The prized Seminoles freshman is staying put as transfer portal season is now open across the nation.
Florida State men's basketball prevented one of its top young stars from testing the portal waters.
Thomas Bassong is staying put in Tallahassee, the school announcing on Wednesday morning. Bassong becomes the first high-profile Seminoles player to make his decision to stay.
Chris Nee of Noles247 added how the coaching staff made sure Bassong was a roster retainment priority this offseason.
"Bassong was the player that head coach Luke Loucks and his staff was most focused on retaining as they entered the offseason in early March. The announcement came on Wednesday morning that Bassong will return to the Seminoles," Nee wrote.
The freshman started in 17 games last season. He earned his minutes thanks to stout defensive display and showing his versatility on the court.
He averaged 19.3 minutes per game, posting 5.9 points and 3.5 rebounds. But again, defense was where he shined the most.
Bassong recorded 21 steals and 13 blocks. He delivered two blocks in Atlantic Coast Conference play against Cal and Boston College. But he produced his best outing against Georgia Tech, which saw his first career double-double (14 points and 12 rebounds).
Offensively, he shot 48.6-percent from the field and 26.0-percent from the 3-point line.
Bassong was one of the first recruits under Loucks, who came via Overtime Elite. The 6-foot-8 forward delivered 15.6 points per game with 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He's also a native of France who competed on their national team.
Bassong's decision is huge amid some big changes on the FSU roster.
FSU has so far lost five different players in the portal. Cam Miles became the first to leave after playing in 25 games but receiving no starts. He averaged 5.4 PPG.
Martin Somerville arguably was the biggest offseason loss. Somerville averaged eight points a night and cracked the starting lineup 10 times. He'll be seeking his third college after originally coming over from UMass Lowell.
Guard Maximo Garcia-Plata entered his name into the portal on Tuesday when it opened. Plata never earned a single minute with FSU.
Xavier Osceola was one more recent portal departure out of Tallahassee. He missed his freshman debut due to an injury.
Finally, forward Alier Maluk decided to leave after 22 games and three starts. He only averaged 1.6 PPG and 1.7 rebounds.
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