FSU basketball coach shows prowess with NBA legend at ACC Tipoff

Luke Loucks still has pull with a major player!
Florida State Introduces Luke Loucks as the New Mens Basketball Head Coach
Florida State Introduces Luke Loucks as the New Mens Basketball Head Coach | Don Juan Moore/GettyImages

It’s hard to believe, but the FSU basketball season will be underway soon. FSU head coach Luke Loucks and two FSU players traveled to Charlotte, NC, for the ACC Tipoff on Wednesday.

One of the questions asked to Coach Loucks was who was the most famous contact in his phone, so he had to flex and call NBA legend Steph Curry.

It shouldn’t be too surprising, considering that Loucks was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors for years with Steph Curry on the team. However, it’s probably a good recruiting tool with top players to show what connections he continues to maintain in the NBA.

Loucks also spoke about continuing to learn in his new role while continuing to lean on Coach Leonard Hamilton for advice. Coach Hamilton has kept his distance since his departure from the program at the end of last season, but he is always there if needed.

The expectations for FSU basketball in year one of the Loucks era aren’t anything crazy. FSU hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since making the Sweet 16 in the 2021 season. FSU made the Sweet 16 in 2019 and the Elite Eight in 2018. They were one of the favorites to win it all in 2020, which got cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Noles have been a .500 team during the two final seasons with Leonard Hamilton. Loucks has assembled a team largely from the transfer portal and a few guys who stayed from the Hamilton era. If they are near the .500 mark or better, that’s probably a success. However, it’s possible that they could be better than that.

FSU has a favorable schedule over the first few games before starting ACC play. Those games should do a solid job of telling us what to expect.  

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