Florida State men's basketball is counting down the days before its opening game against Northern Kentucky on Nov. 4.

But on Thursday, the Seminoles took the court at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center for their first exhibition game against Saint Leo.

FSU defeated the Lions 87-64. After the game, Leonard Hamilton, who is entering his 23rd season with the Seminoles, saw improvement in ball movement and effort on both ends of the floor.

"I think potentially, we have the right physical attribute to be able to play what we are accustomed to play," Hamilton said after the game.

As Hamilton continued to figure out his 10-man rotation, he played all of his 13 players.

FSU returned four players from last season and brought in 10 new players this year and a new system that is a work in progress.

After Thursday's win, Hamilton feels confident in the direction the Seminoles are heading after going 17-16 last season.

"I come out of the game saying we have potential," Hamilton said.

"I think we're satisfied with that. We just got to keep getting better. The biggest deal is that we got a few more weeks before we start playing for real."

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Jamir Watkins has taken the next step for FSU basketball

FSU's senior guard, Jamir Watkins, is on a mission. After dropping out from the NBA Draft earlier this to play one more season, Watkins is continuing to elevate his game.

Watkins finished with 18 points and four assists, three rebounds and two steals. He was also 7 for 12 on the field and 3 for 5 from behind the arc.

Hamilton has been impressed with his shooting and defensive presence.

"He has really, really improved on his perimeter shooting," Hamilton said. "I thought his defense in the second half energized the team. We just need everyone to be consistent with that kind of effort."

Hamilton also mentioned Watkins stepping up as a vocal leader.

The All-ACC guard is one of five seniors on the roster. Hamilton has seen the growth and maturity of Watkins as he continues to embrace the leadership role.

"I think Jamir has taken a step where he is much more vocal with his team," Hamilton said.

"Now, he is not a guy who will be screaming all over the place, but he has always talked to his teammates, especially on the bench and in the huddle. He is calling guys out. He has taken the next step in the leadership that we needed him to display to be successful."

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Malique Ewin has strong second half to be leading scorer

FSU might just found its big man in the paint in Malique Ewin.

Ewin got into foul trouble earlier in the game which led to him only playing six minutes and only putting up four points in the first half.

He ended up being dominant in the next second half with 14 and finished the night as the top scorer with 19 points, while going a perfect 7 for 7 from the field.

"Obviously, Malique is a special talent," Hamilton said. "He can really shoot the ball. One of his strongest skills is he passes the ball very well. He makes good decisions with the ball. We see that he is athletic."

He was mismatch against the undersized Saint Leo team as he took advantage with few dunks and lob passes from his teammates.

To Hamilton, there is more skillset in his Ewin's game that is a fit in Hamilton's systsem. Ewin is a 6-foot-11 junior who was rated as the No. 1 JUCO player in the country.

"He can do things that not many post-guys that we had can' do, dribbling the ball, bringing it down the court," Hamilton said.

Leonard Hamilton wants FSU basketball to improve in rebounds and perimeter defense

Hamilton wasn't completely thrilled in the rebounding category, especially offensively. Out of the 40 total rebounds the Seminoles recorded, eight were offensive boards.

"I don't think we did particularly well in offensive rebounds tonight," Hamilton said.

"From an athletic standpoint, w have more than enough athletes but its momentum. I hope that is something we can change."

Perimeter defense was also another weakpoint for the Seminoles.

Earlier in the first half, Saint Leo was shooting 50 percent from the field, including going 6 for 10 in 3-pointers and finished with a 33 percentage, which is one percent more than FSU.

Saint Leo was in the game for the majority of the first half and even led as high as seven points, and three Lions were in double figures.

"This team was the right team for us to play at this time of year," Hamilton said. "I thought they challenged us with perimeter shooting."

Hamilton followed and said that the defense should only cover the shooter but the ball handler as well.

"It's not about the guy guarding the ball, it's guarding the passer," Hamilton said.

"I think we have to challenge passes a little bit, and we got 10 guys that we are trying to rotate and learn a whole new different system."

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Takeaways from FSU basketball exhibition opener vs. Saint Leo