The Florida State men's basketball team are ranked in the Top 20 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. This is the highest they have been ranked in a preseason poll in over 25 years. The Seminoles will enter the season as the 15th ranked team in the coaches poll and 17th ranked in the AP Poll. This is the highest preseason rank in the AP Poll for Florida State since the 1992-93 season when they were ranked ninth in the preseason.
The highest they have ever been ranked before the season was the number two team in the country before the 1972-73 season.
Related: I Ranked the Last 5 Seminoles Games Based on How Likely an Upset Is
This is the sixth time in the team's history that they enter the season ranked in the AP Poll. During the five other seasons, they never finished higher in the poll than where they began. In 1988-89, they began the season as the 16th ranked team and finished the season in the same position.
This is the 17th season the 'Noles will play under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton, but only the second time they play begin the season ranked in the AP Poll. The only other time with in 2012-13 when they entered the season in the last spot at 25. They went 18-16 that season and missed the NCAA Tournament as well as missing the tournament the next three seasons as well.
The FSU Exhibition
The Seminoles get their first real action of the season tonight as they play an exhibition game against the West Florida Argonauts. Since their Garnet and Gold Scrimmage was cancelled due to Hurricane Michael, this will be the first chance fans have to see the 'Noles since they made a surprise run to the Elite Eight last season in the NCAA Tournament.
FSU is led by their top-two returning scorers in Phil Cofer and Terrance Mann. They were also the leading rebounders last season as well. Cofer averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds while Mann averaged 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds.
They will play one more exhibition game on Nov. 1 against Valdosta State before officially opening their season on Nov. 6 at home against the Florida Gators. Florida was close to being ranked in both preseason polls with votes in each. Last season, the Seminoles beat the fifth ranked Gators by 17, led by 25 points from Mann.
