Florida Southern Men’s Basketball, like most of the NCAA, has shifted its approach to recruiting, roster construction and overall play. In the 11th season of head coach Mike Donnelly’s tenure at Florida Southern the portal has become the ultimate tool for a Florida Southern program that has continued to laugh in the face of a rebuild.
Every Mocs fan, for now, should wipe the word rebuild from their mind and instead replace it with retool. Donnelly and his staff have instead opted to utilize the transfer portal exclusively this year. From what I know this is the only year that not a single high schooler was given a roster spot in program history. Additionally, this is the first time in Donnelly’s tenure at Florida Southern that not a single starter in the opening two games came to FSC as a freshman.
These tidbits jump off the page, but with how the team looked last year it makes sense. Early on in the 2024-25 campaign, players and coaches understood the expectations on the most talented team that I’ve ever seen play at Florida Southern.
The goal: challenge the No. 1 team in DII, Nova Southeastern, and make a run for the conference, regional and national championships. It was also understood that to get one, they’d likely have to be good enough to get all the others.
Unfortunately for the Mocs, these goals weren’t accomplished. Despite the team’s best record since 2019-20 with their 26-9 finish to the season, and arguably best statistical season ever, they were knocked out in the second round of the South Regional by No. 2 seed and No. 3 nationally ranked University of Alabama Huntsville who later fell to the eventual regional and national champions Nova Southeastern.
At the conclusion of the season every player to start a game either graduated or left for greener, Division I pastures. Jadin Booth, a player Mocs fans will forever adore, made the move back to the Division 1 ranks after his comeback season from an injury the year prior that left fans wondering if they’d ever see the All-American again. They did, but after his season of explosive and historic offense, he deservedly went back up to the level he once left to come down to Lakeland. Leaving with him were a handful of members from his class. Dominick Denny – one of the top point guards in program history ranking 4th in assists, 9th in steals and one of four players to have 1,000 points and 500 assists in a career at FSC. Trey Jones left too, who’s name won’t be in the record books, but will be remembered by all who saw the seven-footer play to rapturous cheers from fans whenever coming into the game. Transfers in Joe Moon IV, Kristians Feierburgs and Peyton Gerald – arguably the most underrated player in Division II last year – all graduated as well.
And last, and anything but least, the back-to-back SSC Defensive Player of the Year Alex Steen was finally able to go to his dream school, Florida State University. Steen came to the Mocs as a scrawny, underrecruited high school big looking to have his elite traits sharpened. Steen sits second all-time in career blocks at Florida Southern and was guaranteed to be the all-time leader if he played one more game in the red and white. He was so much more than a shot blocker with his tenacious rebounding combined with efficient scoring making his departure to the ACC unsurprising – pretty sharp if you ask me.
Just to quantify the statistical hole left by this group, over 81% of all points, rebounds, assists and literally every other stat you can think of departed the team with the departure of these fantastic players. This left gaping holes for the coaching staff to fill and many questions to be answered for a team coming off a season where for a good amount of it they were viewed as potential contenders for the national crown.
“We came up with a gameplan for our recruiting… We kinda figured out who was coming, who was going and we went to work. We brought in seven transfers and we were able to complete our class in nine weeks… we were super busy, constantly on the phone, computer and constantly scheduling visits… Once we were done we were able to have ample time over the summer to prepare for this upcoming year,” said Donnelly.
Two of these transfers were from the Division I ranks, trading off the Mocs two biggest stars of the last five years with the Division I overlords for two very talented, but neglected, players in Elijah Walsh – who came by way of Campbell University – and Jasir Tremble from Fresno State. Walsh had enjoyed a long stay with the Fighting Camels of Buies Creek, NC – playing 57 games and scoring 345 points with his role and quality of play increasing every year.
Jasir Tremble had a different path, the DC kid started in the JUCO ranks where his name was known across the country because of his prolific scoring, averaging over 20 ppg, and lighting it up from behind the arc shooting 39.2% – going 104/275 his final year at Prince George’s Community College. Because of his dominance over two seasons he received honors ranging from 2nd team All-American and Regional Tournament MVP to South All Stars MVP of the NJCAA All Star Game. But, once he made the trip to Fresno, the lead ball handler of Prince George’s CC became a background character, playing offball and not receiving all the opportunities on either side of the ball to allow him to flourish.
While the Division I transfers are the big names, Charlie Dalton likely has the biggest personality. The junior from Auckland, New Zealand is hard to miss around the campus whether from his more than outgoing personality, mullet or fantastic broadcasting skills. Undoubtedly, Charlie stands out on and off the court. While Charlie’s a great guy to have a conversation with about anything, he also is a physical, tough four that the Mocs will look to utilize heavily this year with their smaller lineup of players.
I’d describe Dalton’s player archetype as a forgotten one, he’s a true four. Dalton rebounds well and can work in the post, but also possesses the creativity to orchestrate the offense at times which has developed in great part due to his involvement in the 3X3 game with New Zealand who he won the 3X3 Youth Nations League with this summer.
If you know me, you know my thoughts and opinions on these players and this team could take up 30 pages so I’ll stop running clock and start writing like the Mocs will play this year, fast and in your face.
So far this season, the Mocs have shifted their play style to one reminiscent of their arch rivals – Nova Southeastern – the team with the most consecutive home wins in NCAA DII history with 83 (the Mocs are the last team to beat them in Rick Case Arena back in that previously mentioned historic 2019-20 season). With this shift, the press is on and that means I need to get these thoughts out quickly. A smaller sized roster means the need for more athletes, bodies and buy-in, something I think the Mocs have found, but will still need to roll with the punches as they figure out.
Khalil Ross is a lanky, athletic forward transfer from the University of Illinois Springfield who has had really great flashes, but the Mocs will look for continued growth from during the course of the season to start scratching his full potential. Spencer Schomers, the graduate transfer from NW Missouri State comes with championship experience despite limited games played for a number of reasons, he provides toughness, physicality and experience necessary for a deep run both in the conference and national tournaments. And to round out the class, Brady Corso is a guard who can shoot the you know what out of the ball. The sophomore transfer from Saint Leo broke out last season once conference play started, starting every game for the Lions and being one of the top three point shooters and off-ball scorers in the conference.
Amare Miller is the top returner in my opinion, as he’s the only thing close to a true center on this Moccasin team with his strength and verticality he can challenge even seven-footers because of his fearless defending and dunking ability. Miller has expanded his game this off season, developing a respectable jumpshot and handle – something unimaginable last season. Hugo Mattioli, Riley Buccino and Donovan Smith are the best returning off-ball shooters. Smith dazzled last year with a couple of 20 point explosions from behind the three point line, with one winning the Mocs a game on the road against Lincoln (PA). Mattioli returns as an excellent two-way guard who has the confidence and ability to let it fly from anywhere across halfcourt while being the best defensively. Buccino rounds out the off-ball creators as one of the two seniors on the team, the other being Smith, who has been with the Mocs since their freshman year and who will be used as a player that does a little bit of everything, despite it not always showing up in the box score.
And I can’t talk about the guards on this guard-heavy team without talking about my fellow Orlando native, Ameer Ramadan. Ramadan’s coming off a pretty encouraging freshman campaign where glimpses of his shotmaking and playmaking capabilities were put on display as he was tasked to learn and grow under one of the best back-court groups in the country, something the Mocs look to continue to claim this year. Ramadan has made strides in his decision making and defense and I expect him to find a start or a few this season because of it.
The frequent flier miles from last year will be saved for the postseason as the Mocs don’t have a single road game till conference play when they hit the road against a weakened Saint Leo team on Dec. 3 that they split the season series against last season.
The preseason No. 15 team in the country comes out of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame classic with some bumps and bruises and a 1-1 record as this new core of players continue to mesh. They won the first game against a new Alaska Anchorage team thanks to heavy lifting offensively by the Division I transfers. The second game the Mocs looked to roll past the Cavaliers of UVA-Wise shooting the lights out in the first half, before the size of the Cavaliers bullied the Mocs scoring 68 points in the paint, including the game-winning layup by Yoro Diallo of the Cavaliers. With 68 the Cavaliers scored the most in the paint against FSC ever, something that will need to be fixed if they hope to reach those lofty goals set preseason.
Entering the season Florida Southern were ranked No. 15 in the preseason poll, their highest preseason rank since their 2020-21, when they were coming off their best season under Donnelly where they were national championship favorites. The Mocs have the talent to try to make a real run for some hardware, the only questions are can this talent fully be realized and will NSU continue to stand in the way? Injuries have already become a factor on the season, but if the Mocs can find a team with just as much cohesion and buy in as the 2023-24 season without Booth, I think there’s a good chance they can topple the proverbial giant of Division II.
The Mocs will return to action Nov. 14 against Clark Atlanta at the George Jenkins Fieldhouse where they’ll host all non-conference action this season, not travelling until Dec. 3 at Saint Leo in the conference road opener.
