Florida State men's basketball took on the SMU Mustangs today in the friendly confines of the Tucker Center in what is head basketball coach Leonard Hamilton's last regular season home game.
This is quite a bittersweet moment for Coach Hamilton. He has been a tremendous ambassador for the program and has been a class act for so many years. This isn't to say that he has had a career like Roy Williams or Mike Krzyzewski. However, he did his best in the current situation with the Seminoles.
I will always be fond of the memories of the period between 2016-2020. It was a shame that COVID-19 ruined an opportunity for a squad that had the makings of having a deep NCAA Tournament run.
With that said, all good things must come to an end eventually. This isn't how Coach Hamilton drew it up as the Seminoles were limping to the finish line during the 2025 season where he elected to step down at the end of the campaign in the last year of his contract.
The Seminoles entered the matchup versus SMU, where they lost five of its last six games. The morale of the team was stale. Florida State already had rumblings of potentially naming Luke Loucks as the next head basketball coach, who was a former point guard of Coach Hamilton.
The Mustangs had an overall record of 22-8 (13-6 in conference), so the Seminole fan base thought that they had no chance of beating SMU at home. Most fans wanted some good news with Hamilton going out on a good note.
Florida State men's basketball got a massive victory by a score of 76-69. This was a much-needed surprise for a man who has done so much for the university's basketball program.
The win captured a common theme of the year where guard Jamir Watkins and forward Malique Ewin had combined for 46 points. It was great to see the squad together for Coach Hamilton.
When it comes to Watkins, he has been an impressive scorer for the Seminoles. The guard has been a bright spot in a mediocre season for Florida State. Like Hamilton, this is his last season as he walked on Senior Day.
The talented scorer will not be considered one of the best players in the Hamilton era. He was in between dark times in the program. However, you have to give it to Watkins for sticking it out through the difficult times. He has averaged a team-high 18.5 points per game.
This will be something that Florida State will miss next season, plus there is no telling what Malique Ewin will do, considering that there will be a new head basketball coach in Tallahassee next season. This team will likely need a complete overhaul.
I hope that the Seminoles make some positive strides in the ACC Tournament.