FSU Basketball Q&A: Leonard Hamilton talks Canada exhibition trip, 2022-23 roster
After a strong showing for the Florida State men’s basketball team during a three-game sweep of international exhibition outings in Canada, FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton spoke with local reporters recently about the 2022-23 team and the new-look roster for the Seminoles.
Entering his 21st season at the helm, Hamilton recapped what FSU’s crop of transfers and latest signing class bring to the fold, as well as how some of the top returnees have progressed since last season.
Continue below for a full Q&A as Hamilton looks ahead to the 2022-23 season, which tips off Nov. 7 at home against Stetson.
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Q: How significant is it that not only do you get this head start offensively and defensively, but you get to do it in game situations? What does that allow you to do moving forward when you do start practice later this fall?
A: Well I think, most importantly, they get a chance to play against some pretty good competition. It was probably mid-level ACC-type play. … These teams challenged us enough, defensively we had to really, really be on our game because they all could shoot the ball really well and they were sound fundamentally. They challenged us on the defensive end. And offensively, they gave us just enough challenge to see what we could do in our system and what the outcome would be when we’re doing well. We also saw some areas where we need to improve on. I can’t say enough about the opportunity and how much this meant to us to know a little bit more about who we are. And know what it’s like to play against someone different for the three games. … That was a good opportunity for us.
Q: What does a trip like this do for camaraderie. Do you feel like there was a lot more team bonding having them in a different country and a different environment for this period of time?
A: I’m sure it did, but we have such good, connected players. Our culture is really good. I think it’s more of the same with what we experienced. I’m not sure it enhanced it. Our guys seem to have a really good chemistry together. They seem to really get along. They have bought into our system, sharing the ball, sharing playing time. Those things have always been a theme of our program. This has been more of a business trip than it has been. Sometimes we go places where we do a lot of sight-seeing, we’ve done a little bit of that. But this has been more of a business trip. I’ve been interested in that we’ve had so many activities in a short period of time, it’s been a little taxing on us. They’ve found out what it’s like to be in a tournament-type atmosphere, where you don’t have a whole lot of game preparation. You have to go off what you’ve learned in practice.
From that standpoint, I think we’ve learned a lot. Just spending some time together and hanging out. This has been a working trip. … This was a learning experience, film sessions, some pretty good games. Getting a lot of people on the court, different combinations of guys on the floor at the same time. … This was a working trip that I hoping that we got a lot out of. I know I have a much better feel for our strengths, and unfortunately, I saw some weaknesses in some areas that we have to work hard to develop.
Q: What did you see from UCF transfer Darin Green from a leadership standpoint? Is that something you think he is going to take quickly to, because I know you are losing a few guys who filled that role from last year.
A: There’s no doubt we are still tinkering with the leadership aspect of the team, because we don’t have guys who have been with us that much. Sometimes guys are a little reluctant to step up and speak when they are still learning the systems themselves. He’s not an extremely talkative person. But he leads by example. He’s talking much more now than he was at the beginning of the year. Our leadership is probably still developing at this point. Right now, you’ve got Matthew Cleveland and Caleb Mills that have probably assumed a little more of that responsibility than maybe some of the others guys. We are still growing in those areas. We don’t have any issues that concern me. I just think they are kind of calling each other out, I think they are leading by committee. I think different guys are speaking up in more of an encouraging, positive environment as opposed to one or two guys taking the lead and stepping out and being the lead dog. I’ve noticed Caleb and Matthew have probably been the guys who have been a little more vocal than the returning guys.
Q: On that topic, a lot of the most experienced guys you have have only been in the system for one year. But is it good for them to now be teaching other guys. Is that a good role for them to feel good about their knowledge, the fact that they’re now helping younger guys in just their second year?
A: There’s no doubt about that. … Because we do win by committee, we do share the ball, we do share playing time, we realize how important it is for us to all come together as a team. They realize how important that is, coming together and playing for each other’s strengths. Creating for each other. In that type of environment, you have to sometimes challenge each other and we call it “call outs.” We are consistently telling our guys, you have to call your teammates out when they have game slippage. There’s not necessarily anything that is negative about that. We have consistently kept reminding guys of what they’re supposed to be doing, because we have guys doing things that they’ve never had to do before. When you have guys who, our defensive system is a little different than what they’ve done in high school, even some of the other schools (colleges) that they’ve been at. It’s a little more challenging for them than you would think, so you have to be reminded of when they lose their focus in certain areas.
Q: How has Caleb Mills matured and what is different about his game today compared to year ago?
A: Well, I think it is more of the same. I think he is a little more comfortable from an offensive standpoint maybe creating a little bit more, but he is also creating for his teammates a little bit more. He’s finding people, I think he has a good feel for the game. I think he has worked hard on improving his defense. I think he has allowed himself to … he’s taken those challenges. As a matter of fact, we’ve tried to back him off a little bit so that he wouldn’t end up getting in foul trouble. I think the first game, he got in early foul trouble just being a little overly aggressive. I think he is determined that he is going to accept that role a little bit.
We have a pickup guy (on defense) who picks the ball up 94 feet, most of the time. Last year he wasn’t the guy doing it, but I think he is kind of interested in looking and seeing whether or not he could be more of that guy when we need someone to pick up like that full-court. That he could be a lot more contributing in that role, kind of like what Anthony Polite did for us last year. Anthony was an excellent guy who picked the ball up and pressured the ball. I think Caleb is trying to show us that he’s capable of doing that, because he understands that that is an important part of our defense.
Q: You’ve got some young guys you mentioned as well, does a trip like this help get them acclimated with what you’re going to be experiencing on the road this season?
A: No doubt about it. I was interested that we had really, really good crowds for two of the games, maybe almost packed houses. That created an opportunity to get a feel for what it’s like playing on the road, playing in these types of environments. But also, I think it was good for them to see what it’s like to play at the pace we play. A very interesting thing, we had done very little scrimmaging before we left. We’ve been doing a lot of teaching, a lot of half-court stuff. … To have to go back and forth, I think they saw what it’s like. When you’re not in game shape, you get a better feel for how tough it is to play at this pace and be efficient. That was good for them. Sometimes, once you get past that three-and-a-half, four-minute mark, the way we play can be a bit challenging for you unless you are in great shape.
Now, we don’t expect to be in great shape in August, but I think our guys got a feel for the challenges that playing at the pace we like to play at presents to you. Especially when you play three games in six days, you have a lot more respect for staying hydrated, staying flexible, doing a lot of stretching. We got an idea of playing in a tournament-type atmosphere that we are going to be playing in when we go down to Orlando this year. … I think they got a good feel for that, because in the game I could see a lot of guys really trying to push themselves because of how many activities we’ve had in a short period of time. Which I think also helps them be a little more concerned about staying in shape and going home and coming back and understanding that this is the pace we are going to be going at and they need to be ready for it.
*ALSO SEE: UCF transfer Darin Green Jr. shows off shooting prowess in FSU Basketball exhibition wins
Q: With forward Jaylan Gainey (Brown transfer), a lot of time you get younger players and freshmen coming into your defensive system. How has it been working with him, someone who already has so much production and experience in college?
A: Jaylan is a very conscientious young man. It’s been a little challenging for him, because we are asking him to do things that he hasn’t had to do in the program that he’s been in. We’re asking him to run the floor and get to a certain spot, because it is important if he gets to the front of the rim if he doesn’t get a rebound so he can post up early and occupy a guard. Asking him to set as many screens as we need our center to set has been somewhat challenging to a guy who has basically been a block-to-block guy. This has been a challenge for him. … He plays with a tremendous amount of energy. He is going to be valuable to us because he is quick enough to defend point guards. Even though he is 6-foot-10, he is agile and quick and mobile enough. But he hasn’t had to do the sort of technique that he’s had to embrace in order for us to get the most out of the potential that he can bring to us.
He’s a very good shot-blocker, quick off his feet. So he gives us a dimension that we welcome. We all know people try to pick on a guy like Naheem McLeod, because he is not quite as quick even though he is a good shot-blocker and finisher around the basket. With us switching one through five, people automatically do that on the first play, because they feel like they have an advantage with a smaller and quicker guy that can possibly go by a larger guy. With Gainey, along with Cameron Corhen, they are quick enough where they are not going to be blown by very much because they are so athletic and versatile.
Q: Where have you seen in this offseason the biggest gains with Matthew Cleveland?
A: Well, Matt’s improved his perimeter shooting tremendously. He’s really, really honed in on his release. … His shooting touch has improved tremendously. He has a great feel for the game, he has one of the highest basketball IQs of anyone I’ve been around. From a leadership standpoint and a shooting standpoint, I think he’s made tremendous gains.
Q: You talked about the state of the frontcourt, I know you have another guy arriving soon. Can you talk about Baba Miller as the final piece of the puzzle?
A: We hopefully will be able to integrate him in. With the other guys being as far along as they are, they can help him accelerate his process — the fact that we’ve been working all summer and he is very conscientious and anxious to get here and get started. Having him get here and get with the other guys, even when we aren’t actively coaching him, I am sure a lot of the returning guys will be anxious to try and answer his questions, when they’re in the gym playing pick-up, help him fit in a lot quicker.
Q: With freshmen Chandler Jackson and Tom House, it looked like they got in the mix and made some plays in those three games. What have you seen from them and how do you think they can help you this year?
A: I have been extremely impressed with Tom House, his basketball IQ, as well as Chandler Jackson. They are savvy players that both come from winning programs where they are well-coached. I am very pleased with how they’re learning. They are going through some of the similar things that most freshmen go through. Those guys — Gainey, House, Jackson, Corhen, along with Green — have all seemed to make an effort to blend in. They are popular guys within our team and they’re excited. … I am very impressed with our freshmen along with Gainey. And we don’t want to forget about Cam’ron Fletcher, who showed flashes last year of being a major contributor. … To answer your question, I think Jackson is definitely a point guard, and House is a really good shooter with a high basketball IQ.
Q: What comes next for the guys, is it individual work for a little bit? How does the schedule work now?
A: They are going to go home and hopefully spend some time with their families and kind of reenergize their batteries. We do want to encourage them to take some time off. We don’t want to burn them out, we want them to be strong in January and February. When we get back, we won’t have very much activity for them, at least for 10 days or so. We’ll be going pretty hard in spring and summer. We’ll start conditioning around Labor Day, we’ll go to the sand pits and do a lot of running. A lot of low-impact stuff to develop cardio-wise and not be physically too taxing on their legs. We’ll give them some time off when school starts, maybe 10 days or so academically, and got some other things we want to do. I think it’ll be a good way to start the year off, being that we’ve been hitting it pretty hard in preparation for this tour.
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