NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2022-23 season

Not to make excuses, but there was a lot going on with the Seminoles last season off the court that created the unexpected down-year for the program. With a more typical season, this squad should get back to NCAA Tournament standards. It’s also going to depend on the leap that sophomore wing and former five-star prospect Matthew Cleveland.

The 6’7 wing averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg in 26 mpg, mostly off the bench. Cleveland was the ACC 6th Man of the Year last season and ended his freshman campaign with nine straight double-digit scoring games. He shot just 18% from three-point range and that’ll have to improve to unlock his offensive potential.

The other shooters on the team include returning leading scorer Caleb Mills, along with UCF transfer Darin Green. Jalen Warley is the top returning passer after playing 19 mpg as a freshman and FSU needs a true passer to run the offense, while Mills can play off the bench.

The frontcourt, which is usually one of the deepest in NCAA Basketball, had a ton of turnover. 7’4 center Naheem McLeod is back, joined by Brown transfer and former Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Jaylan Gainey. He’s best used as a center but could play both positions inside if he needs to. And look out for top-50 international freshman forward Baba Miller, who comes from Spain and has real pro potential. He may be the replacement for John Butler Jr. and could even be more ready to contribute as a freshman.

It’ll be interesting to see who the top players will be for the Seminoles. They’ll always have depth but needs to have starpower up front to win some key games. And figuring out the point guard position is also a storyline to watch.