The Seminoles head coach officially announced each signing via the portal and offseason, including the Italy talent Assui.
Florida State basketball moved swiftly to address a massive roster exit.
Thomas Bassong landed in the College Basketball Transfer Portal on the eve of the final day of entry. FSU quickly pivoted to intenational talent Elisee Assui to fill the need.
Head coach Luke Loucks finally broke his silence on the addition via a news release from the school Monday. Loucks helped officially announced the signing.
"Elisee is a young man who stands out immediately for his maturity and professionalism, but he's also a very skilled and versatile basketball player," Loucks began.
The soon-to-be second-year head coach is already a fan of what the Italian talent can do at his size.
"At 6-foot-5, he has the ability to impact the game in a lot of ways," Loucks said. "He can guard multiple positions, he plays with great motor, and he has a strong feel for the game."
What type of player are the Seminoles getting on offense?
"Offensively, he's comfortable playing within a system, making the right reads and finishing plays, while continuing to expand his skillset on the perimeter," Loucks said.
But Loucks added the part that "separates" Assui from a lot of players of his age group.
"What really separates him is how disciplined he is in his approach," Loucks said. "He understands spacing, he competes on every possession, and he makes winning plays."
The Seminoles head coach will lean into Assui's past international stardom in his adjustment to Tallahassee.
"I love that he has high-level international experience playing with and against some of the best players in the world. Elisee helped lead his Italian National Team to a U20 gold medal last summer while averaging 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and carrying the team defensively," Loucks said. "When you combine that with who he is off the court, it makes him a perfect fit for Florida State."
Assui figures to compete at one of the guard spots early on for a team that surged late. FSU won its last 10 of 13 games. The Seminoles even knocked off March Madness teams and Atlantic Coast Conference foes Miami and Clemson late in the year. FSU opted to end its season after handing No. 1 Duke a scare during the ACC Tournament before falling 80-79.
Assui is one of five additions this offseason including from the transfer portal.
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