FSU battling blue-blood for one of the portal’s most versatile bigs

Florida State's pursuit of one of the transfer portal's most coveted front-court pieces has entered the final stretch. Colorado forward Sebastian Rancik has narrowed his recruitment to Florida State and Kentucky, with Luke Loucks' staff emerging as a finalist after hosting the 6-foot-11 sophomore on an official visit earlier this week, according to Warchant's Matt LaSerre.

The decision represents a significant opportunity for FSU. On3 ranks Rancik as the 109th overall player and the 28th-best power forward in the transfer portal this offseason. His combination of size, shooting range, passing instincts, and defensive mobility makes him one of the more complete frontcourt prospects available anywhere in the country this cycle.

Rancik's sophomore leap at Colorado was one of the more dramatic individual jumps in the Big 12 this season. His numbers improved across the board as a sophomore, 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 28.1 minutes per contest, while shooting 40.4 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three, and 86 percent from the free-throw line.

He more than doubled his three-point attempt rate from 1.9 per game as a freshman to 4.1 as a sophomore, and his most electric night came against Arizona State when he dropped 17 points and 11 rebounds while knocking down three triples. His 86 percent free-throw rate ranked fourth-best in the entire Big 12 among big men, a number that signals real shooting touch and projects favorably to the ACC level.

The recruitment has moved quickly. Rancik subsequently canceled a previously scheduled visit to Indiana and replaced it with a trip to Kentucky, where he visited head coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats' staff — a sequence that effectively narrowed the field to two programs. Rancik will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next destination, giving whichever program lands him a long-term building block.