FSU Basketball Gets Its First Public Test Against Auburn Tonight
Florida State fans finally get a look at Luke Loucks’ new team tonight.
The Seminoles face Auburn at 8 p.m. Eastern inside Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham for the Ballin in Boutwell exhibition. With 12 newcomers on the roster, there’s plenty to learn about how this group plays together.
An exhibition won’t tell us everything about this new team. But it should give us a better idea of what this team’s identity is going to be.
Building on Last Season’s Finish
Loucks enters his second season after leading Florida State to an 18–15 record, including a 10–8 finish in ACC play. The Seminoles won 10 of their final 12 games, giving fans something to build expectations around heading into this year.
The challenge now is carrying that progress forward with a roster that includes six freshmen and six transfers. Tonight offers an early look at how quickly those pieces are coming together and how the scheme has evolved going into year two.
Two Newcomers to Watch
Anthony Robinson II and Sebastian Rancik are two names worth watching.
Robinson comes to FSU from Missouri, where he averaged 8.9 points last season and led the Tigers with 54 steals. Rancik arrives from Colorado after averaging 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds.
For Robinson, I’ll be watching his leadership and how he can distribute the ball. For Rancik, I want to see how FSU gets him involved offensively and how he competes on the glass and the defensive end.
What FSU Needs to Show
My biggest focus tonight will be defense and communication.
With so many new players, miscommunication will happen and it will take this team time to gel together. What matters is how the Seminoles overcome this challenge.
Auburn should provide a useful test. The Tigers return eight players from a team that won 22 games and captured the NIT championship, with Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton among their leading returning pieces.
Offensively, I want to see FSU create good shots without forcing the first available look. The final shooting percentage will be interesting, but the looks on those shots will give us a better idea of how good this offense is going to be.
How to Watch
Matchup: Florida State vs. Auburn
When: Tonight, October 14, at 8 p.m. Eastern
Where: Boutwell Auditorium, Birmingham, Alabama
Stream: Hibbett’s YouTube channel
Radio: Seminole Sports Network
Follow Along Tonight
For live updates throughout the game, follow along here: In The Endzone on X (@InTheEndzone24).
Watch FSU vs. Auburn live on Hibbett’s YouTube channel. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. Eastern.