Florida State Seminoles men's basketball


The Florida State Seminoles men's basketball team represents Florida State University in the intercollegiate sport of basketball. The Seminoles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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 17 NCAA Tournament appearances: advancing to the Round of 32 on ten occasions, the Sweet Sixteen six times, the Elite Eight on three occasions, and the Final Four once, moving on to the championship game and finishing as runner-up. Florida State has also made ten appearances in the National Invitation Tournament.
In the 69 season history of the Seminole basketball program, the Seminoles have won the regular season conference title five times and the conference tournament title three times, including two ACC championships.
Florida State has had 23 All-Americans, 26 players inducted into the Hall of Fame, and 32 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, in his eighteenth year.

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, 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 71st season of play.

Don Loucks era (1947–1948)

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 5–13, becoming one of only two coaches to leave the program with a losing record of 11 games.

J.K. Kennedy era (1949–1966)

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 18 years and compiling a record of 234–208.

Hugh Durham era (1966–1978)

played at Florida State in the 1950s, scoring 1,381 points in three years. His average of 21.9 points per game in 1958–59 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 81–76 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 230–95 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 at three different Division I schools.

Joe Williams era (1978–1986)

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 (1986–1997)

The 1992–1993 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 he led the team to the NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines.

Steve Robinson era (1997–2002)

took over the program for the 1997–1998 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 2001–2002 campaign. Robinson is now an assistant coach with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Leonard Hamilton era (2002–present)

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. Hamilton was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2012, and 2020. Hamilton is also the first Seminole coach to win an ACC Championship, capturing the league tournament title in 2012 and the regular season title in 2020. He has led the Seminoles to seven NCAA tournament appearances. 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, the fifth winningest coach in conference history, and has sent 14 players to the NBA Draft, including six first round picks.

Head coaches

Home court

Donald L. Tucker Center

The Seminoles play all of their home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center. It is a multi-purpose facility which has hosted over 25 years worth of Seminole games. Since the 2016-2017 season the Seminoles have only 3 losses at home. Making it, currently, the toughest home court in America.

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, 81–76, at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. The Seminoles defeated powerhouse Kentucky in the Mideast Region Final and North Carolina in the Final Four.

Regional Championship

Florida State defeated Kentucky, 73–54, 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, 82–73, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Conference Tournament championships

Conference Affiliations

Records and results

Year-by-year results

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, C = Conference
Florida State has ended their basketball season ranked 14 times in either the AP or Coaches Poll.
Top-10 finishes are colored ██
YearRecordAP PollCoaches
1969–7023–311
1971–7227–61010
1975–7621–6 16
1977–7823–61512
1988–8922–81616
1991–9222–102016
1992–9325–10117

YearRecordAP PollCoaches
2008–0925–101622
2010–1123–11 19
2011–1225–101015
2016–1726–91624
2017–1823–1218
2018–1929–81013
2019–2026–545

A second-place ranking is the best the team has ever received.

Regular season tournaments

ACC-Big Ten Challenge

The Seminoles have participated in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge 20 times, compiling a record of 9–12.

All-time record vs. ACC teams

OpponentWonLostPercentageStreakFirst Meeting
Florida27^43Won 61951
Miami47^36Won 51950
Clemson43^33Lost 11951
Totals116112

The Seminoles have appeared on ESPN's College Game Day twice, hosting the program once, in 2012, when the North Carolina Tar Heels played in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have a 1–0 record when Gameday is on campus.
DateLocationHome TeamAway TeamResultPFPA
January 14, 2012Tallahassee, FloridaFlorida State#3 North CarolinaW9057
March 16, 2019Charlotte, North Carolina #5 Duke#12 Florida StateL6373
Totals1–1153130

FSU vs. AP Ranked #1

NCAA Tournament results

The Seminoles have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 17 times. Their combined record is 21–17; current head coach Leonard Hamilton has a record of 12–10 in the tournament.
YearRoundOpponentResult
1968First RoundEast Tennessee StateL 69–79
1972First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		Eastern Kentucky
Minnesota
Kentucky
North Carolina
UCLA		W 83–81
W 70–56
W 73–54
W 79–75
L 76–81
1978First RoundKentuckyL 76–85
1980First Round
Second Round		#9 Toledo
  1. 1 Kentucky
W 94–91L 78–97
1988First Round#5 IowaL 98–102
1989First Round#13 Middle TennesseeL 83–97
1991First Round
Second Round		#10 USC
  1. 2 Indiana
W 75–72L 69–82
1992First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#14 Montana
  1. 6 Georgetown
  2. 2 Indiana
W 78–68W 78–68
L 74–85
1993First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#14 Evansville
  1. 11 Tulane
  2. 7 Western Kentucky
  3. 1 Kentucky
W 82–70W 94–63
W 81–78OT
L 81–106
1998First Round
Second Round		#5 TCU
  1. 13 Valparaiso
W 96–87L 77–83OT
2009First Round#12 WisconsinL 59–61OT
2010First Round#8 GonzagaL 60–67
2011First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#7 Texas A&M
  1. 2 Notre Dame
  2. 11 VCU
W 57–50W 71–57
L 71–72OT
2012First Round
Second Round		#14 St. Bonaventure
  1. 6 Cincinnati
W 66–63L 56–62
2017First Round
Second Round		#14 Florida Gulf Coast
  1. 11 Xavier
W 86–80L 66–91
2018First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#8 Missouri
  1. 1 Xavier
  2. 4 Gonzaga
  3. 3 Michigan
W 67–54W 75–70
W 75–60
L 54–58
2019First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#13 Vermont
  1. 12 Murray State
  2. 1 Gonzaga
W 76–69W 90–62
L 58–72
2020Automatic QualifierTournament Canceled-

NCAA Tournament seeding

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
Years →'80'88'89'91'92'93'98'09'10'11'12'17'18'19
Seeds →81247331259103394

NIT results

The Seminoles have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament ten times. Their combined record is 14–10.
YearRoundOpponentResult
1984First Round
Second Round		NC State
Pittsburgh		W 74–71
L 63–66
1987First Round
Second Round		Rhode Island
Vanderbilt		W 107–92
L 92–109
1997First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals		Syracuse
Michigan State
West Virginia
Connecticut
Michigan		W 82–67
W 68–63
W 76–71
W 71–65
L 73–82
2004First Round
Second Round		Wichita State
Iowa State		W 91–84
L 59–62
2006First Round
Second Round		#8 Butler
  1. 3 South Carolina
W 67–63L 68–69
2007First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		#7 Toledo
  1. 3 Michigan
  2. 1 Mississippi State
W 77–61W 87–66
L 71–86
2008First Round#6 AkronL 60–65OT
2013First Round#5 Louisiana TechL 66–71
2014First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		#8 Florida Gulf Coast
  1. 4 Georgetown
  2. 3 Louisiana Tech
  3. 1 Minnesota
W 58–53W 101–90
W 78–75
L 64–67OT
2016First Round
Second Round		#5 Davidson
  1. 1 Valparaiso
W 84–74L 69–81

NIT seeding

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 2006 edition.
Years →'06'07'08'13'14'16
Seeds →223414

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 19–27 at the ACC Tournament.
YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1992#2Quarterfinals
Semifinals		#7 NC State
  1. 3 North Carolina
W 93–80L 76–80
1993#2Quarterfinals#7 ClemsonL 75–87
1994#7Quarterfinals#2 North CarolinaL 69–83
1995#7Quarterfinals#2 MarylandL 64–71
1996#8First Round#9 NC StateL 65–80
1997#7Quarterfinals#2 Wake ForestL 65–66
1998#7First Round#8 NC StateL 63–65
1999#8First Round
Quarterfinals		#7 Clemson
  1. 2 Maryland
W 87–85L 69–93
2000#7First Round
Quarterfinals		#8 Georgia Tech
  1. 2 Maryland
W 63–62L 61–82
2001#8First Round#9 ClemsonL 64–66
2002#8First Round
Quarterfinals		#9 Clemson
  1. 1 Maryland
W 91–84L 59–85
2003#9First Round
Quarterfinals		#8 Clemson
  1. 1 Wake Forest
W 72–61L 61–69
2004#7Quarterfinals#2 NC StateL 71–78
2005#10First Round#7 NC StateL 54–70
2006#5First Round#12 Wake ForestL 66–78
2007#9First Round
Quarterfinals		#8 Clemson
  1. 1 North Carolina
W 67–66L 58–73
2008#9First Round
Quarterfinals		#8 Wake Forest
  1. 2 North Carolina
W 70–60L 70–82
2009#4Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game		#12 Georgia Tech
  1. 1 North Carolina
  2. 3 Duke
W 64–62W 73–70
L 69–79
2010#3Quarterfinals#11 NC StateL 52–58
2011#3Quarterfinals#6 Virginia TechL 52–51
2012#3Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game		#6 Miami
  1. 2 Duke
  2. 1 North Carolina
W 82–71W 62–59
W 85–82
2013#6First Round
Quarterfinals		#11 Clemson
  1. 3 North Carolina
W 73–69L 62–83
2014#9Second Round
Quarterfinals		#8 Maryland
  1. 1 Virginia
W 67–65L 51–64
2015#9Second Round
Quarterfinals		#8 Clemson
  1. 1 Virginia
W 76–73L 44–58
2016#12First Round
Second Round		#14 Boston College
  1. 6 Virginia Tech
W 88–66L 85–96
2017#2Quarterfinals
Semifinals		#7 Virginia Tech
  1. 3 Notre Dame
W 74–68L 73–77
2018#8Second Round#9 LouisvilleL 74–82
2019#4Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game		#5 Virginia Tech
  1. 1 Virginia
  2. 3 Duke
W 65–63OTW 69–59
L 63–73
2020#1---

Awards

All-Americans

ACC Coach of the Year
ACC Defensive Player of the Year
ACC Sixth Man of the Year

Notable alumni

No.PlayerPos.Career
13Dave CowensC1968–70

Honored jerseys

Some jerseys have been honored although their numbers are still active.
No.PlayerPos.Career
3Bob SuraSG1992–95
10Sam CassellPG1992–93
25Hugh DurhamG1957–59
33Ron KingSG1971–73
43Dave FedorF1960–62

Hall of Fame inductees

One FSU player and coach has been inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Seminoles in the NBA

Florida State has sent 46 players to the NBA Draft.
Florida State recently revived the character of Cimarron, a costume mascot that makes appearances at many FSU athletic events and functions. In addition, the character makes public appearances and is available for functions at area schools and service projects, as well as with the spirit groups.