Florida State began official practice Monday with energy, physicality and one major question hanging over the entire program.
Will Alex Steen be allowed to play?
Steen remains enrolled at Florida State and is permitted to practice, but his request for another season of eligibility was denied. An appeal remains possible as coach Luke Loucks and the Seminoles await clarity.
The situation is particularly frustrating for Florida State because similar eligibility cases have produced different outcomes across the country.
Loucks has worked throughout the offseason to rebuild a roster that finished last season with substantial momentum. Losing Steen would remove a veteran option from a frontcourt already dealing with health concerns.
Seminoles have several injury situations to monitor
Sebastian Rankic has recovered from the tendonitis that bothered him during the summer and participated at full speed. Shon Abaev also received encouraging news after X-rays on his wrist were negative. His absence is not expected to be lengthy.
The longer-term concerns involve Colin Paul and AJ Swinton, who are recovering from ACL injuries.
Loucks said Swinton is progressing well, while Paul has experienced setbacks during attempts to return to full five-on-five work. The coach emphasized that Florida State will remain cautious rather than rush either player.
That approach is sensible in September, but it increases the importance of Steen’s case. The Seminoles need enough healthy frontcourt options to survive a challenging preseason schedule and develop the positionless style Loucks wants to use.
Florida State cannot afford another slow start
Loucks’ first season included two dramatically different versions of the Seminoles. Florida State opened 7-11 and lost its first five ACC games. Four of those early defeats came by at least 28 points.
The Seminoles then won nine of their final 11 regular-season conference games and finished the year on an 11-4 run. They came within one possession of upsetting eventual ACC champion Duke in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
That finish created legitimate optimism entering Loucks’ second season.
It also established the standard this rebuilt roster must meet.
Florida State will play three exhibition games against SEC opponents, beginning with Mississippi State on Oct. 10 in Pensacola. Auburn and LSU also appear on the preseason schedule.
Those games should give Loucks useful information about his rotation, but the evaluation will remain incomplete until the NCAA resolves Steen’s status.
Freshmen Martay Barnes, Brandon Bass Jr. and Elisee Assui have impressed early. Anthony Robinson II has embraced a leadership role.
There is enough talent for Florida State to build on last season’s finish. Whether the Seminoles have enough depth may depend on an eligibility decision they cannot control.
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