It’s time that we recognize the Florida State staff for recruiting stars
There are a few things that we know for sure when it comes to college basketball. First, Coach K is the greatest recruiter in the country because (according to Duke fans) he lands five top 30 players every cycle without breaking or even bending the rules. Second, the NCAA is corrupt. Third, no one wins (consistently) at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The fourth thing is becoming very, very clear. Florida State basketball gets whoever they want in the Southeast.
With Wednesday’s commitment of 4-star forward John Butler, the Seminoles now boast one of the best classes in the 2021 cycle. Butler, a native of South Carolina, chose the Seminoles over local school South Carolina (it’s absolutely not USC BTW) as well as Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Wake Forest. Butler is a 7’1″ 190lb stretch forward that steps out all the way to the arc and make defenses pay. He is also an elite rim protector which will make FSU associate head coach Stan Jones ecstatic.
Butler joins five-star wing Matthew Cleveland and four-star wing Bryce McGowens in the 2021 class giving the ‘Noles not only one of the best classes in the ACC but possibly the entire country.
The commitment of a big-time athlete to FSU shouldn’t be a huge surprise. Coach Leonard Hamilton and crew have been doing this for a while now. In fact, among certain college basketball tribes, the FSU staff is one of the most feared in the Southeast. Let’s take a look at who we are talking about:
Charlton Young (Joined the staff in 2013)
Young is one of the best recruiters in the entire country that you may not know about. The Atlanta native played his college basketball at Georgia Southern where he averaged 8.8 points and 3.6 assists in his freshman season. He only got better as time passed, averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 assists as a senior.
Since becoming a coach he has been all over the east coast. His first assistant gig was at Auburn and since then he has been everywhere from Boston to Tallahassee. He was an assistant to Paul Hewitt at Georgia Tech in his hometown from 2005-2009 as well. I doubt its a coincidence that in 2006 the Jackets pulled Atlanta star Javaris Crittendon and Memphis stud Thaddeus Young into the program.
After a stint as the head coach at his alma mater, he joined the Florida State coaching staff in 2013. Since then, he has terrorized other southeast programs by pulling top tier talent from their states to Tallahassee.
Stan Jones (Joined the staff in 2001)
According to the official FSU site, Jones was the first hire by Coach Hamilton after he was named the coach at FSU. Jones was also on Hamilton’s staff at Miami. Since the pair took over the program, they have teamed to put 16 players in the NBA. He is also credited for making FSU one of the most respected defensive programs in the nation.
In 2019, Jones was inducted into the inaugural “Step Up Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame” class in Atlanta. He is also a recruiting stud in his own right as Florida State was landing quality players prior to Coach Young’s arrival in droves.
Steve Smith (Joined the staff in 2019)
Not that Steve Smith, he’s a broadcaster. Nope, not even that Steve Smith, he’s still at Oak Hill Academy. This Steve Smith was the sacrificial lamb at Clemson. “Ahhh, that Steve Smith.” Smith was fired from the Clemson basketball team after being recorded on a wiretap talking about the Clemson football program in a… not so flattering rhetoric. Sorry Coach, you can never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
His penance? A better job at a better program with better staff. What does Coach Smith bring to the table? Not much… He only recruited three of Clemson’s best basketball players in recent memory in Jaron Blossomgame, KJ McDaniels, and Donte Grantham. He was also an assistant for Charlton Young when C.Y. was the head coach at Georgia Southern.
So what has this staff done in recent memory to make them so revered? I am glad you asked.
| Name | State | Year | Rating | |
| John Butler | SC | 2021 | 4 | |
| Matthew Cleveland | GA | 2021 | 5 | |
| Bryce McGowens | SC | 2021 | 4 | |
| Scottie Barnes | FL | 2020 | 5 | |
| Quincy Ballard | NC | 2020 | 3 | |
| Patrick Williams | NC | 2019 | 5 | |
| Balsa Koprovica | FL | 2019 | 4 | |
| Devin Vassell | GA | 2018 | 3 | |
| MJ Walker | GA | 2017 | 4 | |
| Ike Obiagu | GA | 2017 | 4 | |
| Raiquan Gray | FL | 2017 | 3 | |
| Wyatt Wilkes | FL | 2017 | 3 | |
| Anthony Polite | FL | 2017 | 3 | |
| Dwayne Bacon | VA | 2016 | 5 | |
| Malik Beasley | GA | 2016 | 5 | |
| Chris Koumadje | FL | 2016 | 3 | |
| AVG Rating = | 4 | |||
| GA Average= | 4.5 | |||
| SC Average= | 4 | |||
| FL Average= | 3 | |||
In Closing
As you can see, the Seminoles are rolling in recent years. They are doing the most damage in the state of Georgia which is a basketball hotbed and coincidentally (or not) also Charlton Young’s stomping ground. Not only are they pulling in high-level talent but they can now boast that they developed three-star guard, Devin Vassell, into a potential NBA Lottery selection.
In short, this staff isn’t getting the attention it deserves as FSU is a tremendous force in southeast recruiting.
