FSU Basketball: Has Leonard Hamilton Done All He Can For The Program?

FSU basketball suffered a 25 point NCAA loss during a season with so much potential – leaving some to question if this is Leonard Hamilton’s celling.

There is no secret that the FSU basketball program is not one that is covered in a history of championships and moments that put it as one of the best in the college game. In the first 55 years, the Seminoles appeared in the NCAA Tournament just 10 times, making it to the second weekend of games just three of those times.

In the last 15 years, Leonard Hamilton has done his best to turn the program around. He has led the ‘Noles to a winning season 13 of those years (as opposed to seven losing seasons in the nine campaigns before he arrived) along with five more trips to March Madness. The latest trip, following a regular season tie for the most wins in school history, ended with a 25 point thrashing at the hands of a No. 11 seed while the Seminoles were seeded No. 3, tied for their highest ever.

Lets not totally pile on the program or Hamilton – it was a season to remember with the second most wins in program history, that memorable streak of wins over ranked teams and finishing second in the ACC for the third time ever led by three players who could be in the NBA next season.

But all those facts are reason for concern when you consider that this year’s team – maybe the best in FSU basketball history or at least the best in the last quarter century – is going to be watching the rest of the tournament after getting dog stomped by an inferior team.

It also raises the question: has FSU basketball reached their celling with Hamilton as head coach?

Florida State Seminoles Basketball

From many years covering him in the media, I will personally say that I like Leonard Hamilton and will forever be in debt to him for the turnaround that has taken place within the Seminoles program. Basketball is no longer something to pass the time between football and baseball and the ‘Noles are relevant again.

Still, for all the blue chip recruits that have made their way to Tallahassee…for all the monster wins over ranked teams and becoming one of the winningest teams in the powerful ACC over the last century and a half…the ‘Noles have one conference tournament title, five NCAA Tournaments (with just one trip to the second weekend) and seven NIT bids (with one trip to that tournament’s final four).

Hamilton is under contract for two more seasons after signing an extension through the 2018-19 season after last year (as the Tallahassee Democrat confirmed that a report from a different website saying he would get another extension was wrong) – which would make him just shy of 71 at the end of his final contract year.

Between that and was has turned into a trend of underachieving late in the season, one has to wonder if it’s time to start considering if this is the best we’re going to see for the Seminoles with Hamilton – the winningest coach in school history – at the helm.