points and actually led midway through the second half against eventual ACC champion Virginia in Charlottesville. The incoming class may be just what Hamilton needs to get his team back to the NCAA Tournament.
The Seminoles have certainly had the upper-hand over their in-state rivals on the gridiron the last five seasons and after taking two of three from both Miami and Florida on the diamond, Florida State looks to be in line to earn a national seed. The bragging rights however, have rarely spilled over onto the hardwood for FSU, but with its best player returning, a top 10 class and an arch-rival losing a legendary head coach, that too could soon be changing for the better.
