New-look FSU men's basketball roster comes into focus
It has been an eventful offseason for the Florida State men's basketball program.
The Seminoles said farewell to eight of 13 players from last year's team as well as longtime assistant coach Charlton Young, who left to join Dennis Gates' staff at Missouri.
But Leonard Hamilton and the Seminoles return five very talented contributors, they did well in the transfer portal -- landing a veteran sharp-shooter and a dominant shot-blocker -- and they also picked up a huge addition to their freshman class earlier this week with the signing of acclaimed international prospect Baba Miller.
With so many faces coming and going, here's a breakdown of what FSU's roster will look like entering the 2022-23 season. There also is a recap at the end of players who moved on from last year's squad, which finished 17-14 and 10-10 in the ACC while dealing with a slew of injuries throughout the season.
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RETURNING VETERANS (5)
Caleb Mills, G -- Former Houston transfer who led the Seminoles in scoring this past season with 12.7 points per game; also second in steals with 39. Not the most efficient player -- struggled at times with turnovers -- but can score at an impressive clip. Finished with double-figures in 17 of 26 games despite being hampered by an ankle injury late in the year.
Matthew Cleveland, G -- Was named ACC Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman after averaging 11.5 and 4.6 rebounds. Is extremely athletic and scored at least 10 points in each of his last nine games (10 of the last 11). Will be working to improve his shooting from 3-point range and the free-throw line; he struggled in both areas last season.
Jalen Warley, G -- Started 5 of 31 games at point guard ... did not shoot very well (33.1 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from 3-point range) but did a solid job of taking care of the basketball with 78 assists and 39 turnovers. Also finished third on team with 37 steals.
Naheem McLeod, C -- Started 5 of 18 games at center before being sidelined with a season-ending injury. Appeared to be coming into his own right before the injury, scoring 10 points against Georgia Tech and 15 against Virginia Tech. Averaged 4.5 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 68.0 percent from the field.
Cam'Ron Fletcher, G -- Former Kentucky transfer provided great energy and athleticism off the bench while learning Leonard Hamilton's offensive and defensive systems. Averaged 6.8 points and 3.4 rebounds while playing just 16.3 minutes per game. Was extremely productive in final month when given extended minutes; scored 16 vs. North Carolina, 17 vs. Clemson, 12 vs. Duke and 16 vs. Boston College.
INCOMING TRANSFERS (2)
Darin Green Jr., G -- UCF transfer who started the vast majority of his games during three seasons with the Knights. The 6-5 sharp-shooter ranked third in the AAC in 3-point shooting percentage (38.5) and first in 3s made (3.0 per game). Hit 87 shots from long range in 29 games; for comparison, FSU didn't have any player with more than 33 in 31 games. As a sophomore two years ago, scored 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range against FSU.
Jaylan Gainey, F -- Brown transfer is a proven shot-blocker and a two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-9 forward started every game last season at Brown, averaging 9.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. Excellent interior player who blocked 63 shots this past season while shooting over 70.0 percent from the field.
INCOMING FRESHMEN (6)
Baba Miller, F -- Played previously for Real Madrid in Spain and chose Florida State over Gonzaga. Has played for the Spanish national team in his age group and is considered one of the top international prospects in this class. A 6-11 forward who played guard for much of his youth before a late growth spurt. Should fit in very well with Florida State's offensive and defensive systems, given his length, athleticism and skill set.
Chandler Jackson, G -- Four-star prospect from Memphis who was rated the nation's No. 91 prospect by Rivals. A 6-4 guard who can run the point, chose FSU over Auburn, Kansas, Memphis and others. Was considered the top player in Memphis as a senior, averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Cameron Corhen, F -- Four-star prospect out of Kansas who was listed at 6-9, 210 in high school. According to Rivals, was the No. 130 prospect in the country and had offers from Arizona, Illinois and others. Originally from Texas but transferred to a Kansas prep school for his final season.
De'Ante Green, F -- Three-star prospect out of North Carolina who at one point was considered one of the top 100 players in the country but settled in at No. 150 by Rivals. A 6-8 forward, led his team to a state championship as a junior, averaging nearly 15 points per game, but went down with a torn ACL midway through his senior season.
Jeremiah Bembry, G -- A three-star prospect out of New Jersey who signed with FSU over offers from Rutgers, Ole Miss, Seton Hall and others. The 6-6 combo guard is originally from Brooklyn.
Tom House, G -- A three-star shooting guard out of Ohio who had mostly mid-major offers before committing to Florida State. Is listed at 6-6 and 205 pounds; was part of a dominant high school team that went 29-1 last season.
DEPARTURES (8)
Malik Osborne, F -- Was the team's top scorer and rebounder early in the season before struggling with an ankle injury. Ended up missing the second half of the season due to surgery.
RayQuan Evans, G -- Starting point guard for most of the year and averaged 8.0 points. Did a solid job of taking care of the basketball with a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and came through with several game-winning shots and free throws. Led team with 41 steals.
Anthony Polite, G -- Averaged 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds but missed seven games late in the season due to a wrist injury.
John Butler, F -- Started 24 of 31 games as a freshman, averaging 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. Despite being over 7 feet tall, was an exceptional 3-point shooter (39.3 percent) and led team with 33 threes. Also led team with 36 blocked shots before leaving for the NBA after one season.
Wyatt Wilkes, F -- Part-time starter, averaged 3.9 points and 1.5 rebounds. Struggled with his shooting as a senior (29.5 percent from 3) and scored in double-figures just twice.
Tanor Ngom, C -- Started 15 of 20 games and battled injury all season. Averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. Averaged just 12.4 minutes.
Quincy Ballard, C -- Seldom saw the court in his second season and entered the transfer portal at the end of the year. Averaged 4.8 minutes and contributed 16 points on the season.
Justin Lindner, G -- Former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship for his final season. Averaged 3.2 minutes off the bench.
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