A year ago, Caleb Mills was one of the prized transfers in college basketball looking to find a new home. He chose Florida State, a program with a recent run of success that vaulted the Seminoles into the game’s elite tier, hoping to take the next step as a player under Leonard Hamilton.

When the FSU coach reached out to the former preseason AAC Player of the Year, it was all but decided.

“I knew when he called me, I was gonna come play for him,” Mills said ahead of his redshirt junior season. “I just have so much respect for him and, because of the respect and love he shows for the people that play for him. He does anything for us. It may be an off-the-court issue, family issue, he does whatever it takes to try to help you in any way.”

His first year in Tallahassee didn’t go as planned. The team struggled with an avalanche of injuries, rarely able to field a consistent starting five or dig deep into the depth that FSU has built its brand on during their ascension as “New Bloods.” The Seminoles finished 17-14 on the season, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

Mills and the Seminoles regrouped, adding pieces in the transfer portal and with a talented recruiting class this offseason that has those around the Tucker Center brimming with optimism.

“I think the biggest strength we have is the confidence everybody has (in their abilities),” Mills said. “Everybody can score. We’ve got a couple shooters, we’ve got some athletic guys, Naheem (McLeod) has gotten a lot better, and Cam Corhen is going to surprise a lot of people this year.”

Of the newcomers, Mills admitted losing Brown transfer Jaylen Gainey to injury is a big blow to the team, calling him “the best athlete on the team” at 6-foot-10, 220 pounds. FSU was expecting Gainey to play major minutes in the post this year. However, Mills was quick to compliment freshmen guard Chandler Jackson as someone eager to learn and someone without an ego, despite his lofty recruiting ranking. He’s also excited about what UCF transfer Darin Green Jr. brings to the table. The sharpshooter is a 39-percent marksman from beyond the arc in his career.

“He’s a great fit to be here, easy to play with,” Mills said of Green. “He's a lot like me, a quiet guy, but he's learning to step out of that. Because he’s one of the older guys, he's gonna have to be one of the leaders as well.”

The basketball program at Florida State has seen many tremendous leaders throughout Hamilton’s time in charge, especially in recent years with the success the program has enjoyed. Mills is hoping to be next in line, now comfortable in Tallahassee in his second season at the school.

“I was more of a person to lead by example, but I can lead with my voice as well. I've had to learn how to say the right things to teammates, ” Mills acknowledged about growing as a leader. “But also being able to be receptive, whenever you are wrong, when people are holding you accountable.”

Mills led FSU in scoring at nearly 13 points per game last season, but he’s gone back to the lab to improve his game even more. He showed a confident, but streaky three-point shot as well as an array of moves with the ball in his hands. While he feels he’s improved each of those facets in his game, he’s eager to show his progress as a distributor, setting up is teammates.

“I feel like it's one of the best parts of my game, I knew I could pass before, but being here they developed me to be able to read defenses a lot better, to see plays before they happen,” Mills said. “The game has gotten kind of slower, and that’s where I’ve grown the most.”

Updates from Hamilton, Mills and Cleveland at ACC Tip-off event

At FSU, you don’t get on the court for Hamilton unless you commit to defense. Mills has learned to love that part of the game even more under the legendary coach.

“At Houston, they taught me the importance of defense, they taught me that's how you win. Defense is what wins. And so I took pride in that,” Mills said. “So I came here taking pride in that but they just taught me the fundamentals. I've gotten a lot better defensively, which probably is the most fun part of the game. But younger me would never have said that.”

Mills admitted he enjoys shutting someone down defensively, more than he loves scoring. The junkyard defensive style fully finding its way into his identity, the guard is excited about the chemistry of team, which was only aided by the 10-day trip to Canada in August.

“We strengthened our bond there,” Mills said. “It's going to better us on the court, of course. But off the court, it got us all to grow closer, which I feel like that's a big part of why teams win. How close and connected groups are.”

Mills also noted that the team’s tight-knit atmosphere has allowed the guys to be more open and honest with each other, allowing for more accountability without the coaches having to step in. Walk-ons can critique or encourage starters, resembling the chemistry old FSU teams had in the past.

There is an air of giddiness circulating the halls of the Basketball Training Center at FSU these days. It’s a group that believes it will leave the bruised and battered campaign of a year ago in the past, heading back towards the consistent powerhouse the program has become in recent years.

“We got a bunch of athletes, a lot of athletes, flying around,” Mills said with a confident smile. “I’m just ready to go to war with these guys."

Favorite pre-game meal?

Spaghetti and Lemon Pepper Chicken with mashed potatoes

Favorite TV shows?

“I just finished Ozark recently and binge-watched Stranger Things as soon as it came out. It’s probably my favorite show right now.”

What’s on your playlist?

“Honestly, I’ll listen to anything. R&B, rap, etc. My favorite artist right now is Young Boy.”

Funniest guy on team?

Myself, Naheem McLeod, Cleveland Yates, Mike Brown

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