Florida State basketball coach Leonard Hamilton doesn't want sophomore forward Taylor Bol Bowen to do too much. But the sophomore forward is showing he can handle the workload.

As Bol Bowen enters his second season at FSU, he has leaped from a role player as a true freshman with limited minutes to an emerging star next to Jamir Watkins, an established NBA prospect.

In the first game as a starter, he finished with a career-high 17 points, six boards, three steals and two blocks in FSU's win over Northern Kentucky.

In FSU's final exhibition game against West Florida, he nearly had a triple-double with 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven steals.

FSU wants to continue its momentum on Saturday, when the Seminoles play their first road game against Rice at 7 p.m. in Houston, Texas, during the Battleground 2K Challenge.

What has the sophomore improved? Bol Bowen's game fits the style Hamilton wants on both ends of the floor.

Also, his 6-for-10 frame with a 7-foot-2 wingspan matches his skillset on both ends of the floor.

"He's been emphasizing that," Bol Bowen said.

"I just take what the defense gives me, try to improve, and make the right play. So that's what we do as a team: just make the right play, ball him having to go my way."

A native of Jericho, Vermont, Bol Bowen had to adjust to the Florida weather and be an efficient defender for the Seminoles.

"It's something that they really taught me down here," Bol Bowen said.

"You know, up north, you don't really play defense like how we play down here, especially at Florida State. It's more packed line and a little bit softer, and I definitely always got blocks and stuff, but just being more active on the ball and using my length was something that they taught me and developed here.

Bol Bowen also looks up to Watkins and the other upperclassmen, but he credits Hamilton and his coaching staff with elevating his game.

"Jamir is a great example of that, obviously. He's such a great player," Bol Bowen said.

"It comes easy to him. He puts in a lot of work, but definitely, myself and the coaches. Just realized what I got to do to get better, take that next step, and do it daily."

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Taylor Bol Bowen refuses to settle for an average season

Last season, FSU finished 17-16 and 10-10 in the ACC. That was unacceptable for Bol Bowen. The sophomore's work ethic on the court reflects the goals he wants to achieve.

Going into this season, FSU was projected to finish 15th in the ACC preseason poll, Bol Bowen said Monday's win is a stepping stone in the right direction.

"We're winning, you know what I mean. That's the most important thing for us," Bol Bowen said.

"We're trying to win and win and win. Last year, it was terrible being .500. I hated that, knowing we were going to win-lose, how we're going to play, how we're going to come out, but this year, we want to win and win and win and go as deep as we can."

While there are still ways to go for the Seminoles, as the continuing improvement in team chemistry and managing a deep team with 10 new faces, Bol Bowen is high on the freshman class. Four newcomers played in Monday's win.

"The freshmen are great. They're super talented. obviously," Bol Bowen said.

"They're not here for no reason, and they're going to make a big impact, definitely, whether that's defensively, offensively, they're going to make so many plays, and you got such a strong and good deep freshmen."

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How to watch FSU basketball vs. Rice game

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 9

• Time: 7 p.m.

• Where: Toyota Center/ Houston, Texas

• TV: ESPN+

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: How FSU basketball Taylor Bol Bowen became rising star after one game