Florida State basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Seminoles

M.J. Walker leads an experienced Seminoles roster

RayQuan Evans, Senior, Point Guard

Evans is a guy I like to start at point guard because he will be able to manage the floor well and produce at a high level fully healthy. He was hurt early on last season but played 29 of Florida State’s 31 games averaging 12 minutes per game.

I think he can be what Andres Feliz was to the Illinois Fighting Illini in that Evans isn’t a big name on the starting five, but he can make his presence felt through scoring, facilitating, and helping the offense run as smoothly as possible.

M.J. Walker, Senior, Shooting Guard

Walker is now the leader of this team. The Florida State basketball offense is going to run through him.  Walker averaged 10.6 points per game and shot at 36 percent from the perimeter and 37 percent from the field. He earned an All-ACC Honorable Mention selection.

Walker does an excellent job of making plays off the ball whether it’s spotting up in rhythm for a three-pointer and finding a teammate for an alley-oop or trailing dunk in transition.  Walker one-on-one isn’t anything to scoff at either. He will pull up in someone’s face or drive to the basket for a slam if he needs to. He played 25 minutes per game last season and I would not be surprised if that increases to around 29 or 30 minutes given his talent and leadership status.

Scottie Barnes, Freshman, Wing

Scottie Barnes is going to be something to watch for the Seminoles. Barnes is the highest-rated recruit they have secured to date. He is the seventh-best player nationally in the 2020 class, the best power forward, and the second-best player in Florida.

As a senior last year at Montverde Academy (Fla.), he averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in a dominant season for the Eagles who finished 25-0 with a 39-point average margin of victory per game. He earned MaxPreps and Sports Illustrated All-American First Team honors, was named a MaxPreps National Player of the Year finalist, and was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Classic, and the Nike Hoop Summit.

Barnes is a guy who could potentially play the wing and the power forward spot because he provides length and size to cover those positions at 6-foot-9, 227 pounds.  He is someone who can hold his own in the paint, he’s an excellent passer and he’ll give the crowd plenty to cheer for with highlight-reel slams.

Raiquan Gray, Redshirt Junior, Power Forward / Malik Osborne, Redshirt Junior, Power Forward

Gray will be an integral part of the Seminoles rotation for the 2020-21 season. He recorded six points and four rebounds and started 24 of 28 games played. He is one of three seasoned veterans on the squad who has played in 65 career games and earned 52 Florida State wins.

Gray is a guy with a big frame at 6-foot-9, 260 pounds who is a solid defender in man-to-man situations and he provides the Seminoles with someone who can protect the rim. He is also an excellent passer and that skill for a frontcourt player is essential to an offense.

Osborne is a guy who has excellent post moves and knows his way around the basket offensively. Defensively, he can guard the wing and the power forward spots, he blocks shots and passes the ball quite well also. He averaged six points, five rebounds per game shooting 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from the perimeter. Osbourne is too valuable to not see playing time as a starter which is why he and Gray share time this season at that position.

Tanor Ngom, Senior, Center

Last but not least, Ngom will hold down the starting center spot in Florida State’s lineup because he is a defensive force. For the Ryerson Rams of Ontario, CA, he held a block party every game and averaged a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks per game. He has good footwork and vision on the defensive side of the ball, and he can dominate just as much offensively as well. Florida State has a very good history with developing seven-footers and Ngom will be another on that list.