Florida State men’s basketball is already looking to make waves, and their season is months away. Bringing in the 11th-best recruiting class in the country and five transfers has already appeared to pay its dividends. Not in the way you think, though.
Marcis Ponder has already broken a rim on his first day.
Per Matt LaSerre of Warchant.com, Loucks told the Pardon My Take podcast that he walked in and saw a broken rim.
“I walk in our practice facility, the hoop is sideways. Like, ‘What happened?’ Marcis’ first workout,” he said.
Ponder, a 7-foot center who spent his senior season at Gillion Basketball Academy in Virginia, is likely to be a starter this season for the Seminoles, who are working to get him into better shape ahead of the 2026-27 season.
“We’ve gotta chisel him up a little bit, but this kid is an animal, the way he works and his competitive nature, I think from Day One, he’s gonna be able to step in with a huge impact,” Loucks added.
Loucks has not been coy about his intentions: “We’ve gotta teach you how to dunk like Shaq,” he told Ponder.
FSU will open its 2026-27 season in the Orion180 Insurance Tipoff in Tampa against the Florida A&M Rattlers. The Seminoles went 18-15 in Loucks’ first season, and are looking to take another step in Year Two.
Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of FSU news, notes, and opinions. Jacob Smith is a contributor for FSU Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can also follow Jacob on X at @jsmith_sports.
This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU head coach Luke Loucks praises Marcis Ponder after breaking rim
Reporting by Jacob Smith, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
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By Jacob Smith, FSU Wire | USA TODAY Network
