Luke Loucks takes over for longtime head coach Leonard Hamilton, and already there seems to be a new aura around this Florida State basketball program.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Florida State basketball.
Leonard Hamilton gave FSU hoops some great years to remember but now the program turns to Luke Loucks. It’s a very interesting hire, as he has no prior college basketball coaching experience, instead last coaching for the Sacramento Kings and before that, the Golden State Warriors.
But clearly, players are buying into his vision. It’s a very solid transfer class, led by Jacksonville star Robert McCray V, Drexel standout Kobe MaGee, and St. Bonaventure key player Lajae Jones. Together, those three could be in line to start at spots 1-3, with UMass Lowell newcomer Martin Somerville also in the mix for big minutes. All four transfers averaged double digits in points per game and can also add in as above average playmakers or rebounders.
And then there’s Clemson transfer Chauncey Wiggins, transferring within the ACC. He could be the most important player to watch, after filling a key role on some really good Tigers teams.
The center spot seems to be open, but Alier Maluk showed promise last year and former UMass big man Shahid Muhammad is also an intriguing option.
There are other players who could see important minutes off the bench, giving Loucks depth and players who can sub in at different positions. It’s a whole lot of guys who can do a little bit of everything, which makes Florida State basketball a little bit of a sleeper in the ACC.
Head coach:Â Luke Loucks (1st season overall)
2024-25 record:Â 17-15 (8-12)
2025 postseason finish:Â No postseason
Notable departures:Â
- Jamir Watkins (18.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.2 SPG)
- Malique Ewin (14.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 59.6 FG%)
- Daquan Davis (8.8 PPG, 2.5 APG, 2.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG)
- Taylor Bol Bowen (8.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 41.4 3P%)
- Jerry Deng (7.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.5 APG, 37.0 3P%)
- Chandler Jackson (6.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG)
- Justin Thomas (4.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG)
- Bostyn Holt (3.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.2 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- at Florida (Nov. 11)
- vs. Houston (Dec. 6)
Projected Rotation
PG: Robert McCray V (6-4, 188, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 16.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.4 SPG (Jacksonville)
SG: Kobe MaGee (6-5, 207, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 14.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 43.9 3P% (Drexel)
SF: Lajae Jones (6-7, 220, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 10.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 0.6 APG, 1.5 APG, 38.9 3P% (St. Bonaventure)
PF: Chauncey Wiggins (6-10, 225, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 8.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 36.5 3P% (Clemson)
C: Alier Maluk (6-11, 220, So.)
2024-25 stats: 2.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.2 APG, 55.2 FG%, 10.8 MPG
6: AJ Swinton (6-6, 220, So.)
2024-25 stats: 2.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.4 APG, 10.5 MPG
7: Martin Somerville (6-3, 185, So.)
2024-25 stats: 13.6 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 40.5 3P% (UMass Lowell)
8: Thomas Bassong (6-8, 203, Fr.)
International prospect from France
9: Shahid Muhammad (6-11, 200, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 3.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.0 APG, 1.5 BPG, 63.6 FG% (UMass)
10: Maximo Garcia (6-4, 180, Fr.)
International prospect from Spain
Florida State Basketball team MVP: Chauncey Wiggins
Chauncey Wiggins might not lead Florida State in points – and he might not even be in the top three. He also probably won’t lead the team in rebounds and he isn’t going to come close in assists per game.
But throw out the stat sheet for this one – in a potential starting five for the Seminoles, Wiggins could be the lone player who saw significant minutes and played well for a power conference team last season. Based on that, and he’s going to be the most critical piece, the team leader, and a backbone both on the court and in the locker room.
Don’t get me wrong – Wiggins has talent. He can knock down the three point shot and serve as a good stretch four. And he can force teams to defend FSU differently. But his biggest impact will be bringing this team together and being the guy everyone else looks up to. And that’s a critical spot to be in.
Florida State Basketball make-or-break player: Martin Somerville
I may not be as excited about a single player in the ACC than I am with Somerville. He lit it up as a freshman at UMass Lowell and didn’t waste any time in moving up a level. Will the ACC stunt his growth as a player? Or is THIS where Somerville belongs.
He certainly looked like an ACC player last season. Somerville was deadly from outside, composed with the ball in his hands, and a blend of confident, composed, and smooth when attacking the rim. He plays within himself and can be an asset defensively.
Somerville may wind up starting – but the more important thing here is that he could be a three year player in this Florida State basketball program. He may be the single most important first year recruit for Loucks.
Key analytic: TOVPG
Last season, teams exposed Florida State – causing FSU to turn the ball over 12.3 times per game. That was just barely inside the top 250 in the country, far worse than most ACC teams, and a number that any coach can’t be happy with.
For a team that hasn’t had a whole lot of success lately, they’ve got to get better at the little things this season. It starts with free throws, ball movement, and in this case, valuing the basketball. Loucks brought in a lot of talented guards and wings and now they’ve got to step up in this department for FSU to progress in 2025-26.
Florida State Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish:Â 13th in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NIT appearance