Florida State basketball in the Leonard Hamilton Era has been about the “sum of its parts.” That’s a favorite Hamilton phrase and it reflects the knowledge that he may not be able to recruit with the blue bloods and match up 1-5, but he can use a deeper bench and win games with 6-10.

The numbers didn’t work in FSU’s favor for big chunks of the non-conference schedule. Primo Spears was on the sideline awaiting approval of his waiver as a two-time transfer. Jaylan Gainey was still on the way back from knee injury. Cam Corhen was out with a fractured toe. And Cam’Ron Fletcher was lost for the year with a second knee injury.

“There was a time when I was without four of my top players, without Gainey, Corhen, Primo as well as Fletcher,” Hamilton reflected on Monday morning. “Jaylan Gainey, he’s probably about 75 percent. But he’s in horrible condition. He only can play short periods of time. Cam was out with the fractured toe. And we didn’t have Primo at all. Just bringing them back in and giving us quality depth and a little more energy, we can sustain our effort for longer periods of time.”

Spears has brought some stability as a point guard and he's scoring in double figures in seven of eight games. The Seminoles also now have more big bodies with Gainey and Corhen. Gainey has played in 11 games and is building his conditioning, while Corhen has contributed 6.7 points in FSU's last four games.

Less than three weeks ago, FSU was in a bad spot. The Seminoles fell behind by 21 points at home to Lipscomb before rallying to lose 78-75 on Dec. 30. Hamilton sat court side after the game with the Osceola and shared his frustration after wrapping up non-conference play just 6-5.

"My disappointment is that we have been consistently inconsistent," Hamilton said. "Since day 1 we have struggled to play a full 40 minutes. Even the games that we have won we have had periods where we played very well and periods where have not. This team needs to find a way to be more consistent in how we play."

How did FSU become more consistent? The Seminoles (10-6, 4-1 ACC) have been able to win four straight games by showcasing their depth, and that is reflected through the sustained defensive consistency. FSU is the ACC’s leader in steals throughout the season, led by Jamir Watkins and Darin Green Jr. (1.6 steals per game).

Baba Miller is also contributing in a variety of ways. He scored just five points at Notre Dame on 1 of 6 shooting, but the sophomore pulled down nine rebounds and had three blocks. In the win over Wake on Tuesday, Miller had 14 points, three blocks and three rebounds.

“Baba has taken a step forward in all phases of the game – rebounding, running the floor, defending,” Hamilton said. “He’s growing up in front of our eyes. He’s only 19. He’s just now starting to feel comfortable with how to utilize his skills in a system like what we use.”

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A year ago, FSU rallied late to defeat Miami on Matthew Cleveland’s buzzer-beater. When the Seminoles travel to Coral Gables on Wednesday, they will face off against Cleveland.

Now a junior, Cleveland is averaging career bests in scoring (16.4), field-goal shooting (56 percent), three-point shooting (45.5 percent) and steals (1.4 per game).

“I think he’s fit in very well with the system that they have,” Hamilton said. “He’s a high energy type of guy. Obviously, he’s shooting the ball pretty well from the perimeter. He’s a guy who does a lot of the dirty work. He plays both sides of the ball. He’s a really good defender. And offensively he fits into that system very, very well.”

Miami is 12-4, coming off a surprising home loss to Louisville before bouncing back to win at Virginia Tech. FSU faces Miami on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ACC Network).

Just how balanced is the production on FSU’s roster? There’s not one Seminole in the top 25 in the ACC in scoring, although Jamir Watkins (13 points per game) isn’t that far behind No. 25 Nijel Pack (13.6) of Miami.

There’s also no Seminole in the top 15 in rebounding or assists, with Watkins (5.9 boards, 3.3 assists) just outside the leaders.

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