The Seminoles were another team that missed the Big Dance in an irregular season and based on the returning talent, that’s likely to be a one-off thing. While the team did lose a couple of key role players in RayQuan Evans and Anthony Polite, the most talented players are back.
Matthew Cleveland is a former five-star prospect that averaged 11.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg as a freshman. He has high potential as a 6’7 wing and considering that he only made six total three-pointers, a breakout campaign from him should be expected as a sophomore.
He along with returning leading scorer Caleb Mills and UCF transfer guard Darin Green Jr. makes a good backcourt but none are true point guards. There will be pressure on sophomore guard Jalen Warley to take over the ball-handling duties with Evans gone and if that question mark gets handled, this roster will look dangerous.
The frontcourt has been revamped, including Brown transfer Jaylan Gainey. He’s a 6’9 forward/center who was the Ivy League Player of the Year and adds inside depth and experience. 7’4 big man Naheem McLeod is back as well and Cam Fletcher can play some small-ball four if needed. There’s a top-20 freshmen class that includes multiple forwards, including four-star prospects, DeAnte Green and Baba Miller. If either has an impact to bolster the frontcourt depth and add spacing as well, the Seminoles will be strong inside and out.