The Florida State Seminoles men's basketball team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the intercollegiate sport of basketball. The Seminoles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Though they have historically played under the shadow of the football program, the Seminoles have had successes on the hardwood and they have achieved success in recent years. Florida State has made fifteen NCAA Tournament appearances: appearing in the Round of 64 on ten occasions, advancing to the Round of 32 on eight occasions, the Sweet Sixteen on four occasions, the Elite Eight on two occasions, and the Final Four on one occasion going on to the championship game and finishing as runner-up. Florida State has also made ten appearances in the National Invitation Tournament.
In the sixty-nine season history of the Seminole basketball program, the Seminoles have won the regular season conference title four times and the conference tournament title three times, including one ACC championship.
Florida State has had twenty-two All-Americans, twenty-six players inducted into the Hall of Fame, and thirty-one players that went on to play in the NBA. Jeff Sagarin and ESPN listed the program 74th in the college basketball all-time rankings in the 'ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia'.
The Seminoles play their home games in the Donald L. Tucker Center on the university's Tallahassee, Florida campus. The current head men's basketball coach is Leonard Hamilton.
Overview
The Florida State Seminoles men's team annually plays an eighteen-game conference schedule that is preceded by an out-of-conference schedule against few annual opponents except for Florida. Their conference schedule consists of a home-and-home game against two permanent rivals (Miami and Clemson), alternating home-and-home games against the other fourteen ACC teams.
History
Florida State University has officially fielded a basketball team since 1947, and the Seminoles are currently in their 70th season of play.
Don Loucks era (1947â€"1948)
Hugh Donald Loucks served as the first basketball coach for the Florida State Seminoles. He coached at the school for one year and compiled an overall record of 5â€"13, becoming one of only two coaches to leave the program with a losing record of 11 games.
J.K. Kennedy era (1949â€"1966)
After the departure of Loucks, J.K. Kennedy became the coach. He was the first coach to find success at Florida State, holding the position for eighteen years and compiling a record of 234â€"208.
Hugh Durham era (1966â€"1978)
Hugh Durham played at Florida State in the 1950s, scoring 1,381 points in three years. His average of 21.9 points per game in 1958â€"59 is the seventh best tally in Florida State history. Durham's career average of 18.9 points per game is still the ninth best in school history. After his playing career had ended, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach in 1959. Seven years later, Durham would be named head coach in 1966. One of the top players during this time was future NBA Hall-of-Famer Dave Cowens. Durham led the Seminoles from 1966 to 1978. In 1972, Durham led Florida State to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament. A hard-fought 81â€"76 loss to the top-ranked UCLA Bruins in the NCAA Championship game prevented Durham's Florida State team from winning the NCAA Tournament. Another key player for the Seminoles was Harry Davis, who helped the program sustain stability.
Durham's overall record at Florida State was a 230â€"95 record with three NCAA tournament bids. He still owns the highest winning percentage of any Florida State coach at .708. Durham is the only coach in NCAA history to be the all-time winningest coach (percentage or wins) at three different Division I schools.
Joe Williams era (1978â€"1986)
After the departure of Hugh Durham, Joe Williams took over the Seminole basketball program. One of the standout players during this period was George McCloud. McCloud helped the Seminoles rebuild after the departure of Durham by becoming one of the most prolific scorers in FSU history. During his senior season, McCloud had the second-highest scoring average and the sixth-highest in Florida State history. Joe Williams would coach his final season in 1986.
Pat Kennedy era (1986â€"1997)
The 1992â€"1993 season would see the emergence of one of the Seminoles' best players in its history, Bob Sura . Not much was expected of the Seminoles in 1992 as they entered into their first season in the ACC, yet they finished second in the conference to national champion Duke. The team repeated the second-place finish in 1993, establishing itself as a legitimate national power. In the 1993 NCAA Tournament they fell to Kentucky in the Elite Eight round. In Kennedy's final season (1996â€"1997) he led the team to the NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines.
Steve Robinson era (1997â€"2002)
Steve Robinson took over the program for the 1997â€"1998 season and led the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament his first year. However, the team suffered losing records the next four seasons and Robinson left the program after the 2001â€"2002 campaign. Robinson is now an assistant coach with the North Carolina Tarheels.
Leonard Hamilton era (2002â€"present)
Leonard Hamilton became Florida State’s seventh head basketball coach on March 19, 2002. In two years, Tim Pickett scored 1,039 points, earning him First-Team All-ACC and All-American Honorable Mention honors. In the 2008â€"2009 season, Hamilton led the Seminoles to a #5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and runner-up in the ACC Tournament. Hamilton was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2012. Hamilton is also the first Seminole coach to win an ACC Championship, capturing the league tournament title in 2012. During his tenure, Florida State has been the third-most successful team in the conference. Hamilton is the winningest coach in the program's history and has sent twelve players to the NBA Draft.
Head coaches
*^22 wins vacated from Leonard Hamilton's record from the 2006â€"2007 basketball season
Current coaching staff
Home court
Donald L. Tucker Center
The Seminoles play all of their home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center. It is an 18,000-square-foot (1,700Â m2) multi-purpose facility which has hosted over 25 years worth of Seminole games.
Championships
National Championship appearance
Florida State has appeared in the NCAA Division I Tournament's National Championship game once, in 1972. The Seminoles, coached by Hugh Durham, lost to John Wooden and his UCLA Bruins, 81â€"76, at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. The Seminoles defeated powerhouse Kentucky in the Mideast Region Final and North Carolina in the Semifinals.
Regional Championship
Florida State defeated Kentucky, 73â€"54, to win their only regional championship.
NIT Championship appearance
Florida State has appeared in the National Invitation Tournament's National Championship game once, in 1997. The Seminoles, coached by Pat Kennedy, lost to Michigan, coached by Steve Fisher, 82â€"73, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Conference Tournament championships
Conference Affiliations
- 1947: Independent
- 1948â€"1951: Dixie Conference
- 1951â€"1954: Independent
- 1954â€"1957: Florida Intercollegiate Conference
- 1957â€"1976: Independent
- 1976â€"1991: Metro Conference
- 1991â€"present: Atlantic Coast Conference
Conference regular season championships
Records and results
Year-by-year results
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, C = Conference
*122 total wins vacated from the 2006â€"2007 basketball season due to the academic scandal
*27 ACC wins vacated from the 2006â€"2007 basketball season due to the academic scandal
Polls
Florida State has ended their basketball season ranked 11 times in either the AP or Coaches Poll. Top-10 finishes are colored ██
Florida State has been ranked in the AP Poll a total of 127 times with a second-place ranking being the best the team has ever received.
Regular season tournaments
ACC-Big Ten Challenge
The Seminoles have participated in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge 18 times, compiling a record of 7â€"11.
All-time record vs. ACC teams
*^wins vacated from the 2006â€"2007 basketball season due to the academic scandal
Rivals
*^wins vacated from the 2006â€"2007 basketball season due to the academic scandal
College Gameday
The Seminoles have appeared on ESPN's College Game Day once, hosting the program in 2012 when the North Carolina Tar Heels played in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have a 1â€"0 record when Gameday is on campus.
FSU vs. AP Ranked #1
NCAA Tournament results
The Seminoles have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 15 times. Their combined record is 16â€"15.
NCAA Tournament seeding
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
NIT results
The Seminoles have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) ten times. Their combined record is 14â€"10.
NIT seeding
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 2006 edition.
ACC Tournament results
The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Florida State has won the ACC Tournament once, in 2012, under coach Leonard Hamilton. The Seminoles have a record of 17â€"25 at the ACC Tournament.
Awards
All-Americans
- Solomon Alabi
- Dwayne Bacon
- Malik Beasley
- James Collins
- Dave Cowens
- Toney Douglas
- Hugh Durham
- Dave Fedor
- Alton Lee Gipson
- Jonathan Isaac
- Alexander Johnson
- Ron King
- George McCloud
- Jim Oler
- Tim Pickett
- Xavier Rathan-Mayes
- Chris Singleton
- Bob Sura
- Al Thornton
- Ham Wernke
- Mitchell Wiggins
Conference awards
ACC Coach of the Year
- Pat Kennedy (1992)
- Leonard Hamilton (2009, 2012)
ACC Defensive Player of the Year
- Toney Douglas (2009)
- Chris Singleton (2010)
Players
Notable alumni
- Jonathan Isaac, NBA player, Orlando Magic
- Dwayne Bacon, NBA player, Charlotte Hornets
- Solomon Alabi, NBA player, Toronto Raptors
- Sam Cassell, NBA All-Star, #20 on FSU all-time scoring list (only played 2 years at FSU)
- Dave Cowens, all-time FSU rebounding leader, NBA Hall-of-Famer
- Harry Davis, former NBA player and 1978 Metro Conference co-player of the year
- Toney Douglas, NBA player, runner-up for 2009 ACC Player of the Year, 2009 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
- Hugh Durham former player and head coach at Florida State University
- Mark Gilbert, Major League Baseball player (Chicago White Sox), and US Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa
- George McCloud, former NBA player, 7th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, first lottery selection in FSU history
- Tim Pickett, 2003â€"04 First-Team All-ACC and All-American Honorable Mention
- Ryan Reid, NBA player, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Chris Singleton, 18th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, 2010 ACC Defensive Player of the Year
- Michael Snaer, led FSU to an ACC Championship and named ACC Tournament MVP
- Bob Sura, all-time FSU scoring leader with 2,130 points, 17th overall pick in 1995 NBA Draft
- Al Thornton, NBA player, runner-up for 2007 ACC Player of the Year
- Von Wafer, NBA player, only the seventh McDonald's High School All-American to play at Florida State University
- Charlie Ward, former NBA player, former FSU point guard and quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner
Retired numbers
Honored jerseys
Some jerseys have been honored although their numbers are still active.
Hall of Fame inductees
One FSU player and coach has been inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Seminoles in the NBA
- Okaro White, Miami Heat
- Malik Beasley, Denver Nuggets
Florida State has sent forty-four players to the NBA Draft.
- Solomon Alabi
- Kris Anderson
- Dwayne Bacon
- Norwood Barber
- Malik Beasley
- Murray Brown
- Sam Cassell
- Ben Clyde
- James Collins
- Dave Cowens
- Harry Davis
- Mickey Dillard
- Toney Douglas
- Doug Edwards
- Vernell Ellzy
- Dave Fedor
- Rowland Garret
- Alton Lee Gipson
- Jonathan Isaac
- Tony Jackson
- Bernard James
- Alexander Johnson
- Ron King
- Vince Martello
- George McCloud
- Lawrence McCray
- Tim Pickett
- Ryan Reid
- Elvis Rolle
- Reggie Royals
- Gary Schull
- David Shaffer
- Dean Shaffer
- Chris Singleton
- Bob Sura
- David Thompson
- Al Thornton
- Von Wafer
- Charlie Ward
- Bob Whitmer
- Mitchell Wiggins
- Tony William
- Willie Williams
Mascot
Florida State recently revived the character of Cimarron, a costume mascot that will make appearances at many FSU athletic events and functions. In addition, the character will make public appearances and will be available for functions at area schools and service projects, as well as with the spirit groups.
See also
- Florida State Seminoles women's basketball
- History of Florida State University
- List of Florida State University professional athletes
References
Bibliography
- Florida State Seminoles Men's Basketball Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Tallahassee, Florida
External links
- Official website