FSU Basketball: History making season final real title chance for Noles

FSU basketball did some things this season that few, if any, groups have done before – and it may be the last chance for a while, if ever, to win it all.

When the FSU basketball team finished their regular season on Saturday with a win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the Seminoles ended their main portion of the schedule with some history making events that maybe even the biggest follower of the Noles didn’t even know took place.

By beating the Deacs on the road, the Seminoles finished with a 25-6 regular season record – the most wins EVER in the regular season for a FSU basketball program that beat the previous record set by the 2016-17 and 1971-72 teams by one game.

It’s also just the second time in program history that the Seminoles have won over 20 games in a season for four straight years, a feat only matched by the span from the 2008-09 season to the 2011-12 campaign. With the Noles destined for the NCAA Tournament, this year is just the third group of seniors ever to go to the big dance three straight seasons.

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Frankly said, FSU basketball fans watched something special take place on the court this season with some experts saying the Seminoles may be the hottest team entering tournament time after winning 12 of their last 13 games after starting off ACC play with a 1-4 record that included losses to Duke and Boston College by a combined seven points.

It also wouldn’t be too much to say that fans of the Seminoles should embrace what’s taking place because this might be the last time for the near future – and maybe even a longer period of time – that the Noles are going to be in the legit conversation when it comes to competing for a title.

This year’s group of seniors – Terance Mann, Phil Cofer, Christ Koumadje, PJ Savoy and grad transfer David Nichols – were the ones that helped build this team to a history making season. With their departure, the fire power won’t be there to keep the Seminoles and consistent 20 win program.

Now, I’m not saying that the Noles are going to go back to being an under .500 team – but after the last group of solid seniors who put together the string of great seasons left after the 2012 tournament, FSU basketball suffered through records of 18-16, 22-14 and 17-16 before this year’s graduating group arrived on campus.

The Seminoles have plenty of talent coming back next season – names like Mifondu Kabengele, M.J. Walker, Trent Forrest among them – and will still be considered a tournament team, but talks of a deep run will not be there unless magic works like it did last season during the run to the Elite Eight.

Add to that the fact that, as much as he may not look like a man who has been a member of AARP for two decades, Leonard Hamilton is a 70-year-old finishing his 17th season with the Seminoles. I’m not saying he’s done coaching next season, but a coaching change will be coming sooner rather than later and that usually means a rebuilding process of some sort.

Look, unless there is a major let down that we don’t see coming, FSU basketball is going to be in a good place where they will consistently be in the upper half of the ACC standings and predicted to make it into March Madness.

But, enjoy this season while you can because it could be the last time for a while you have the Noles going deep in your office pool without just doing it because you’re a homer.