Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Top 2020 classes after early signing period

By Lukas Harkins

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 20: A general view is seen of the ball during the round 10 NBL match between the Cairns Taipans and the Sydney Kings at the Cairns Convention Centre on December 20, 2018 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 20: A general view is seen of the ball during the round 10 NBL match between the Cairns Taipans and the Sydney Kings at the Cairns Convention Centre on December 20, 2018 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Coach Hamilton of FSU looks on. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Coach Hamilton of FSU looks on. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /

. Florida State Seminoles. 24. player. 435. .

Total Commits: 3 | Average Rating: 93.49

Florida State has been one of the most consistent programs in the nation for the past few years. Head coach Leonard Hamilton has seemingly started to find his groove while pushing the Seminoles to finish near the top of the ACC every single year. While several factors have contributed to this rise, perhaps the most important reason for FSU’s recent success is the recruiting strategy.

Coach Hamilton’s scheme centers around being able to deploy versatile athletes on the defensive end with plenty of length. This has led to the Seminoles emerging as a top-notch defensive unit over the past few seasons and that should continue into the future thanks to the program’s strong early commits from the 2020 class. Their group is ranked at No. 24 nationally.

While all three future newcomers to the program from this class are talented, the crowning jewel is very obviously Scottie Barnes. Ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect in the class, Barnes absolutely oozes potential while also already being a very valuable performer on the court. He plays with an absolutely insane motor and is the type of player that everybody wants to share the court with. Barnes averaged 18.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer. He is a lock to be a “one-and-done” and should be a plug-and-play starter for the Seminoles.

Malachi Wideman is the other H.S. Class of 2020 commit in this group and he is ranked at No. 165 as a 6-foot-4 shooting guard. He is well-known for being one of the most electric athletes in the entire class and FSU fans are expecting to see him both on the hardwood and on the gridiron as he also committed to the program as a wide receiver. Wideman’s athleticism is extremely impressive and should make him a strong fit for the program.

Lastly, Coach Hamilton was also able to secure the No. 3 overall JUCO transfer in this class. Sardaar Calhoun will be arriving from Missouri State-West Plains and is highly-regarded as a scorer. He averaged 17.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from beyond the arc last season.

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