Season outlook
Despite the amount of roster turnover and questions mentioned at the top of this piece, Florida State has enough talent to earn a top five finish in the ACC and a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
The Seminoles still have the same characteristics as the past few years – they’re big, long, and athletic – and Hamilton will have them playing elite defense sooner rather than later. In what looks like a (relatively) down year for the depth in the ACC, their floor is pretty high.
How high their ceiling is, however, remains to be seen. If Walker can finally live up to expectations and Williams plays like the first-round pick he’s projected to be, the Seminoles will break into the upper-echelon of the conference with Final Four contenders Duke, Louisville, and North Carolina. All that remains a what-if best-case scenario for now.
Florida State will more than likely end up being a solid team. I think Forrest, Walker, and Williams will form one of the better perimeter trios in the country, but I also don’t think any of them will become the kind of offensive star the Seminoles need. They’ll win games with their defense and their offense may limit them against high-level competition.
Look for FSU to make it back to the Big Dance and potentially win a game, but I would bet against them making a third straight trip to the Sweet 16.