The Florida State men’s basketball team opened preseason camp on Tuesday, Sept. 23 with new energy and the beginning of a new era.
That new era of course is FSU alum Luke Loucks taking the helm as men’s basketball coach. For more than two decades, Leonard Hamilton roamed the sidelines of the Tucker Center and coached Loucks from 2008-12.
Now is the time for Loucks to take the reins and he did so in loud and intense fashion when the media were allowed to view the first preseason practice on Tuesday afternoon. The oh-so-familiar sound of sneakers squeaking on the court with every second and the constant yelling from the coaches echoed throughout the basketball practice facility. FSU will have a new offensive philosophy and identity with Loucks coming from the NBA, where he spent years as an assistant coach (notably with Golden State and Sacramento).
His system and style of play is modern and looks like how NBA franchises operate. Shooting will be a premium with this team, unlike in previous years where the Seminoles maybe had one to two natural shooters. This offensive system has a lot of back-cutting, screening, passing and everything is done with as little dribbling as possible.
Hamilton ran a version of the motion offense where there was a ton of passing, but Loucks’ version is a bit more strategic and ramped up. The offensive sets that were being run during practice were being run with purpose, precision and being at the right spot at the right time on the court. Six passes during their halfcourt sets are what the Seminoles averaged before putting the ball up towards the hoop. All of the passing and cutting schemes open the right player at the right time and spot on the court, usually either wing 3-pointers or corner 3-pointers. This is how the NBA teams run their offense.
This Seminoles could rotate 12 guys judging by the depth on the roster. Hamilton was notorious for having a 10-plus-man rotation, so it remains to be seen if Loucks will do the same. If Loucks does, he has a plethora of options to choose from, most of which he recruited through the high school ranks and the transfer portal.
“I’ve been working with these guys all summer,” Loucks said after Tuesday’s practice. “So I have a pretty good feel at least individually for what each guy can bring. Now collectively it’s going to be fun to watch these guys compete now that we have real practice time and we get after it in real scrimmages. … I’m sure I’m going to learn a lot about our team before the first game starts.”
The lone returning players from last year’s team are sophomore center Alier Maluk and sophomore forward AJ Swinton, both of whom showed a ton of talent and potential last year. Getting them to return, as well as a likely scout-team player in Jalen Crawford, was big.
Loucks recruited lightly from the high school ranks but was able to bring in four players, two of which are from the international circuit. Guards Xavier Osceola, Cam Miles and Maximo Garcia-Plata make up the backcourt, while forward Thomas Bassong provides serious athleticism for a 19-year-old. Bassong is a native of France, but his international game lends itself to the modern style of play in basketball.
Look for Bassong and Miles to see considerable playing time, while Garcia-Plata could be a solid rotational point guard. The Madrid native is 6-foot-4 and weighs 180 pounds, which is on the big side for a point guard. When you watch him play, he has a smooth dribble and can move around the court well. He looks to be a project now, but he is not scared to drive the lane or stick his nose in to get a rebound. Freshman moments were plenty for the four newcomers but with time, they will develop and will be ready for ACC play.
The transfer portal is an integral part of college athletics and Loucks used it to the best of his ability to bring in the right guys for his system. When you look at the roster and see where some of the new players transferred from, it doesn’t really excite fans. Although it isn’t about what school you transferred from, it’s about how well a player fits the system.
The transfer class includes sophomore guard Martin Somerville (UMass – Lowell), senior forward Sha Muhammad (UMass), senior guard Kobe MaGee (Drexel), senior guard Robert McCray V (Jacksonville), senior forward Chauncey Wiggins (Clemson), senior guard LaJae Jones (St. Bonaventure) and senior forward Alex Steen (Florida Southern College).
All were very active during the scrimmage with MaGee being the most impressive player. At 6-5, MaGee is the ideal size for a in Loucks’ system. If you look at the guards and forwards on the team, in general, you can tell that Loucks has a particular body type he’s seeking. Loucks like the long, athletic, 6-5 to 6-7 player with good dribbling skills and the ability to knock down open 3-point shots. MaGee can get into the lane and can finish with either hand, and he has a smooth shooting stroke that will translate to a high percentage. He takes the right kind of 3-pointers and is methodical with his shot selection.
Forwards Steen and Wiggins are both over 6-9, but both showed the ability to knock down open shots. If they do this consistently, defenses will have to spread the court out and will cause lanes to open for other players to get easy runs to the basket. Loucks said the coaches will soon have conversations with players about what their strengths and areas of improvement are as they continue their development and the team prepares for the upcoming season.
“The best teams figure that out. They have to have some self-awareness of what they actually bring to winning,” Loucks said of what makes each player special. “But those meetings will start this week, sitting down individually with guys, having those conversations of, ‘Hey, this is what we’re thinking but tell us how you think you can impact winning for this team.’ Most guys will hit it square on and now you can hold them accountable. Some guys will need some guidance of ‘Alright, that’s a good answer. I might have a better answer for you. Let’s come to that agreement.’ So that by the time this season starts, through this preseason, you have those roles and responsibilities on the court that are directly laid out. And there’s no confusion on when you get in the game how you can impact the winning.”
The unknown will be answered as it pertains to the 2025-2026 men’s basketball team soon enough. The excitement was clearly in the air during the first practice and the team practiced hard. Everything is new surrounding the basketball program and the new car smell is still around. Fans of the Seminoles haven’t had much to cheer about the past few years when it comes to the basketball team, but Loucks has brought a new vision, style and optimism to the program.
This team looked ready for day one of practice, but not ready for a game just yet. With time, this team will learn how to play Loucks’ system to his liking and the fans excitement.
FSU opens with a pair of exhibition games — against Alabama in Birmingham on Oct. 16 and vs. Florida A&M on Oct. 26. The Seminoles will face Alcorn State on Nov. 4.
FSU announces Michael Fly will be GM
Loucks also announced on Tuesday that assistant coach Michael Fly will handle dual roles, including now being FSU's general manager. After interviewing a wide range of candidates - from pro and college options to player agents - he sat down with Fly and felt that he "was already doing 80-90 percent of what I'm going to ask these guys to do. And I trust Fly. He's like a brother of mine."
Fly's role will be varied, and for example on Tuesday he was on the road recruiting and not at practice. His experience as a college head coach and assistant gives him the background to handle the responsibilities of a GM.
"Fly is very comfortable in that realm of recruiting, of roster building, of team construction,” Loucks said. “He's a relationship builder. He does a really good job with his connections around the state."
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