By halftime of Florida State’s first exhibition game, it became very apparent that Cam’Ron Fletcher was back — and up to speed far faster than expected. Coach Leonard Hamilton said throughout the summer that Fletcher was a “fast healer” but the 6-foot-6 guard showed his quickness and a well-rounded game.
Fletcher scored 13 points in the first exhibition win over Flagler and added 12 points in the second exhibition victory over Valdosta State (he also averaged 6.5 rebounds in the two preseason games). When Fletcher injured his knee in December at Virginia, and then had surgery in January, the timeline left his return for FSU’s season opener in doubt. But Fletcher made steady progress in his rehab and is set to make an impact when the Seminoles open the 2023-24 season on Friday against Kennesaw State on Friday at 6 p.m. (live stream on ACC Network Extra).
“I’m excited about the potential of Fletcher,” Hamilton said.
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Fletcher had been delivering in a variety of ways last season, averaging 10.8 points, pulling down a team-leading 7.5 rebounds and also being aggressive on the defensive end (he also had 13 steals and six blocks). In summer workouts, Fletcher showed off an improved jumper that in part is a result of his commitment to improving as a shooter but also one where his on-court mobility was limited for the first six months of 2023.
FSU's team outlook is tough to project this season. Forward Jaylan Gainey "still has a ways to go," Hamilton said after FSU's second exhibition game. Primo Spears hasn't heard the result of his NCAA appeal, Hamilton also said on Sunday, but the transfer guard removed all of the FSU photos from his Instagram this week and his status for this season remains uncertain despite attempts to seek clarity on the matter by the Osceola (as well as other news outlets).
The Seminoles could very well be shorthanded but the healthy return of Fletcher is an overwhelming positive as the Seminoles take the court. While he came off the bench in FSU's two exhibition games, he saw extensive minutes (18 in game 1 and 21 in game 2) and is a critical piece of the team.
Fletcher sat down with the Osceola for a 1-on-1 interview this week to discuss his rehab, what he brings to the floor and the chemistry on the 2023-24 team.
Are you surprised at how quickly you've come back? You were injured in December with surgery in January.
“I'm very surprised actually. But, honestly, in the summer time I just came in, put my head down, worked every day didn't really complain. I prayed every night that things would get better and now I'm back. I'm just taking it day by day, not really rushing it. I'm still doing rehab right now, so that's a good thing. But right now just keep my head down and work.”
In the moment you had to be frustrated. How did you process that through the days of focusing on surgery, rehab, getting back?
“First couple days was hard. A lot of crying. A lot of just thinking a lot, like ‘Why me?’ But as days went by, I just really stopped complaining because I knew that wasn't really going to do anything. And I was also kind of frustrated because I had to get my surgery in January and I tore it in early December. So that was kind of frustrating because that was holding me back. But after I got the surgery, I feel like that was the hard part. I just rehabbed every day, didn't really complain coming in. Just did what I had to do to get back.”
Who at FSU helped you in your rehab on the day to day?
“Our athletic trainer Damond (Edmond). He's been really there for me ever since it happened. He told me when it happened, he said, ‘He's gonna get me through all of this’ and he did it, which I knew he would because I had a lot of faith in him. So just coming in every day working with him was a great experience and it got me and him closer as well.”
Some athletes say having that injury, surgery and rehab in the end could make you a better player. Do you agree?
“Honestly, I feel like it did kind of make me a better player. Not going to say I needed this but I feel like it was good for me because it just made me not take things for granted and just made me be grateful because it could have been much worse. It made me better as a player and as a person off the court because I don't take things for granted now. And it just and it got me closer to God, which is a good thing for me. I feel like it made me better as a person.”
Most of the summer all you could do on the court was take shots from a certain spot. Did it make you a better shooter?
“Yeah. When I first tore it, that's all I was working on. I really couldn't do any movement was just shooting and ball handling. I feel like both got better. So it helped me in that aspect. But as far as getting better and other things like being a good teammate, because I was on the sideline, I couldn't do much but just talk my teammates through things and just be there for them, encourage them while they would go through hard practices, hard workouts and I couldn't go run with them on the side.
You do a little bit of everything really well. Do you feel like you bring a lot of strengths to the table? And are there areas of your game you’re trying to strengthen?
“Me playing just comes from energy and then not thinking about scoring the ball. When I go in the game I just really think about defensive stops and rebounding and then everything goes just comes.”
How much do you like FSU’s philosophy of being able to rebound and then push the ball up the court?
“Not a lot of teams (do that.) I was talking to Matt Cleveland (who’s now at Miami) and he told me that when he gets the rebound, they tell them to give it up to a guard. That's not a place that I want to be. I feel like anybody that gets the rebound on Florida State can push the ball and I feel like nobody would have a problem with that either, because everybody can handle the ball. That's really why I like getting rebounds too. I can push it and make plays out of the coast to coast.”
How have you seen this team take shape between the transfers and freshmen?
“I feel like this team is very connected. I feel like everybody likes each other. Kind of like last year, it was kind of like cliques. Everybody still liked each other. But it was four people hang with these four people and these five hang with these five. But I feel like now everybody's hanging out with each other. One person goes to get food, then the whole team is going without even the coaches having to set that up. So I feel like this team is well connected. And I feel like if we could just lock into the system and do what the coaches ask us to do, we can make it very far.”
