ACC Basketball power rankings: Wake Forest rises, Virginia slides down

It’s been a while since the Seminoles last played due to a covid pause, with the win against Lipscomb on December 15th snapping a three-game losing streak, that included losses to Missouri, Syracuse, and Purdue. To this point, the biggest win to date is a win over Loyola Marymount of the WCC, which isn’t a good thing heading into the new year.

After losing so much production from the season prior, the key pieces for Florida State this year were Houston transfer Caleb Mills and returning wing Anthony Polite, the lone double-digit scorer back. And so far, they’ve played to their previous standards, with Mills leading the team with 12.2 ppg and 3.0 apg and Polite going for 10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 3.4 apg.

The issue isn’t them but that neither has emerged as a star, which is what the Seminoles needed to be a contender this season. Of the top-15 incoming freshmen class, only Matthew Cleveland (9.2 ppg) has had a sizable impact, while forward Malik Osborne is the lone frontcourt player that has been consistent in his production, going for 11.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg.

Overall, Florida State isn’t a bad team and should be able to win a fair amount of games in league play. But so far, they haven’t been able to beat anyone ranked in the top-75 overall. If that doesn’t change, many losses will be on the way once they return to the court.