The Florida State men's basketball team is less than a day away from the start of the 2026-27 season, with a short trip to Tampa needed. The Seminoles will be meeting the Florida A&M Rattlers in the Benchmark International Arena for the Orion180 Tipoff Classic. The Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes will be playing on the court first before the Seminoles complete the one-night event.
The game is the first challenge of Year 2 for coach Luke Loucks, who led Florida State to an 18-15 record last season, including a 7-6 record against ACC opponents. It was not the worst year for the team, but Loucks has much higher expectations for both himself and the program, and the reality is that Florida State could have easily won 20 games last season.
Loucks needs Florida State to hit the ground running tomorrow night against Florida A&M to set the tone ahead of what will be a difficult season. The Seminoles face the likes of No. 1 Florida, No. 8 Tennessee, and No. 10 Houston before even getting into conference play. Each game matters tremendously for Florida State, especially with a roster that should be more competitive on paper.
The Rattlers, on the other hand, finished last season with a record of 15 wins and 16 losses, with much of that damage being done in non-conference play. The Rattlers played one game against ACC competition last season, losing 89-65 against Georgia Tech away from home.
How to watch the Florida State vs. Florida A&M men's basketball game
- Date: Monday, November 2
- Venue: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Florida
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- How to watch: ESPNU
- Streaming: FuboTV
- FSU record: 0-0
- FAMU record: 0-0
Announcers for Florida State vs. Florida A&M
- Play-by-play: Tom Hart
- Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
Florida State vs. Florida A&M odds
At the moment, there are no odds for the game as Florida State has a 93.3% chance to win the game per ESPN. That might change before the game tips off tomorrow night, and if so, there will be an update, but at the moment nothing has been posted on any major sportsbooks.
Keys Players
Florida State
- Freshman center Marcis Ponder - no stats
- Junior guard Kam Taylor - Last season: 18.9/5/3 with UNC Asheville
- Sophomore forward Shon Abaev - Last season: 7/2.9/1.1 with Cincinnati
The story of the game for Florida State will likely involve the massive 7-foot freshman center, Marcis Ponder. Loucks has been the biggest supporter of Ponder since the big man made his way to campus, and the center is already locked into a starting role with the team at the moment. Ponder has the potential to have a big game against the Rattlers, who have a frontcourt primarily consisting of players with very limited experience.
One of the most exciting players on the roster is UNC Asheville transfer guard Kam Taylor, who towers over most of his assignments at 6-foot-7. Taylor is a versatile multi-level scorer with slashing tendencies that often result in trips to the line. Stopping Taylor means getting in front of him, and given his speed, strength, and size, doing so is a very difficult task.
After a difficult first season of college basketball, forward Shon Abaev hit the transfer portal in search of a better opportunity outside of Cincinnati. Loucks loves what Abaev has to offer, between his up-tempo play and ability to create plays for both himself and his teammates. With his speed, playing style, and ball-handling tendencies, Florida State has another towering guard at 6-foot-8 in a lot of ways.
Florida A&M
- Fifth-year guard Jaquan Sanders - Last season: 11.3/3/3.8
- Senior guard Antonio Baker Jr. - Last season: 9.8/3.9/1.8
- Junior guard Chandler Davis - Last season: 21.4/8/3.9 with Hillsborough College
With the Rattlers keeping the exhibition statistics close, it is hard to fully judge who will be a major contributor for the team this season and who won't. However, three standout players will likely pose a threat to Florida State, starting with the returning guards Jaquan Sanders and Antonio Baker.
Baker is a dynamic guard who is known for his multi-level scoring capabilities and strong perimeter defense. Making it past Baker can be difficult at times, and the Rattlers lean on his experience and abilities on defense to set the tone. When Baker struggles, the defense struggles, and that was a big issue for the team last season.
Sanders is a complementary player who often creates open looks for Baker and his other teammates on the court. Sanders plays his best when the long-range shots are dropping, with the guard shooting 34.1% from deep last season. Without the long ball, Sanders is mainly a playmaker for the Rattlers, and his scoring capabilities are not nearly as fearsome.
Perhaps the most notable addition to the team is 6-foot-6 guard Chandler Davis, a standout for Hillsborough College who regularly carried the offense. Davis can score from anywhere on the court, but once his momentum begins to move towards the basket, it is very difficult to stop the guard without fouling. His rebounding skills are also notable, particularly for a team that already snags a good amount of boards in the backcourt to begin with.
Series History
The Seminoles and the Rattlers have never officially met on the court before, but the two teams have played in multiple lopsided exhibitions in the past that resulted in Florida State wins.
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