2026-27 FSU Seminoles way-too-early potential starting lineup

The 6-foot-8 French forward averaged 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.6 steals per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor in all 33 games. His calling card was energy and physicality — he ranked third on FSU in offensive rebounds with 43 on the season while averaging nearly a steal per game. A full offseason with a stronger supporting cast should accelerate his offensive development considerably.

PF — Shon Abaev (Transfer, Cincinnati)

FSU's first portal commitment of this cycle brings an elite recruiting pedigree and three years of eligibility to a roster that needed long-term frontcourt infrastructure. Abaev was the No. 22 overall recruit in the class of 2025 and a McDonald's All-American, averaging 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 24 games — 12 of which he started — for Cincinnati in 2025-26.

His freshman line was shaped by a significant ankle injury in conference play that curtailed his season just as he was beginning to find his footing, per former Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller.

C — Marcis Ponder (Freshman, Gillion Basketball Academy)

The most physically imposing piece of FSU's landmark recruiting class projects as the starting center from the jump. Ponder is a 7-foot, 285-pound center ranked as a top-100 national recruit whose frame and production on the recruiting circuit point toward immediate ACC readiness.

Evaluators who tracked Ponder described him as a dominant post presence capable of willing his way to his spots, controlling the glass on both ends, and protecting the rim, exactly the interior profile FSU has lacked since the Leonard Hamilton era.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS

Martay Barnes (Freshman, G — The Academy of Central Florida)

The early enrollee and perhaps the most electric prospect in the class brings pace and perimeter pressure off the bench. Barnes is a consensus four-star combo guard rated as the No. 2 combo guard in the class of 2026 by the Rivals industry ranking, who reclassified from the 2027 class and committed to FSU over Auburn in February 2026.

He led The Academy of Central Florida to the 2026 SIAA state championship while averaging 14.3 points, 3.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on the 3SSB Circuit.

Brandon Bass Jr. (Freshman, SG — Windermere Prep)

A left-handed scoring specialist who provides instant offensive punch in the backcourt rotation. Bass is a four-star shooting guard from Windermere, ranked the No. 97 overall prospect and No. 15 shooting guard in his class.

247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein noted that Bass made 42 percent of his threes on nearly six attempts per game in 3SSB play and 51 percent of his open spot-up threes — shooting numbers that make him a credible floor-spacing threat from his first minute on the ACC floor.

With Robinson directing traffic, Taylor as the primary scoring option, Bassong as the defensive engine, Abaev as the high-upside power forward, and Ponder anchoring the paint, Florida State has the foundational pieces to make a serious leap in the second year of the Loucks era. The depth chart is young, but the talent level is the highest it has been in Tallahassee in a very long time.

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU basketball: projected 2026 starting lineup and key bench players