TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Wednesday was the first day of practice for both the men's and women's basketball teams at Florida State. For the ladies, it's an exciting time, as four of their five starters return from a history making squad that made a run to the Elite Eight.
The Seminoles aren't thinking about the past anymore, if anything, the loss to South Carolina in the Elite Eight in March has stayed with them, fueling the drive to get to that first practice.
Head coach Sue Semrau enters her 18th season at the helm of the Seminole program, and says this time of year is always exciting. She added she can't wait to get to work and build off last year's success, but the focus is on the now.
"It was fun to celebrate while it lasted, but now it's all about what's coming next and we need to embrace it," she said before practice. "We need to embrace every moment, we need to embrace every possession in order to do something even more special than we did last year."
"We're really not listening to all that hype and stuff like that," said junior Brittany Brown. "Our coaches continue to let us know that whatever we did last year, let's just put a period on it. We're moving forward this year, different team, different goals. We're really looking forward to getting started."
The ladies didn't get to have all the fun on Wednesday, as the Florida State men hit the court after the women wrapped up. The men's squad with just as much hype as the women. They have a dynamic recruiting class, plus, they're the only team in the ACC to return all five starters.
Of the Nole newcomers? Head coach Leonard Hamilton says he likes their focus so far.
"They are gym rats. They are excited," he said. "They are committed to Florida State. They are all here because they want to make something special happen. They are a group of guys that understand the focus that you ahve to have to play at this level. I think they're going to bring a tremendous amount of energy and make it fun to coach them."
To catch a first glimpse of the Seminole men, check out their annual "Jam With Ham" event, set for Friday, October 16th at 7:00 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
