Leonard Hamilton, the conference’s longest-tenured men’s basketball coach, ended his collegiate career with an opening-round loss to Syracuse on Tuesday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, not far from where he grew up in Gastonia.

Coaching his final basketball game at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, so close to his hometown, would represent something of a full circle moment for Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton.

Leonard Hamilton's legendary career at Florida State ended Tuesday with an early-round exit from the men's ACC tournament. What he said:

Legendary FSU basketball coach Leonard Hamilton deserves a sold-out Donald L. Tucker Center for one last time on Saturday vs. SMU. Here's why.

Leonard Hamilton was the first Black player at Tennessee-Martin, the first Black assistant coach in the SEC when he took a job on Joe B. Hall ’s staff at Kentucky.

Both teams combined 4 for 24 from the 3-point line. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Syracuse controlled most of the game by attacking the paint. It won the physical battle by scoring 44 points in the paint and grabbing 42 rebounds.