Top-15 class has FSU optimistic despite recent basketball struggles
TALLAHASSEE -- Leonard Hamilton had envisioned something far different. He saw a mix of veterans and youth, a roster loaded with athletic guards along with a trio of 7-footers.
The plan, after two frustrating seasons that ended in the NIT, was for the Seminoles to feature shooting guard Aaron Thomas but surround him with talent and play the kind of physical defense that is a trademark of Hamilton's teams. And play in the NCAA Tournament.
But the plan was altered dramatically in mid-December when Thomas was dismissed from the team due to an undisclosed violation of team rules. Gone was FSU's leading scorer and top defender.
"To lose a player is like losing a family member," Hamilton said.
The Seminoles (17-16) tried to adjust and adapt without Thomas but went 8-10 in the ACC and were wildly inconsistent. FSU was one of the nation's worst teams in committing 478 turnovers, an average of 14.4 per game.
And FSU shot just 66.9 percent from the free-throw line and finished with a rebound margin of just 1.2 per game while playing with one of the nation's tallest rosters. FSU also ranked 179th nationally in defense, allowing 67 points a game.
For the first time since 2004-05, FSU isn't playing in a postseason tournament. When the postseason tournaments were announced Sunday, the Seminoles had no shot at the NCAAs but were passed up by the NIT and then school administrators opted to decline a bid to play in the CBI.
Most programs in this situation look forward to an offseason that allows them to recharge. And then feel optimistic about 2015-16. FSU has a right to do both and will reload with a top 15 signing class that is arguably Hamilton's best group of newcomers in his 13 seasons in Tallahassee.
McDonald's All American forward Dwayne Bacon headlines a group that includes shooting guard Malik Beasley, small forward Terance Mann and 7-3 center Jean Marc Christ Koumadje. Bacon is a Scout.com five-star prospect, Beasley and Mann are four-stars, and Koumadje a three-star.
The 6-foot-6 Bacon is considered one of the nation's top prospects and he plays for Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, a prep school that annually produces top college basketball prospects.
"He's one of the best pure scorers in the 2015 class," Scout.com director of basketball recruiting Evan Daniels said. "He has good size and physical features for a perimeter prospect. To go with his long-range shot and pull-up game, he's also able to take defenders to the post and play physical around the basket."
Daniels feels that Bacon is bigger and physical but that the 6-4 Beasley may be "a tad more skilled."
"Beasley is an impressive athlete," Daniels said. "He's quick and aggressive off the dribble. He's able to make long-range shots, is comfortable for mid-range and has continued to gain athleticism over his high school career."
Said Hamilton: "I never like to put expectations so high that sometimes incoming freshmen can't live up to them. But I really am excited about those guys. "
It's a group that could blend in well with point guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who had a breakout freshman season. Rathan-Mayes scored 30 or more points in three ACC games and averaged 14.9 points. Guards Montay Brandon and Devon Bookert will be seniors, as will centers Boris Bojanovsky and Michael Ojo. Forwards Jarquez Smith (rising junior) and Phil Cofer (rising sophomore) add versatility.
When Hamilton, now 66, arrived at FSU in 2002, the Seminoles had won a combined 21 games in the previous two seasons and were virtually not competitive in the ACC. As he had done previously at Oklahoma State and Miami, Hamilton rebuilt FSU into a competitive team capped by its 2012 ACC tournament title.
The league championship brought recognition, but also increased the expectations and the Seminoles have fallen short of 20 wins and the NCAA tournament for the past three seasons.
Now the expectation will be for FSU to return to the NCAA tournament. Hamilton thinks that FSU will learn from its experiences and the losses of last season.
"Life will afford you an opportunity to grow stronger from struggles," Hamilton said.
