Florida State Seminoles basketball
Encyclopedia
The Florida State Seminoles men's basketball team represents Florida State University
in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference
in NCAA Division I. The current head men's basketball coach is Leonard Hamilton
.
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 (percentage or wins) at three different Division I schools.
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.
. 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 (1996–1997) he led the team to the NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines
.
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 Tarheels.
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 2008–2009 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.
The Seminoles play all of their home games at the Donald L. Tucker Center
. It is an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) multi-purpose facility which has hosted over 25 years worth of Seminole games.
Note: W= Wins, L= Losses, %= Winning %, CW = ACC Wins, CL= ACC Losses, C%= ACC Winning %, CFinish= Place in Conference
* Miami
and Virginia Tech joined the ACC prior to the 2004–05 season increasing the field of teams from 9 to 11
** Boston College
joins the ACC increasing the field of teams from 11 to 12
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in NCAA Division I. The current head men's basketball coach is Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton is the current head basketball coach at Florida State University. He is a former coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and the NBA's Washington Wizards...
.
Hugh Durham Era
Hugh DurhamHugh Durham
Hugh Durham is the first and only coach in the history of NCAA Division I basketball to lead two different schools to the NCAA Final Four for the first and only time in each school's history...
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
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
. 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
Harry Davis (basketball)
Harry A. Davis is a retired American basketball player who played for two seasons in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs....
, 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 (percentage or wins) at three different Division I schools.
Joe Williams Era
After the departure of Hugh Durham, Joe WilliamsJoe Williams (basketball coach)
Joe Williams is a retired college basketball coach. He was head coach of the Jacksonville University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1970, Furman University from 1970 to 1978 and the Florida State University from 1978 to 1986. He notably led Jacksonville University, to the Finals of the NCAA...
took over the Seminole basketball program. One of the standout players during this period was George McCloud
George McCloud
George Aaron McCloud is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early life:McCloud attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach and Florida State University in Tallahassee.-Professional career:...
. 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
The 1992–1993 season would see the emergence of one of the Seminoles' best players in its history, Sam CassellSam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
. 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
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
. 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
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
in the Elite Eight round. In Kennedy's final season (1996–1997) he led the team to the NIT Final, losing to the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
.
Steve Robinson Era
Steve RobinsonSteve Robinson (basketball coach)
Steve Robinson , a native of Roanoke, Virginia, is an assistant college basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. He is the former head coach of the University of Tulsa and Florida State University...
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 Tarheels.
Leonard Hamilton Era
Leonard HamiltonLeonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton is the current head basketball coach at Florida State University. He is a former coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and the NBA's Washington Wizards...
became Florida State’s seventh head basketball coach on March 19, 2002. In two years, Tim Pickett
Tim Pickett
Tim Pickett is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association as an import...
scored 1,039 points, earning him First-Team All-ACC and All-American Honorable Mention honors. In the 2008–2009 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.
Head Coaches
| cellpadding="1" style="width:80%;" class="wikitable sortable"> | ||||
| Tenure | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-1948 | Don Loucks | 1 | 5-13 | .278 |
| 1949–1966 | J.K. Kennedy | 18 | 234-208 | .529 |
| 1967-1978 | Hugh Durham Hugh Durham Hugh Durham is the first and only coach in the history of NCAA Division I basketball to lead two different schools to the NCAA Final Four for the first and only time in each school's history... |
12 | 229-96 | .705 |
| 1979-1986 | Joe Williams Joe Williams Joe Williams may refer to:* Cyclone Joe Williams , Negro Leagues baseball pitcher, a.k.a. "Smokey Joe" Williams* Joe Williams , achieved prominence in the late 1950s* Big Joe Williams , delta blues singer... |
8 | 129-105 | .551 |
| 1987-1997 | Pat Kennedy Pat Kennedy Pat Kennedy is an American college basketball coach who most recently was men's basketball coach at Towson University before announcing his resignation on March 7, 2011. Previously, Kennedy coached at Iona College, Florida State University, DePaul University, and the University of Montana.Kennedy... |
11 | 202-131 | .607 |
| 1998-2002 | Steve Robinson Steve Robinson Steve, Stephen or Steven Robinson may refer to:*Steve Robinson , American bridge player*Stephen E. Robinson , American Mormon scholar*Stephen Robinson , American astronaut... |
5 | 64-86 | .427 |
| 2003-present | Leonard Hamilton Leonard Hamilton Leonard Hamilton is the current head basketball coach at Florida State University. He is a former coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and the NBA's Washington Wizards... |
9 | 181-120 | .601 |
| Totals | 7 coaches | 65 seasons | 1044-759 | .579 |
Donald L. Tucker Center
Donald L. Tucker Center
Donald L. Tucker Center is a multi-purpose arena in Tallahassee, Florida, located within the Leon County Civic Center. The arena has the biggest capacity of any arena in the Florida Panhandle. The arena opened in 1981 and was built at a cost of $33.8 million, financed by the city. It has had WCW...
. It is an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) multi-purpose facility which has hosted over 25 years worth of Seminole games.
Note: W= Wins, L= Losses, %= Winning %, CW = ACC Wins, CL= ACC Losses, C%= ACC Winning %, CFinish= Place in Conference
| Florida State Seminoles since joining ACC | ||||||||
| Season | W | L | % | CW | CL | C% | CFinish | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 22 | 10 | .688 | 11 | 5 | .687 | 2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 1992–93 | 25 | 10 | .714 | 12 | 4 | .750 | 2nd | NCAA Elite Eight |
| 1993–94 | 13 | 14 | .481 | 5 | 11 | .313 | 7th | |
| 1994–95 | 12 | 15 | .444 | 5 | 11 | .313 | 7th | |
| 1995–96 | 13 | 14 | .481 | 5 | 11 | .313 | 8th | |
| 1996–97 | 20 | 12 | .625 | 6 | 10 | .375 | 7th | NIT Championship Game |
| 1997–98 | 18 | 14 | .563 | 6 | 10 | .375 | 7th | NCAA 2nd Round |
| 1998–99 | 13 | 17 | .433 | 5 | 11 | .313 | 8th | |
| 1999–00 | 12 | 17 | .414 | 6 | 10 | .375 | 7th | |
| 2000–01 | 9 | 21 | .300 | 4 | 12 | .250 | 8th | |
| 2001–02 | 12 | 17 | .414 | 4 | 12 | .250 | 8th | |
| 2002–03 | 14 | 15 | .483 | 4 | 12 | .250 | 9th | |
| 2003–04 | 19 | 14 | .581 | 6 | 10 | .375 | 7th | NIT 2nd Round |
| 2004–05 | 12 | 19 | .387 | 4 | 12 | .250 | 11th* | |
| 2005–06 | 20 | 10 | .679 | 9 | 7 | .563 | 5th** | NIT 2nd Round |
| 2006–07 | 22 | 13 | .625 | 7 | 9 | .438 | 9th | NIT Quarterfinals |
| 2007–08 | 19 | 15 | .576 | 7 | 9 | .438 | 9th | NIT 1st Round |
| 2008–09 | 25 | 10 | .714 | 10 | 6 | .630 | 4th | NCAA 1st Round |
| 2009–10 | 22 | 10 | .688 | 10 | 6 | .630 | 3rd | NCAA 1st Round |
| 2010–11 | 23 | 11 | .677 | 11 | 5 | .687 | 3rd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 2011–12 | 5 | 3 | .625 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and Virginia Tech joined the ACC prior to the 2004–05 season increasing the field of teams from 9 to 11
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
joins the ACC increasing the field of teams from 11 to 12
Seminoles of Note
- Sam CassellSam CassellSamuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
, NBA All-Star, #20 on FSU all-time scoring list (only played 2 years at FSU) - Dave CowensDave CowensDavid William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
, all-time FSU rebounding leader, NBA Hall-of-Famer - Harry DavisHarry Davis (basketball)Harry A. Davis is a retired American basketball player who played for two seasons in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs....
, former NBA player and 1978 Metro Conference co-player of the year - Toney DouglasToney DouglasToney Bernard Douglas is an American professional basketball player who plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...
, NBA player, runner-up for 2009 ACC Player of the Year, 2009 ACC Defensive Player of the Year - George McCloudGeorge McCloudGeorge Aaron McCloud is a retired American professional basketball player.-Early life:McCloud attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach and Florida State University in Tallahassee.-Professional career:...
, former NBA player, 7th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft1989 NBA DraftThe 1989 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. It has been regarded as one of the worst drafts in NBA history, along with the 1986 NBA Draft and the 2000 NBA Draft. Though the draft produced talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick...
, first lottery selection in FSU history - Tim PickettTim PickettTim Pickett is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association as an import...
, 2003-04 First-Team All-ACC and All-American Honorable Mention - Chris Singleton, 18th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft2011 NBA DraftThe 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
, 2010 ACC Defensive Player of the Year - Bob SuraBob SuraRobert Sura Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. At 6'5" , 200 lb , he played as a guard....
, all-time FSU scoring leader with 2,130 points, 17th overall pick in 1995 NBA Draft1995 NBA DraftThe 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies... - Al ThorntonAl ThorntonAl Thornton is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He had formerly played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Washington Wizards...
, NBA player, runner-up for 2007 ACC Player of the Year - Von WaferVon WaferVakeaton Quamar Wafer , commonly referred to as Von Wafer, is an American professional basketball player who plays with Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket....
, NBA player, only the seventh McDonald's High School All-American to play at Florida State University - Charlie WardCharlie WardCharlie Ward, Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Ward is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century...
, former FSU point guard and quarterback, Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner - Orlando 'Gunner' Wyman, former FSU player; legendary Indiana High School Basketball Coach; won 500+ games (.710%), 21 sectionals, 9 regionals, led 4 teams to Indiana Final Four, winning IHSAAIndiana High School Athletic AssociationThe Indiana High School Athletic Association is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the State of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana based on the school's enrollment. The divisions, known as...
title in 1981.
Current Noles in the NBA
- Solomon AlabiSolomon AlabiMakafan Solomon Alabi is a Nigerian professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors of the NBA...
, Toronto Raptors - Toney DouglasToney DouglasToney Bernard Douglas is an American professional basketball player who plays for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...
, New York Knicks - Ryan ReidRyan ReidRyan Reid is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA Development League , a minor league basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association . Reid played college basketball with the Florida State Seminoles...
, Oklahoma City Thunder - Chris Singleton, Washington Wizards
- Al ThorntonAl ThorntonAl Thornton is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association . He had formerly played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Washington Wizards...
, Golden State Warriors - Von WaferVon WaferVakeaton Quamar Wafer , commonly referred to as Von Wafer, is an American professional basketball player who plays with Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket....
, Boston Celtics