While most of the Florida State world has turned its attention to Monday night\’s 2016 season-opener on the gridiron against Ole Miss, Leonard Hamilton and the FSU basketball program quietly put together a nice week.
In consecutive days on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Seminoles landed a pair of talented 3-star prospects in guard Anthony Polite and forward Wyatt Wilkes. We spoke briefly about both signings, but decided to look at little more into what each brings to the table.
Anthony Polite, G
Polite, the son of former Seminole Michael Polite, is a 6-6 combo guard out of St. Andrew\’s High School in Boca Raton. Polite is the No. 191 overall player for the 2017 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
What he brings: From reviewing the tape on Polite, he\’s a big guard with a very good handle. Polite also possesses a silky smooth left-handed shooting stroke and the ability to fill it up from deep and create his own shot.
Polite also seems to be very quick, especially with the basketball in his hands. Polite is a good athlete, gets up quick and for a guard, does a great job finishing around the basket. Polite\’s mix tape didn’t show much defense, but at 6-6 with good lateral quickness, that is a place where he could excel in Hamilton’s system. As last season for FSU hoops showed however, defense is largely about \”want-to\”.
How he fits: When Polite arrives on campus next season, he could be part of a very crowded backcourt that could include Xavier Rathan-Mayes, C.J. Walker, Trent Forrest, Braian Angola-Rodas, P.J. Savoy and fellow 2017 commitment Bryan Trimble. This is assuming that Dwayne Bacon, FSU’s leading scorer and rebounder last season, doesn\’t return for a junior season.
Either way, Polite’s ability to play either guard position should at the very least put him in the mix. If Xavier Rathan-Mayes decides to forego his senior season and play professionally as he contemplated this past offseason, Polite could find himself splitting time with C.J. Walker at the point guard position.
Wyatt Wilkes, F
A 6-7 power forward from Winter Park, Wyatt Wilkes committed to Florida State on Wednesday. Wilkes is the No. 158th overall prospect for 2017, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings and the highest-ranked commitment for FSU in a class that currently ranks in the top 15 nationally.
What he brings: Though he’s listed as a power forward, Wilkes is much better suited to play small forward once he arrives in Tallahassee. Wilkes has excellent range and looks quite comfortable handling the ball out in space. Wilkes also has good court vision and seems to have a very high basketball IQ.
Wilkes is a good, but not elite athlete whose game looks to come quite easily. Despite being more of a small forward than a power forward, his 200-pound frame is still a bit on the lean side. Adding bulk is something Wilkes should look to do.
How he fits: As a small forward, Wilkes too may have a crowded roster to fight through. Assuming Dwayne Bacon doesn’t stay past the season, the Seminoles will still have a deep corps of small forwards and big guards, including Trent Forrest, Braian Angola-Rodas, Mfiondu Kabengele and Terance Mann. Wilkes might be the best shooter of the bunch and with some added weight, could potentially fill in as the power forward with small lineups.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
Jeremy Esbrandt/FSU athletics
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