Baba Miller continues to garner support from national pundits in the wake of the recent punishment he received from the NCAA.

Miller, a freshman forward for the Florida State men’s basketball team who was one of the top international prospects, must serve a 16-game suspension.

Per FSU, Miller had his travel from Spain to a training camp in the United States expensed prior to his FSU recruitment. After learning about how that violated NCAA rules, Miller and his family repaid the benefits they received.

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The NCAA initially gave Miller a one-year suspension. FSU appealed that decision, which resulted in Miller’s punishment being reduced to 16 games on Oct. 28. He now won’t be permitted to play until the Seminoles go to Wake Forest on Jan. 11.

The suspension sparked backlash on social media.

“Egregious. Just wrong on multiple fronts,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said in a post on Twitter.

Stadium analyst Jeff Goodman wrote in a tweet: “Kid had a chance to sign with Real Madrid, wanted to play college. … Gets whacked with 16 GAMES!!!! C’mon, NCAA!!!”

ESPN analyst Dick Vitale called out NCAA president Mark Emmert in multiple tweets.

“It is time for NCAA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR to use his power in a positive way and have this UNFAIR PUNISHMENT on BABA MILLER of FSUHoops rescinded IMMEDIATELY,” Vitale said in a tweet. “Mark I know YOU believe in HELPING young athletes not hurting them.”

FSU coach Leonard Hamilton addressed the situation in a press conference with the local media Friday.

“If we are going to hold someone accountable, then there needs to be a little more effort put into educating the international kids as to what they can and cannot do,” Hamilton said. “A lot of international guys have been caught up in situations where they don’t really understand the NCAA rulebook and how it pertains to their sport. …

“But at this particular point, we are going to move on.”

The Seminoles begin their season with a home game against in-state program Stetson, a member of the ASUN Conference, in the Donald L. Tucker Center at 7 p.m. Monday (TV: Bally Sports Sun).

The Democrat exclusively spoke with Hamilton, associate head coach Stan Jones and star guard Caleb Mills to explore some of the key storylines surrounding their season beyond Miller.

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Injuries could present challenges early

Miller is not the only player who won’t be available for the Seminoles.

FSU also will be without forward Jaylan Gainey, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during preseason workouts.

Gainey, a first-year transfer from Brown University, was expected to immediately have a significant impact. He claimed Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020 and 2022 and averaged 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks with the Bears last season.

Freshman forward De’Ante Green tore the ACL in his right knee in January, which could keep him from playing much this season. Hamilton said he will likely redshirt Green.

Guards Chandler Jackson (broken thumb) and Cam’Ron Fletcher (back) are among the Seminoles’ other players battling injuries. Jackson is still working his way back. Hamilton said he expects Fletcher to be available.

Whether sophomore guard Jalen Warley will play in FSU’s season opener remains unclear. Hamilton declined to explain why Warley did not play in the Seminoles’ exhibition – a 74-66 win over Newberry College on Oct. 27.

“Everybody is going to have more on their plate,” said Hamilton about the injuries. “That is the nature of sports. Every team goes through challenges. Turned ankles. Flus. Pulled muscles. We just had to find a way to not allow it to affect us mentally and be the best of who we are.”

Without Miller, Gainey and Green, FSU has a limited number of options down low. Freshman Cameron Corhen and 7-foot-4 sophomore center Naheem McLeod are the Seminoles’ only scholarship big men available.

Hamilton said FSU could use a lot of four-guard lineups this season.

“That does not really concern me too much because we have one guy who is 6-4, and everybody else is 6-5, 6-6, 6-7,” Hamilton said. “We still will be a long, athletic team. We should be able to continue to keep playing the style that we feel works for our culture.”

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Seminoles have limited experience

FSU returned only five scholarship players from last season while adding eight newcomers (six true freshmen and two transfers).

And those five returnees have not been with the Seminoles for very long.

Transfer guards Caleb Mills (University of Houston) and Fletcher (University of Kentucky), sophomore guards Matthew Cleveland and Warley, and McLeod are all second-year players in the FSU program.

“It's obvious that we have a ways to go just in terms of being familiar with everything that we are putting in,” Hamilton said. “So it's a period of still growing and developing.

“And I think that we are anxious to get the season started for them to see exactly how we put everything together.”

The Seminoles will lean heavily on those five players, especially Mills, Cleveland and McLeod.

Mills has always been an impressive scorer, leading FSU with 12.7 points per game last season before averaging 17.7 in the team’s three-exhibition Canada tour in August. So in the offseason, Mills looked to improve in other areas like distributing and rebounding.

“Definitely getting my teammates involved and having a better understanding of where they are comfortable on the floor. That is the biggest jump I made and I’m continuing to make,” Mills said.

Cleveland averaged 11.7 points per game last season and claimed ACC Sixth Man of the Year honors. He changed his shooting form, though, after finishing last season at 45.2% from the field (133 of 294), 55.5% from the free throw line (61 of 110) and 17.6% from three-point range (6 of 34).

Newberry College held Cleveland scoreless on 0-for-9 shooting, though Hamilton hardly seemed concerned.

“We are working with him on a regular basis. You don’t change that overnight,” Hamilton said.

McLeod should assume a larger role, especially with multiple big men unavailable. Hamilton said McLeod improved from last season in every aspect.

“We think he has tremendous potential,” Hamilton said. “But he is going through the process of growing in the game of basketball and having the same level of confidence in himself as we have. …

“He's a tremendous talent, and he fits the way we want to play like a glove.”

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Intriguing newcomers

FSU had plenty of room to improve with its perimeter shooting.

Last season, the Seminoles ranked No. 221 nationally in three-point field goal percentage (33.1%) and No. 249 in three-point field goals per game (6.7).

Hamilton expressed optimism that FSU will take a step forward in those areas and as an overall scoring team. The Seminoles adding UCF transfer Darin Green Jr. in the offseason helped their chances of Hamilton’s vision coming to fruition.

The sharp-shooting Green had a team-high 15 points and shot 4 of 8 from three-point range in FSU’s exhibition. In each of his three seasons with the Knights, Green averaged double figures. He also ranks No. 10 in AAC history for three-point field goals made (208).

“But you never just tell a guy, ‘You run around and get a bunch of threes,’” Jones said. “We want Darin to be as good a playmaker, as a passer, as he is as a shot maker.”

There are the two transfers, Green and Gainey. The Seminoles also added an impressive group of six freshmen. Five of them are guards – Tom House, De’Ante Green, Jeremiah Bembry, Miller, Jackson – while the other is the forward Corhen.

Corhen will be worth monitoring with how much FSU needs him to step up.

“We will make some adjustments for him,” said Hamilton about Corhen and the injuries down low. “He will be more of a pick-and-pop guy, because he shoots the three so well. But he also is increasing his knowledge and ability to execute at the five as well.

“So his role becomes expanded because of the need we have for him in the interior.”

FSU men's basketball schedule

Nov. 7: Stetson, Tallahassee (Bally Sports Sun)

Nov. 11: at UCF, Orlando (ESPN+)

Nov. 14: Troy, Tallahassee (ACC Network Extra)

Nov. 18: Florida, Tallahassee (ACC Network)

Nov. 21: Mercer, Tallahassee (ACC Network)

Nov. 24: Siena, Lake Buena Vista (ESPN2)

Nov. 25: Ole Miss / Stanford, Lake Buena Vista (ESPN2/ESPN+)

Nov. 27: TBD, Lake Buena Vista (ESPN/ESPNU)

Nov. 30: Purdue, Tallahassee (ESPN2/ESPNU)

Dec. 3: at Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. (ESPN2)

Dec. 10: Louisville, Tallahassee (ACC Network)

Dec. 13: USC Upstate, Tallahassee (ACC Network)

Dec. 17: St. John’s, Sunrise (Bally Sports Florida)

Dec. 21: Notre Dame, Tallahassee (ACC Network)

Dec. 31: at Duke, Durham, N.C (ESPN2)

Jan. 7: Georgia Tech, Tallahassee (Bally Sports Sun)

Jan. 11: at Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, N.C. (ACC Network)

Jan. 14: Virginia, Tallahassee (ESPN/ESPN2)

Jan. 17: at Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)

Jan. 21: at Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. (ACC Network)

Jan. 24: Miami, Tallahassee (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)

Jan. 28: Clemson, Tallahassee (ACC Network)

Feb. 1: at NC State, Raleigh, N.C. (ACC Network)

Feb. 4: at Louisville, Louisville, Ky. (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)

Feb. 8: Syracuse, Tallahassee (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)

Feb. 11: Pittsburgh, Tallahassee (ESPN2/ESPNU)

Feb. 15: at Clemson, Clemson, S.C. (Bally Sports Sun)

Feb. 18: Boston College, Tallahassee (Bally Sports Sun)

Feb. 25: at Miami, Coral Gables (ESPN/ESPN2)

Feb. 27: North Carolina, Tallahassee (ESPN)

March 4: at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. (ESPN/ESPN2)

March 7-11: ACC Tournament, Greensboro, N.C.

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU coach Leonard Hamilton on Baba Miller situation: 'We are going to move on'