Florida State University Athletics
Seminoles Begin Practice To Start 2024-25 Season
9/26/2024 10:14:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With nine new players on his roster, Florida State men's basketball head coach Leonard Hamilton is emphasizing the elements of the game that have made the Seminoles one of the nation's elite programs in college basketball in the last decade: perimeter shooting, rim protection, and team depth as practice for the Seminoles' 2024-25 season officially began on Tuesday at the FSU Basketball Training Center.
Hamilton, who enters the season tied for fourth in ACC with 192 victories, led his team through drills in preparation for their 31-game schedule which begins against Northern Kentucky on November 4. The Seminoles' 20-game ACC schedule begins on December 7 at defending conference champion NC State.
"I feel really good about where we are," said the three-time ACC Coach of the Year. "The quality of the depth that we have gives us the opportunity to get back to the way we have been accustomed to playing when we had our better teams. To be able to go deep and play with energy for the full 40 minutes of the game you need quality depth. There's not that much difference between a lot of our guys.
"I feel good that we are moving in the right direction. My biggest concern is not the talent; it's that we have nine new players, and you are trying to get them all on the same page within the system that we play. I've been spoiled a little bit because we have always had a lot of veterans returning, but I have nine new guys. We are trying to integrate them, get them on point, and make sure they are ready."
While Hamilton and his staff continue to prepare his group of newcomers for life in the ACC, he returns three All-ACC caliber players – Jamir Watkins, Taylor Bol Bowen, and Chandler Jackson – to his roster.
Watkins leads a talented group of Seminoles into Hamilton's 23rdseason at Florida State.
Watkins enters his final collegiate season as the only player who ranked in the ACC's top-20 for scoring and rebounding who returns to play in the ACC for the upcoming season. Also returning to Florida State's lineup are Bol Bowen, a lengthy forward who played in 31 games as a freshman, and Jackson, another talented guard who has played in 60 career games.
"I'm very excited about the group of guys we've got," said Watkins, who tested the NBA Draft process last spring before deciding to return to Florida State as one of the ACC's top players. "We've got a bunch of leaders on our team who all lead in a different way. It's a good bunch of guys who are going to come together and have a good season."
Watkins, who enters the season with a 19-game double-figure scoring streak, led the Seminoles in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and steals (1.9 spg) as he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors and was named the MVP of early-season Sunshine Slam tournament.
For all of the accolades he earned during his junior season, Watkins was much more interested in talking about his teammates than his personal resume.
Watkins spoke very highly of junior Malique Ewin and freshman Daquan Davis before lacing up his Nike's and participating in the Seminoles' first official practice.
"Malique Ewin can play a bunch of positions; I don't think he has a position," said Watkins. "He can bring the ball up the court, he's a great rebounder, he has a great touch around the rim. I see him as a player who is going to be a match-up nightmare."
Ewin was named as a First-Team junior college All-American and as the junior college defensive player of the year at South Plains Community College in 2024.
"Daquan has fought to be in the position he's in now," said Watkins. "I think his background has led him to where he is now. He put himself on a platform where he can show the world what he can do."
Davis averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists at Overtime Elite during the 2024 season.
Davis will help anchor the backcourt with help from new faces Justin Thomas and Anastasios Rozakeas.
Including Ewin and Davis, Hamilton welcomes an athletic group of newcomers including graduate transfer Bostyn Holt (12.3 ppg, 3.1 apg at South Dakota in 2023-24), second-year transfer forward Jerry Deng (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg at Hampton University in 2023-24), AJ Swinton (8.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Va.), and Alier Maluk (5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while leading Long Island Lutheran and his conference with 26 blocked shots).
"We have guys who are legitimate rim protectors – Ewin, Maluk, Bol Bowen, and Swinton," said Hamilton. "Swinton has a 7-2 wingspan, a 39-inch vertical, and he's an athletic type guy – he loves to contest shots. So I feel better about that."
Hamilton will also count on returner Waka Mbatch and newcomer Christian Nitu to grow into shot blocking options on the blocks for the Seminoles.
Bol Bowen, one of the most athletic players in the ACC, certainly agrees with his coach on his assessment of this edition of the Seminoles.
"Having a lot of new faces is definitely a challenge because you have to implement them into the system," said Bol Bowen. But we've got experienced players like Jamir and Chandler who can lead the way."
The second-year player who scored his freshman season high of nine points in the Seminoles' victory at Boston College in 2024, has certainly matured since the conclusion of his freshman season.
"I learned a lot this past year," said Bol Bowen. "Being a freshman is tough. You can't just be more talented than everybody. You've got to learn good work habits and this is a great program to learn a good work ethic and everything that comes along with it."
Throughout practices in the summer and early fall, Hamilton sees a rotation coming together, something his team never realized last season.
"More than anything else, being able to have a rotation where you can maintain the energy and the effort for the way we play," said Hamilton. "We are back to the point where we have a rotation of guys to fit our system."
For the future Hall of Fame coach, this might be the most anticipated preseason for him in a number of years.
"I'm looking forward to coaching this bunch," said Hamilton. "Our players have the skill sets that fit the system we run, I think we have guys that can attack the basket, can play mid-range, and guys who have long-range perimeter abilities. I am also comfortable when we throw the ball into the post we can be a lot more productive."
Hamilton, who enters the season tied for fourth in ACC with 192 victories, led his team through drills in preparation for their 31-game schedule which begins against Northern Kentucky on November 4. The Seminoles' 20-game ACC schedule begins on December 7 at defending conference champion NC State.
"I feel really good about where we are," said the three-time ACC Coach of the Year. "The quality of the depth that we have gives us the opportunity to get back to the way we have been accustomed to playing when we had our better teams. To be able to go deep and play with energy for the full 40 minutes of the game you need quality depth. There's not that much difference between a lot of our guys.
"I feel good that we are moving in the right direction. My biggest concern is not the talent; it's that we have nine new players, and you are trying to get them all on the same page within the system that we play. I've been spoiled a little bit because we have always had a lot of veterans returning, but I have nine new guys. We are trying to integrate them, get them on point, and make sure they are ready."
While Hamilton and his staff continue to prepare his group of newcomers for life in the ACC, he returns three All-ACC caliber players – Jamir Watkins, Taylor Bol Bowen, and Chandler Jackson – to his roster.
Watkins leads a talented group of Seminoles into Hamilton's 23rdseason at Florida State.
Watkins enters his final collegiate season as the only player who ranked in the ACC's top-20 for scoring and rebounding who returns to play in the ACC for the upcoming season. Also returning to Florida State's lineup are Bol Bowen, a lengthy forward who played in 31 games as a freshman, and Jackson, another talented guard who has played in 60 career games.
"I'm very excited about the group of guys we've got," said Watkins, who tested the NBA Draft process last spring before deciding to return to Florida State as one of the ACC's top players. "We've got a bunch of leaders on our team who all lead in a different way. It's a good bunch of guys who are going to come together and have a good season."
Watkins, who enters the season with a 19-game double-figure scoring streak, led the Seminoles in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and steals (1.9 spg) as he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors and was named the MVP of early-season Sunshine Slam tournament.
For all of the accolades he earned during his junior season, Watkins was much more interested in talking about his teammates than his personal resume.
Watkins spoke very highly of junior Malique Ewin and freshman Daquan Davis before lacing up his Nike's and participating in the Seminoles' first official practice.
"Malique Ewin can play a bunch of positions; I don't think he has a position," said Watkins. "He can bring the ball up the court, he's a great rebounder, he has a great touch around the rim. I see him as a player who is going to be a match-up nightmare."
Ewin was named as a First-Team junior college All-American and as the junior college defensive player of the year at South Plains Community College in 2024.
"Daquan has fought to be in the position he's in now," said Watkins. "I think his background has led him to where he is now. He put himself on a platform where he can show the world what he can do."
Davis averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists at Overtime Elite during the 2024 season.
Davis will help anchor the backcourt with help from new faces Justin Thomas and Anastasios Rozakeas.
Including Ewin and Davis, Hamilton welcomes an athletic group of newcomers including graduate transfer Bostyn Holt (12.3 ppg, 3.1 apg at South Dakota in 2023-24), second-year transfer forward Jerry Deng (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg at Hampton University in 2023-24), AJ Swinton (8.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Va.), and Alier Maluk (5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while leading Long Island Lutheran and his conference with 26 blocked shots).
"We have guys who are legitimate rim protectors – Ewin, Maluk, Bol Bowen, and Swinton," said Hamilton. "Swinton has a 7-2 wingspan, a 39-inch vertical, and he's an athletic type guy – he loves to contest shots. So I feel better about that."
Hamilton will also count on returner Waka Mbatch and newcomer Christian Nitu to grow into shot blocking options on the blocks for the Seminoles.
Bol Bowen, one of the most athletic players in the ACC, certainly agrees with his coach on his assessment of this edition of the Seminoles.
"Having a lot of new faces is definitely a challenge because you have to implement them into the system," said Bol Bowen. But we've got experienced players like Jamir and Chandler who can lead the way."
The second-year player who scored his freshman season high of nine points in the Seminoles' victory at Boston College in 2024, has certainly matured since the conclusion of his freshman season.
"I learned a lot this past year," said Bol Bowen. "Being a freshman is tough. You can't just be more talented than everybody. You've got to learn good work habits and this is a great program to learn a good work ethic and everything that comes along with it."
Throughout practices in the summer and early fall, Hamilton sees a rotation coming together, something his team never realized last season.
"More than anything else, being able to have a rotation where you can maintain the energy and the effort for the way we play," said Hamilton. "We are back to the point where we have a rotation of guys to fit our system."
For the future Hall of Fame coach, this might be the most anticipated preseason for him in a number of years.
"I'm looking forward to coaching this bunch," said Hamilton. "Our players have the skill sets that fit the system we run, I think we have guys that can attack the basket, can play mid-range, and guys who have long-range perimeter abilities. I am also comfortable when we throw the ball into the post we can be a lot more productive."
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballINSIDE SEMINOLES EPISODE: 14 | Fall Sports, New Facilities
Thursday, October 02
DB Earl Little Jr.: “Crazy physical game”
Wednesday, October 01
HC Mike Norvell: “It’s going to be emotional”
Wednesday, October 01
WR Duce Robinson: “This is why you come to Florida State”
Tuesday, September 30