Luke Loucks makes big splash signing three top players and No. 5 recruiting class

Florida State head coach Luke Loucks nearly shocked the college basketball world by taking the defending national champion Florida Gators to the brink in their 78-76 road loss on Tuesday night. That was a strong sign for FSU basketball fans, as the Noles won their first two games via blowouts.

What took place on Wednesday’s signing day was impressive for Loucks in his first recruiting cycle. The Noles signed three top blue-chip players:

Ponder is the No. 57 player nationally and the No. 6 center, standing at 6'11" and 330 pounds. He's the size FSU could have used in the paint againt the Florida Gators on Tuesday night.

Collin Paul is the No. 122 ranked player nationally and No. 40 small forward, though he has the skills to be more of a point forward. Paul is 6'7" with a 7'0" wingspan, fitting nicely in the mix and should be great on the boards.

Brandon Bass is the No. 126 ranked player nationally and the No. 19 shooting guard. Bass is the son of NBA veteran Brandon Bass who played at LSU. Bass is 6'4" and 185 pounds with nearly a seven foot wingspan. He's a shooter, and will fit nicely into the offensive system that Luke Loucks uses at FSU.

FSU has one more member of the 2026 class, four-star point guard Jasen Lopez, who's also a football commit as a wide receiver. Lopez hopes to play both sports, but football will likely be the priority and why he'll wait to sign in December he is sticks with the Noles.

The FSU class ranks No. 5 nationally, which is tops in the ACC. They earned the ranking because they have more commits than other ACC teams, but it's a strong showing by Luke Loucks in his first recruiting cycle.

If the Noles keep impressing in his first season, FSU might start cooking for real for real on the recruiting trail.