FSU Basketball Lands Commitment From International Wing With Elite Defensive Upside

Florida State saw a late entry to the transfer portal with freshman Thomas Bassong going in at the last minute. Luke Loucks and his staff did not wait long to find someone who could fill that void.

Italian wing Elisée Assui has flipped his commitment from George Washington to Florida State, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress. Assui is a 20-year-old listed around 6'5" or 6'6", who helped Italy win the U20 FIBA EuroBasket Gold medal. Louisville and Virginia were other teams that have shown interest.

Assui is a rugged, defensive-minded wing and is capable of playing multiple positions. He has struggled in Italy's highest level of competition this year, playing for Pallacanestro Varese, averaging just 3.5 PPG and 3.7 RPG, shooting 31.9% from the floor and 25% from three.

However, Assui's U20 experience at FIBA EuroBasket was much more indicative of what he could become. In those 7 games on his way to the gold, he averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.0 APG, shooting 41.8% from the floor and 25% from three. His U18 numbers were similar in the 2024-25 tournament. Despite his rough three-point shooting numbers, his form looks good, and he likely just needs a tweak at the top of his jumper to be more efficient.

Going against grown men in Italy's top league can be tough for anyone. Assui will now be going against players around the same age as him, which he has proven he can do. From a little film I've been able to watch, despite being 6'5", he can bully people down low when he gets what he deems to be a mismatch, but he can put the ball on the floor and attack with either hand. I've posted highlights from his U20 run below.

Where Does Florida State Look Now?

With the addition of Elisée Assui, Florida State is back down to one opening. Assui can do a lot of the same things that Thomas Bassong did, even if he's not as tall or as long. He'll still be happy to pick up a tough defensive assignment and take them away.

FSU will now explore options to add another center to the roster. As of now, Marcis Ponder is the only one they'd probably feel comfortable letting play a lot of minutes at center, and they need to add someone who can give Ponder a break. Sebastian Rancik can probably soak up a few minutes here and there, but they shouldn't rely on him to play a lot of center minutes.

I expect FSU to turn over every possible stone to add a center. Transfers have been expensive, so look for them to either add another freshman or recruit from the international game again.

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