Florida State basketball under Leonard Hamilton has always been an enigma. They were often talented, but considered in some circles to be underachieving as a program overall. Leonard Hamilton was a polarizing coaching figure for Seminole fans – hence the #FireHam hashtag. My blog partner @Hokiesmash_ASD frequently tells Florida State fans to appreciate just what a good coach Hamilton is. He is right too, and Florida State’s surprising run to the Elite 8 are the proof.
Hamilton in back to back games knocked off two of the best mid-major coaches in college basketball – Chris Mack at Xavier and Mark Few at Gonzaga.
If you look at Hamilton’s career record at Florida State it’s actually pretty impressive. In 16 seasons in Tallahassee, the Noles have 13 post-season appearances, with 6 being of the NCAA tournament variety. He coaches at a school where football is king, and has struggled facility wise for most of his tenure. Yet he is still able to bring top-shelf talent to Florida State, and is winning at a 61% clip. He won an ACC title in 2012, and has a couple of Sweet 16 or better runs. He has at least 20 wins in 10 of the last 13 years.
The previous 9 years at FSU prior to Hamilton’s arrival the Noles had 1 NIT appearance and 1 NCAA appearance. He made Florida State basketball relevant for the first time since the early 90s.
Many including myself could see the potential in the Noles this year as they trudged through a 9-9 ACC season. If they could somehow harness the performances like a blowout win at Florida, wins over Clemson and UNC into something more consistent, the Seminoles could be very dangerous. I said it several times the last few weeks, FSU was just as capable of losing in round 1 by 15 as reach the Elite 8.
Physically they are intimidating when they walk out onto the floor. They look more like a NBA team with nearly the entire playing roster at over 6-5. Each of Hamilton’s recruiting classes from 2015-2017 were in the top 15. That’s where the frustration lied with some Seminole fans. There was talent, but maybe Hamilton’s best days were in the past. Then the 2018 NCAA tournament happened.
First there was a Missouri team that featured likely NBA draft 1st rounder Michael Porter that FSU dispatched by double digits. Then FSU took care of the West #1 seed Xavier with a tremendous late comeback. Then there was Gonzaga in basically a road game out West. No one ever questions how prepared and well coached Mark Few’s teams are. Gonzaga got to the national championship game last year, and FSU just ran them into the ground over the course of the game with their deep roster.
Maybe Hamilton hasn’t always reached the consistent heights he should have given how talented FSU usually is, but the bottom line is that he is a pretty successful coach at a place known more for football than basketball. Elite 8 runs don’t happen by accident. He’s got his team playing with a renewed emphasis on defense. FSU only gave up 60 points a game in the NCAA tournament. This is Florida State’s first first Elite 8 since back in 1993, and Leonard Hamilton got them there. The run stopped short with a loss to Michigan in the Elite 8, but Hamilton and FSU fans should very pleased about the Noles reaching their potential this March.
Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page
Leave a Reply