Will Selection Sunday call the Seminoles' name? How the narrow loss to the Blue Devils shapes up this prediction.
Florida State basketball handed Duke its biggest scare of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament so far.
This was a Seminoles team facing a less than 25% chance of making it to the NCAA Tournament. Yet forced the nation's best team to hope a final shot attempt didn't fall through.
FSU gave the Blue Devils everything. But will the March Madness selection committee give them love on Sunday?
"Obviously a tough way to finish that game, but I'm so proud of these guys, the way they battled throughout this match. But most importantly, the way they battled through the second half of this season, in a season where these guys could have easily folded. They came to work every day and tried to find solutions," were words head coach Luke Loucks said postgame.
Those solutions sparked a late charge that included upsets of Miami and Clemson, two likely field of 68 teams. But again, is it enough to break into the tourney? Here's the new prediction.
Where Florida State now Lands
The Seminoles are predicted to land a No. 5 seed.
But not in March Madness. FSU is picked to head toward the National Invitational Tournament to complete its season.
The website dratings.com picks FSU to claim one of the five seeds. Others include New Mexico, Boise State plus Florida State's fellow ACC teams Cal and Wake Forest.
FSU is labeled an at-large team in this scenario. Stanford is one more ACC team awaiting its tourney fate.
FSU NIT History
If FSU indeed locks in an NIT berth, it'll end a 10-year drought.
The Noles last appeared in the 2016 version. But the furthest they went was the semifinals round of 2014.
FSU has played in the NIT 10 times: 1984, 1987, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014 and '16.
All the 2000s era bids were under longtime head coach Leonard Hamilton, who also led eight March Madness runs in Tallahassee.
Loucks Looks Ahead
Meanwhile, Loucks looks toward the future in going from former FSU player to head coach.
He leaves the ACC tourney elated to lead this group.
"I'm proud to coach this bunch. They have real character. They have real grit. Hopefully, as we build this program, I can continue to bring guys like we had this year on this roster, because it was an absolute joy and pleasure to coach them," Loucks said.
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