Florida State's 'Baby Shaq' draws attention after his college debut

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Florida State's 'Baby Shaq' draws attention after his college debut

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Nov 3, 2026 3:57 PM ET

The Florida State Seminoles have a freshman who has earned the nickname “Baby Shaq,” and on Monday night, the rest of the country saw why for the first time.

Marcis Ponder, a freshman center out of Miami, Fla., debuted for the Seminoles in their 113-69 win over Florida A&M. The former four-star recruit is officially listed at 7-foot-0 and 285 lbs, and he looked every bit of it when he took the floor.

Marcis Ponder makes his college debut tonight for the Seminoles. https://t.co/lI7qiGfZyV
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) November 3, 2026

Ponder made a very quick impression with an offensive rebound and putback dunk that looked very Shaq-like.

Marcis with the put-back JAM! ESPNU | #ALLIN https://t.co/3G8k2Hrwzm
— Florida State Men’s Basketball (@FSUHoops) November 3, 2026

Ponder played 20 minutes in his debut and scored 15 points while collecting 11 rebounds. Five of those boards were on the offensive glass, showing what a potent force he may wind up being on the interior.

The Seminoles start the season unranked, but have been predicted to finish seventh in the ACC. They could wind up being a fun team to watch this season while Ponder does his thing.

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