It might not be the picture most people associate with winning basketball programs.

Nobody is climbing a ladder, cutting down a net or holding a trophy.

But the image Leonard Hamilton tweeted out Saturday afternoon was one of the proudest moments of his coaching career.

Because the Florida State men's basketball coach got to celebrate 10 (TEN!!!) of his players officially graduating from FSU.

***Don't miss out on our great sports coverage. Get your 30-day FREE trial!***

Anthony Polite, RaiQuan Gray, Travis Light, RayQuan Evans, Will Miles, Wyatt Wilkes, M.J. Walker, Justin Lindner, Malik Osborne and Nathanael Jack all walked across the stage this weekend and received diplomas from Florida State University. Three of them -- Light, Lindner and Miles -- actually were receiving graduate degrees.

"It means so very much to me," Hamilton said on Sunday afternoon. "Because I realize the climate that exists now in college athletics has unintentionally taken away the focus of kids going to school and getting an education. I don't think anyone intended for it to be this way, but as a coach, I realize how important eight, nine, 10 years from now their degrees mean to their families and their kids.

"And I've got to give a tremendous amount of credit to the university athletic department for giving me the support."

Hamilton gives the most credit, of course, to the players themselves. For, as he put it, "adhering to our guidelines as it relates to how you conduct yourself in the academic arena."

He added: "I'm just so grateful that parents have trusted us with their teenagers. And I'm hoping we're giving them back to them as young adults."

Over the last half-decade, the Florida State basketball program has become one of the best in the country. And Hamilton's teams are currently on the best five-year run in the history of the program.

They've competed and won ACC championships. They've been to the Sweet 16 each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. They are a constant presence in the national rankings.

And make no mistake: Hamilton loves winning games. That's what college basketball coaches are paid to do, after all.

But, to him, college basketball is about more than that. It's about getting an education, first and foremost, because the percentages say that even as good as his program has become at churning out NBA talent, the vast majority of his players won't be in the NBA making millions of dollars.

He clearly thinks that message is being lost in other corners of the college basketball world, as the G-League becomes a more attractive option to a handful of elite prep players, and even the ones that are successful at the college level are transferring all over the country at breakneck speed.

Florida State, in fact, landed a big-time transfer from Kentucky on Friday. So it's not like FSU is sitting out the portal. The Seminoles have to fill their roster as well.

But Hamilton wants players who fit a culture. And you best believe that culture includes being focused on education.

According to FSU, since the start of the 2003 season, 71 of 73 players (97.3 percent) who have played through their senior seasons under Hamilton have earned their degrees.

"It's important to us," Hamilton said. "And those who are not buying it probably don't come. But see, we let everybody know what our academic requirements are. So, we're not going to make any adjustments to anything other than staying focused on doing what we know is the right thing to do. And we believe these kids coming to school and getting their education is important.

"And we won't deviate from that."

Hamilton will never mention publicly why one of his players might sit out a half or miss an entire game. He likes to keep those reasons in house.

But there is no doubt that class attendance and good grades are a prerequisite for Leonard Hamilton if you want to get on the court.

The veteran head coach wonders where the sport is going from here. How the transfer portal and the G-League and the promises of a professional league for high school players will affect the education of young basketball players?

How many players will actually focus on graduating if they're changing schools because of playing time or chasing dollars that might not be there?

Not everybody can be a Scottie Barnes or a Patrick Williams after all.

Which is why he was so excited about this weekend. Ten players. One team. All college graduates.

Three (Evans, Jack and Osborne) were transfers from other schools, but they'll always be FSU alums. And all 10 will always have a special place in Hamilton's heart. Because he doesn't make it easy on his players.

He makes it understood, from the outset, that basketball is just a part of the reason they're at Florida State.

"There are certain things that are non-negotiable," Hamilton said. "And not being responsible as a student-athlete academically is one of them. We do not run a military state. I think we all understand what is expected and everyone takes care of their responsibilities.

"And I think that (picture is) proof that they all take care of their responsibilities."

---------------------------

Discuss FSU basketball with fans on Warchant's Seminole Hoops message board