NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Duke rises, newcomers snag spots

In my opinion, Florida State’s home win over Florida to begin this new season was one of the most impressive performances in the nation so far. While it is certainly possible that I overrated the Gators heading into this year, the way the Seminoles eviscerated their opponents should not be understated. Head coach Leonard Hamilton’s team played tremendously well in that matchup and then responded with another win over Tulane later in the week.

As seems to always be the case, Florida State is extremely balanced offensively with multiple players who can erupt on any given night. Because of this, the Seminoles are very difficult to gameplan for. Additionally, FSU boasts a ton of size/length defensively that can be tough to score around. They might not be the best defensive team in the country this year but they can definitely cause problems due to their coherence on that end of the floor.

Looking forward, Florida State’s non-conference schedule poses a few more challenges. Most notably, the AdvoCare Invitational includes a potential top-25 matchup with LSU (more on them in a bit). They will also face off against Purdue, UConn, and Saint Louis. These will be tough tests for the Seminoles but there is plenty of potential to rise even further.