Well-known for having one of the deepest rosters in the sport, Florida State begins the season on Monday with question marks that will impact its depth.

Beyond Jaylan Gainey’s injury, freshman guard Chandler Jackson (broken thumb) is on his way back. FSU coach Leonard Hamilton also thinks Cam’Ron Fletcher (unknown injury) will be available but said he could be limited in practices. Hamilton also said freshman forward De’Ante Green may not play this season as he is rehabilitating from ACL surgery from January, although Green did participate in warmups before the exhibition game.

Guard Jalen Warley also did not play in FSU’s exhibition, and Hamilton did not clarify his status for the season opener on Monday against Stetson (7 p.m., Regional Sports Networks).

“We’re a little bit in flux now,” Hamilton said. “But I believe that we will make the necessary adjustments as we start the season. I like our team. We might be a little different than what we’ve been in the past.”

FSU will be shorthanded on the bench but there’s no shortage of talent, not when top scorers Caleb Mills and Matthew Cleveland return along with a blend of newcomers like UCF transfer guard Darin Green Jr. and freshman forward Cameron Corhen. But a season that began with excitement and uncertainty also turned with Friday’s announcement that star freshman Baba Miller will miss the first 16 games due to a violation of an NCAA rule from a few years back.

“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for the NCAA and the job that they do,” Hamilton said. “I don’t always agree. I’ve always been concerned about how the structure is set up where you bring in a group of people who don’t work in it every day and they have a chance to make decisions. My biggest concern is if we are going to hold someone accountable there needs to be a little bit more effort put in to educating the international kids as to what they can and can not do.

“I would venture to say a lot of international guys have been caught up in situations where they don’t really understand the NCAA rule book and how it pertains to them in their sport. A lot of it goes unnoticed. Their club system has always been different. But at this particular point we’re going to move on.”

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By rule, the NCAA suspension is for a full season despite Miller and his family later understanding the rule and repaying $3,000. FSU’s appeal allows for Miller to return at the midpoint of the regular season on Jan. 11 against Wake Forest. The NCAA declined comment to the Osceola when asked for further clarity on the case.

The 6-foot-11, 204-pound Miller showed his jump shot, passing and how his length and athleticism could be valuable on defense in FSU’s exhibition game against Newberry. Not having Miller for the first half of the season is a tough one, especially when coupled with the injury to Gainey, a Brown transfer forward.

Hamilton said Miller is “practicing harder now than he ever did before." The FSU coaching staff is determined to work with Miller throughout the upcoming months to help in his development and acclimation to the offensive and defensive sets.

"He's got to be prepared to know our system, because he didn't have a summer with us," FSU assistant coach Stan Jones told the Osceola. "He's also got to stay in shape. He's got to use this time to continue to get to know himself as an individual player. And we're going to do that. And our job is to keep him focused and in in the right frame of mind. To get better every day

Without Miller and Gainey in the early part of the schedule, FSU coaches will have to push Corhen and center Naheem McLeod for more playing time and production.

"All of coaching is pushing," Jones said. "You got to try to get them to get not just to their potential, but our goal is trying to get them beyond their potential. So probably the Jaylan Gainey loss has been a bigger factor in the situation we've been going through here lately. Because Jaylan was a guy who has played a lot of college basketball, had productive basketball and accolades achieved in as a basketball player. And he played really hard, and he was incredibly smart. And guys were kind of feeding off of that in the summer. And so I'm really disappointed for him because he was really starting to feel real comfortable."

Hamilton said the Seminoles will often use a four-guard lineup but that could include Fletcher (who is 6-7 and listed as a guard) as well as Corhen and Naheem McLeod. Darin Green Jr. is a career 38.8 percent shooter and could help to stretch defenses.

“His role will probably be similar to the role that he’s always played,” Hamilton said. “We’re probably putting the ball in his hands a little bit more. I’ve really been impressed with his defense, his ability to adjust and adapt to a new team, a new system, new teammates. Very unselfish guy. We see him having a major role in our rotation.”

Look for more FSU basketball coverage this weekend, including our Tuck Talk podcast. Stan Jones and the ACC Network's Dalen Cuff will join us for a season preview episode.