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Florida State will play St. John’s on Saturday, December 17, 2022 in the 28th annual AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The Seminoles game against the Red Storm marks the 12th appearance in the classic for the program and the first ever meeting against St. John’s in the sport of men’s basketball.
The much anticipated doubleheader also includes UCF and Missouri, with game times to be announced at a later date. Missouri is coached by former Florida State Assistant Dennis Gates, who is in his first season as the Tigers’ Head Coach.
Fans can purchase tickets at orangebowl.org/basketball or by contacting the Orange Bowl ticket office at (305) 341-4701 or tickets@orangebowl.org.
The Seminoles, whose coach Leonard Hamilton is the winningest in Florida State history and fifth winningest in ACC history with 394 victories in 20 seasons.
Florida State returns to the Classic for the 12th time (9-2 record). The Seminoles are led by their top-two scorers from last season in Caleb Mills (12.7 ppg) and Matthew Cleveland (11.5 ppg), in addition to guard Jalen Warley (2.5 apg). Cleveland was named ACC Sixth Man of the Year last season, the fourth consecutive season a Florida State player earned the honor. The Seminoles also return Cam’Ron Fletcher (6.8 ppg) and center Naheem McLeod (4.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg) while welcoming in two graduate transfers in Jaylen Gainey from Brown University and Darin Green Jr. from UCF to their rotation.
The Seminoles’ appearance in the Orange Bowl Classic is their ninth consecutive appearance in the event – each time the event has been played since they defeated Tulsa on December 29, 2012 when the all-time collegiate king of buzzer beaters — Michael Snaer – earned MVP honors in their win over the Golden Hurricane. The Seminoles appearances in the 2019 and in 2020 (against UCF) were cancelled because of Covid.
St. John’s makes its Orange Bowl Classic debut with a new-look roster that includes two transfers in point guard Andre Curbelo (2020-21 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year with Illinois) and wing David Jones (14.5 ppg last season with DePaul). The Red Storm also returns point guard Posh Alexander, who averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds a year ago, in addition to landing a commitment from 7-foot-1 rim protector Mohamed Keita of NBA Academy Africa and The Winchendon School (Mass.).
