FAMU basketball shows progress in comeback win over Saint Leo
· Yahoo Sports
Florida A&M men’s basketball has been getting first impressions of itself in game settings, a week before the 2026 regular season is set to tip off.
In a matinee game on Tuesday morning, the Rattlers held their second preseason exhibition game against NCAA Division II team Saint Leo University. FAMU erased a 14-point deficit to win 66-63 after only leading for two and a half minutes in the game’s final moments.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
Forward Daisean Williford led the Rattlers with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Antonio Baker Jr. also had team highs of 17 points and five assists, and added four rebounds off the bench.
FAMU’s win followed an Oct. 13 loss to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school Warner University, 59-44.
“We were in the same position around the same time, and we came up with a different result,” Second-year head coach Charlie Ward said in the postgame press conference. “We saw some progress from exhibition one to exhibition two, so that’s what we’re looking forward to. We have to be consistent from half to half. But it’s always good that you see progress.”
Before the Saint Leo Lions built a double-digit lead, they held a 36-29 advantage at halftime. Lions guard Luther Smith Jr. was torching FAMU for three, making 7 of 9 for 21 points. Saint Leo was otherwise shooting 9-22 from beyond the arc at the break.
Ward and his coaching staff adjusted to the Lions’ drive-and-kick style of play and began running players away from the three-point line. Smith finished the game with 24 points, only making one out of four threes and five field goal attempts as a whole in the second half.
“Once we figured out what they were looking to do, we started to play a little bit better,” Ward said. “Our guys did it, made a good adjustment.”
Daisean Williford establishes himself as FAMU's double-double threat
Williford was often involved on the court for 32 minutes of action.
And the 6-foot-7 Oregon State transfer wasn’t just nabbing the easy boards on defensive plays. He didn’t allow FAMU’s possessions to die, getting four offensive rebounds.
That helped FAMU outrebound Saint Leo 38-33.
“Something we’ve been looking for, not just him individually, but as a group,” Ward said of Williford’s double-double ability.
Williford also showed that he could shoot some, going 2-for-6 from three.
Antonio Baker Jr. is leading FAMU's guards as expected
The Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Baker’s playing status was up in the air due to injury.
So he came off the bench but still played 31 minutes and led FAMU’s guards and the team overall.
The Rattlers are a different team when the Savannah native is on the court. As they trailed early, Baker got a quick bucket on a three-pointer en route to leading the team in points.
He was the spark to the FAMU bench exploding for 28 points, as he got 17 of them. It was a bounce-back game from when he struggled two weeks ago against Warner, Ward said.
“We’re grateful that he did play because we would have lost a lot,” Baker said. “That’s who we need him to be for us. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, it doesn’t matter. It’s about being productive, making an impact on the game.”
Guard and University of Albany transfer Jaden Kempson had a team-high 35 minutes, but didn’t shoot well, going 2-for-11 overall and 1-for-6 from three. He scored nine points and hit timely free throws for FAMU to secure the win.
Ward was happy with how Kempson ran the offense and defended.
As for Hillsborough College transfer Chandler Davis, he didn’t score much nor get many shot attempts on Tuesday, only picking up six points. But he did rebound, getting five. Ward said that’s an underrated skill set for the big 6-foot-6 guard, who averaged over 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game in junior college.
“We challenged guys to rebound, and he got in the mix,” Ward said.
FAMU basketball center play is still getting worked through
Ward recruited height this offseason to join the 7-foot returning center, Tuscan Onuha.
New to the Rattlers are Assane Mbaye (7-foot-3), Joel Mkweza (6-foot-10), and Mihailo Stijovic (7-foot-1).
All the big men touched the floor, with Sitjovic getting the start and playing 22 minutes, getting five points and three rebounds. Mokweza played the most minutes out of the centers with 24 and had seven points and three boards.
Mbaye played six minutes, and Onuoha played five.
As a unit, the quartet combined for 16 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
Ward is still working to find out who fits best into lineups
“Giving us some good energy in different spots,” Ward said. “It’s just those things of us trying to figure out who, what, when, and what time they can make those things happen.”
FAMU men's basketball season opener coming soon
The Rattlers begin the season against crosstown school Florida State next Monday, Nov. 2. The teams will not play in Tallahassee. They will instead face off at Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena for the Orion180 Tip-off Classic.
FAMU-FSU starts at 8:30 p.m.
Florida A&M men's basketball 2026-2027 schedule
- Oct. 13: vs. Warner, TBD (Exhibition)
- Oct. 27: vs. Saint Leo, TBD (Exhibition)
- Nov. 2: vs. Florida State — Tampa (Orion180 Tip-Off Classic), 8:30 p.m.
- Nov. 5: vs. Fort Valley State, TBD
- Nov. 9: at UAB, TBD
- Nov. 11: vs. Missouri-Kansas City — St. Petersburg (Showdown in St. Pete), Noon
- Nov. 15: at UTEP, TBD
- Nov. 18: at UTSA, TBD
- Nov. 24: at South Alabama, TBD
- Nov. 30: at Kennesaw State, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 4: vs. Norfolk State — Washington, D.C. (Chris Paul HBCU Classic), 8:30 p.m.
- Dec. 5: vs. Tennessee State — Washington, D.C. (Chris Paul HBCU Classic), 6 p.m.
- Dec. 12: at Tulsa, TBD
- Dec. 15: at Saint Louis, TBD
- Dec. 21: at Florida, TBD
- Dec. 30: vs. Thomas, TBD
- Jan. 2: vs. Bethune-Cookman — SWAC, TBD
- Jan. 9: at Southern — SWAC, TBD
- Jan. 11: at Grambling State — SWAC, TBD
- Jan. 16: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff — SWAC, TBD
- Jan. 18: vs. Mississippi Valley State — SWAC, TBD
- Jan. 23: at Alcorn State — SWAC, 4 p.m.
- Jan. 25: at Jackson State — SWAC, 8 p.m.
- Jan. 30: vs. Alabama A&M — SWAC, TBD
- Feb. 1: vs. Alabama State — SWAC, TBD
- Feb. 6: at Texas Southern — SWAC, TBD
- Feb. 8: at Prairie View A&M — SWAC, TBD
- Feb. 13: vs. Jackson State — SWAC, 4 p.m.
- Feb. 15: vs. Alcorn State — SWAC, TBD
- Feb. 18: at Alabama A&M — SWAC, 8:30 p.m.
- Feb. 20: at Alabama State — SWAC, 4 p.m.
- Feb. 25: vs. Southern — SWAC, TBD
- Feb. 27: vs. Grambling State — SWAC, TBD
- Mar. 4: at Bethune-Cookman — SWAC, TBD
- Mar. 8–13: vs. SWAC Tournament — College Park, Ga. (SWAC Tournament), TBD
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat under the USA TODAY Network.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at [email protected] or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU basketball shows progress in comeback win over Saint Leo