Leonard Hamilton has quietly been one of the best head coaches in the entire ACC over the past few seasons. While he might not receive the same amount of media attention as some of his counterparts such as Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) or Tony Bennett (UVA) in the conference, he can more than hold his own. Florida State has been very successful in reason years thanks to his dedication to recruiting for his system and believing that his scheme can work. The Seminoles always seem to feature lanky athletes with the ability to excel defensively.
This season is no different. Although Florida State waved goodbye to its fair share of talent this offseason, Coach Hamilton simply hit the “reload” button. The Seminoles sit at 13-2 (3-1 ACC) so far this season and their 18th-ranked defense is a major reason why. Florida State is forcing turnovers on 26.4% of opponent possessions (4th-best nationally) behind elite block and steal rates. This group is extremely opportunistic and it is taking advantage of mistakes while jumping out to this strong record.
Florida State might not feature a true go-to scorer on the offensive end of the floor but can still be quite effective with regard to driving to the paint and finishing around or through contact. The ACC as a whole appears to be suffering a down season, but Florida State looks the part of a contender at the top of the league. The Seminoles have performed admirably despite limited preseason expectations and Coach Hamilton’s recruiting and scheming are the most notable reasons for this.
Coach Hamilton never gets enough credit nationally. Maybe this is the season that changes.