By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Florida State University’s basketball team is contending for the Atlantic Coast Conference title and a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

Coach Leonard Hamilton is in his 18th season as Head Coach at Florida State.

In 18 seasons, Hamilton at Florida State is 357-220, that is a .619 winning percentage. In 32 years of coaching Hamilton is 557-430, which is a .564 winning percentage.

In a conference with three Hall of Fame coaches (Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim), and a fourth destined to end up there (Virginia’s Tony Bennett), Coach Hamilton is often overlooked.

Currently at 24-4, the Seminoles are a virtual lock to make the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in the past twelve years. Not bad for a program that’s 10 for 61 in total tournament appearances.

A team that lost six of its top eight scorers from last season could very well make it to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. Though a Final Four appearance has eluded him, he has made a career of winning at places where few have: Oklahoma State, Miami, and now at Florida State.

Florida State is a school where football is unquestionably king.

Hamilton insists very little has changed over the years and in some ways he is right. His fundamental principles and beliefs have remained unchanged. Through it all, he has managed to stay young. Hamilton, who is in his early 70’s (but looks 45), making him the BBall Benjamin Button.

At Florida State, Hamilton had losing seasons in two of his first three years, but the Seminoles are on a 15-year win streak. Including 20+ wins in his last five seasons.

Florida State’s basketball program doesn’t need a superstar to carry the program. That’s part of the appeal in Hamilton’s recruiting pitch. Hamilton has convinced players to accept their role and focus on the team.

With 14 NBA Draft selections under Hamilton since 2004, the Seminoles are fourth in the ACC for most draft picks (Duke 28, North Carolina 23, and Syracuse 18). Florida State has had at least one player selected in the NBA Draft in 11 of the last 15 seasons.

For the Seminoles under Hamilton, the academic achievements of his players is a long-standing tradition of success. During Hamilton’s tenure at Florida State, more than 90% of his players have earned their degrees. The Seminoles were one of seven ACC teams credited with a perfect Academic Progress Report score.

Ask someone to name the top five winningest coaches in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

The first three are obvious, I named them earlier in the article.

If you are a college basketball fan, they might get former Maryland coach Gary Williams at Number 4.

Yes, Leonard Hamilton has more ACC wins than Bobby Cremins, Terry Holland, Tony Bennett and Lefty Driesell.

Quietly, Leonard Hamilton has become the most successful coach in Florida State history, fifth all-time winningest coach in ACC history and a future Hall of Famer.