Luke Loucks knew how he wanted to motivate his Florida State men’s basketball team.
After film sessions early in the season, Loucks would flash the number “1896” on the screen. And no, the first-year head coach wasn’t referring to some obscure history fact from the year 1896, but rather the combined projected finishes of his team in the ACC rankings and KenPom, an advanced metrics system used to rate basketball teams.
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Loucks knew that expectations around his program were low, but he took it as a challenge. That, in part, is why the Seminoles (16-14, 9-8 ACC) enter the final game of the regular season against SMU with a chance to earn a first-round bye in the ACC tournament, and potentially finish as high as seventh in the ACC.
“We used to finish film every day with 18-96. Eventually, they caught on, I wasn’t talking about the year 1896. I was talking about what people think about you,” Loucks said. “At times, we showed why they picked us 18-96. At a point this season, we lost 10 out of 12 games. But also at times, most recently, they’ve believed the same thing I believed since I got the job. This can be a really special basketball school…
I believe it because I’ve lived it. This can be a very, very good basketball school. But you’ve got to fight. And that’s what I’m so proud of, regardless of what people think about us. If you show up with a great attitude and fight your tail off, good things tend to happen.”
The Seminoles went from 0-5 in the ACC after a disastrous loss to Wake Forest to one of the hottest teams in college basketball since the end of January. They are 9-3 in the last 12 games and went from last in the conference to a place that few, if any, predicted FSU to be in the standings.
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Blowout losses to Texas A&M, 95-59, Georgia (107-73), and NC State (113-69), alongside a loss to UMass, keep the Seminoles from being considered an NCAA tournament team, leaving one route in for the program. An improbable victory of the ACC tournament to earn an auto-bid.
Loucks said everything will play out how it’s supposed to when it comes to postseason basketball, but he’s proud of the growth of his team through a challenging season.
“At the lowest points of the season, to me, when your back’s against the wall, and everything is going poorly, that’s when real character comes out. For these guys to not splinter, to show up with a workman-like attitude and help us turn this season around, to me, shows what they are made of. That, to me, looking back at the end of this year, hopefully it finishes really well, I would sign up to go to war with these guys every week.”
With a rematch against SMU set for Saturday, March 7, the Seminoles can secure at least the eighth seed with a win, which would give the program a first-round bye in the ACC tournament. The Mustangs beat FSU 83-80 earlier this season, with Lajae Jones double-double not enough to earn an upset on the road.
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SMU guard BJ Edwards, who scored 19 points in the first meeting, has missed back-to-back games for the Mustangs after a first-half injury against Cal. He’s averaged 12.7 points per game, third most on the team behind guard Boopie Miller (18.9 PPG) and forward Jaron Pierre Jr (17.9 PPG).
Loucks said the Seminoles are preparing for the Mustangs, who have lost three in a row, to have Edwards available.
“He’s really the glue of the team, especially defensively,” Loucks said of Edwards. “I feel like that’s why they’ve struggled a little bit recently. They are missing his presence on the court. We are going to prepare like he’s playing, and if he’s not, great for us. We still got a really tough, talented tournament team to beat.”
How to watch FSU basketball vs. SMU
Mar 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Chauncey Wiggins (7) reacts as he leaves the court after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
When:Â Saturday, March 4 / 2 p.m.
Where:Â Donald L. Tucker Center, Tallahassee, Florida
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Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU basketball can secure top-10 ACC finish in game against SMU