Florida State Basketball: Can Seminoles land five-star 2021 F Mike Foster?

Florida Basketball is a finalist for five-star power forward prospect Mike Foster? What are the odds that the Seminoles can land another star player?

Florida State Basketball has had arguably the best summer on the recruiting trail, landing several top-100 prospects for the 2021 class. But there’s a chance for things to get even better for the program, with the Seminoles in play for top-10 overall player Mike Foster.

One of the best frontcourt players in the class, Foster is a 6’9 forward who dominated last season at Hillcrest High School in Arizona. He averaged 26 ppg, 13 rpg, and over six blocks a game, against one of the tougher high school schedules in the country. He can score in any way imaginable on offense and is a solid defender on the other end as well.

His recruitment overall has been fairly quiet, partly due to a growing feeling that Foster will never set foot on a college campus to play, but instead go directly to the pros. It’s something he has acknowledged as well, proving in a “unique” top-8 list.

Along with the possibility of playing overseas, Foster has four college options, including Western Illinois, Grambling, Georgia, and Florida State. Playing close to home and familiarity with the coaching staff is why the mid-major teams made the list, while the Bulldogs have been the one college program that has made a true effort for a long time to land the five-star recruit.

Of all eight potential options, it’s the Seminoles that was most surprising, as their efforts to land Foster has been more of a secret. But it makes sense from both sides for a potential pairing, as Florida State just sent a former five-star forward (Patrick Williams) likely to the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, while Foster could be the missing piece of a national title contender for the ACC program.

There are likely at least five departures from the roster after the upcoming season, including senior guard MJ Walker and potentially five-star point/forward Scottie Barnes. But not only does Florida State returns plenty of other talented players for 2021-22, they also have the current No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2021.

Who would Mike Foster be joining in the 2021 class?

It includes top-60 center John Butler, Jr., top-50 shooting guard Bryce McGowens, four-star point guard Jalen Warley, and five-star wing Matthew Cleveland. What’s missing from that group, and on the current projected roster overall now that Williams is gone, is a scoring threat at the power forward position.

Foster would easily remedy that situation, slide in as a starter and play a major role on what would be a preseason top-5 overall team. Playing for head coach Leonard Hamilton and the Seminoles, with a potential shot at a Final Four and national title is a major selling point and with the world still having unknowns due to Covid-19, staying in the states may be the best thing for him.

If the G-League also is up in the air, college could end up being the top option. In that case, it would end up being a battle between Florida State and Georgia. While the Bulldogs have been the most agressive, the Seminoles just simply have too much to offer in terms of winning at a high level that Foster would want to pass up.

As of now, the odds of Mike Foster going pro instead of college are probably 75%. And Georgia would take another 20% if college was the option. But Florida State can work with that remaining 5% and make a compelling offer to the five-star recruit. If this summer has shown us anything, it’s that Coach Hamilton should never be underestimated on the recruiting trail.