{"id":444408,"date":"2026-11-01T17:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T17:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/444408\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T17:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T17:16:08","slug":"seminoles-open-80th-season-against-florida-am-in-tampa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/444408\/","title":{"rendered":"Seminoles Open 80th Season Against Florida A&M in Tampa"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE \u2013 Florida State men’s basketball opens its 80th season Monday night against crosstown foe Florida A&M in the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
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\nThe game will be televised on ESPNU<\/a>, with Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes on the call, and broadcast on the Seminole Sports Network<\/a> with Jeff Culhane<\/a> and Adrian Crawford.
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\nThe Seminoles enter the season after winning both preseason exhibitions against SEC opponents, defeating Auburn, 82-71, in Birmingham, Alabama, and LSU, 89-87, at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Florida State scored more than 50 second-half points in both games while outscoring its opponents 68-52 in the paint and collecting 34 second-chance points. The Noles also shot 84.2 percent from the free-throw line, making 48 of 57 attempts.
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\nSophomore forward Shon Abaev<\/a> led the Seminoles with 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. A transfer from Cincinnati and former McDonald’s All-American, Abaev scored 15 points against Auburn before pouring in 26 against LSU, including five three-pointers.
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\nJunior guard Kam Taylor<\/a>, a First Team All-Big South selection at UNC Asheville, averaged 17.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field and making all 12 of his free throws.
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\nCenter Marcis Ponder<\/a> also made his mark, averaging 9.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. He recorded 13 points and 21 rebounds against Auburn and earned a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year preseason watch list.
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\nFlorida A&M enters the season after a 15-16 campaign, it’s most wins since 2007-08. The Rattlers finished tied for second in the SWAC at 11-7 and were picked fourth in the conference’s preseason poll.
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\nFAMU is led by head coach Charlie Ward, one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Florida State history. Ward played basketball and football for the Seminoles from 1990-94, helping the basketball team reach three NCAA Tournaments while recording a program-record 238 career steals. On the football field, he won the 1993 Heisman Trophy and led Florida State to the national championship.
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\nThe Rattlers return two key players recognized in the SWAC preseason honors. Antonio Baker was named Preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-SWAC after averaging 9.9 points and 3.6 rebounds last season. Jaquan Sanders earned Preseason First Team All-SWAC recognition after averaging 11.7 points and 3.6 assists while making a team-high 59 3-pointers.
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\nMonday’s game marks the first regular-season meeting between the Tallahassee programs since 1991. The teams met in an exhibition last season, with Florida State earning an 88-54 victory.
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\nFor more information on Florida State men’s basketball, check Seminoles.com<\/a> for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through\u00a0Twitter\/X<\/a>\u00a0(@FSUHoops), Instagram<\/a>\u00a0(@FSUHoops) and Facebook<\/a>\u00a0(@FSUMBasketball).