FSU basketball beats Auburn, 82-71, in Ballin in Boutwell exhibition

Florida State men’s basketball officially opened its preseason slate with an 82-71 win in an exhibition against Auburn in the Ballin in Boutwell preseason event in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Seminoles started year two under head coach Luke Loucks with a promising display against the defending NIT champion Tigers. Freshman center Marcis Ponder stuffed the stat sheet and recorded a double-double with 13 points and 21 rebounds. Kam Taylor led FSU in scoring with 19 points, and he added four rebounds and three steals.

Auburn was led by star guard Tahaad Pettiford, who had a game-high 20 points. Neither team was particularly effective from the field, with FSU shooting 33% and Auburn 34%, which should be expected in the preseason.

Two areas where FSU struggled last season were rebounds and at the free-throw line. The Seminoles finished the night with 51 total rebounds, 21 of which were from Ponder, and knocked down 34-of-40 free throws.

Here are three takeaways from FSU’s first on-court appearance of the 2026-27 season.

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It was an impressive debut for Ponder, whose impact was felt on both ends of the court. He had 12 offensive rebounds, and he added a pair of athletic blocks, and finished the night with three total and added one steal. He was aggressive in the paint, and it led him to the free-throw line consistently, where he went 5-of-6.

Ponder was so effective on the glass that he eclipsed the program’s single-game high from last season in just 13 minutes. Lajae Jones had 13 rebounds last season against Virginia, and Ponder had 15 rebounds in the first half, including nine offensive rebounds.

He was the crown jewel of the program’s recruiting class and helped address a major need with rebounding. Once he refines his shot around the rim, he’ll provide the Seminoles with a level of talent the program hasn’t seen before.

Ponder might be the jewel of the freshman class, but the Seminoles brought in a talented crop of transfers.

Taylor led the scoring efforts and had the highlight of the night with his poster dunk over Auburn’s 7-foot-1 Bukky Oboye. The UNC Asheville transfer went 4-for-8 from the field and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. While he had some moments to clean up, including a pair of first-half travels, he flashed his athleticism and potential.

Point guard Anthony Robinson II got into some foul trouble, four total, but he looked comfortable running the Seminoles offense and finished the night with seven points and three rebounds. Transfer forward Sebastian Rancik had some flashes, and while his shot wasn’t falling, he got to the free-throw line. He finished with 14 points, with 11 coming from the free-throw line.

Cincinnati transfer Shon Abaev didn’t have the most efficient night, but he settled in after a slow start. He ended the night with 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, with 11 points coming in the second half.

FSU forced 18 turnovers, with 13 steals and three blocks, and did so with an aggressive defense. The Seminoles held Auburn to 34% from the field and never let the Tigers get comfortable.

The challenge will be finding the balance between aggressive defense and playing clean defense. FSU committed 18 fouls, and four players had three or more.

As the season moves on, that will be a critical area, and if the Seminoles keep it clean, it will make the program a tough team to play. The defense led to multiple scoring opportunities in transition, with 15 points off turnovers and 24 fastbreak points from the Seminoles.

Those points included back-to-back fastbreak alley-opps finished by Taylor and Abaev, respectively, late in the second half.

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.