FSU surges entering their rematch with SMU, aiming to spoil the Mustangs' March Madness hopes and secure an ACC tournament bye.
The Noles (16-14, 9-8 ACC) have been rolling, winning eight of their last 10 games and positioning themselves for a potential first-round bye in the upcoming ACC tournament.
Florida State has the opportunity to even the season-series with Southern Methodist at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, while also playing spoiler to the Mustangs' March Madness hopes.
SMU got the best of the Noles earlier this season, thanks to a game-high 28 points from combo guard Jaron Pierre Jr.
Pierre Jr. makes up one-third of the Mustangs' lethal senior guard trio, joining Boopie Miller and B.J. Edwards. These three guards average a combined 49.5 points per game this season, accounting for over 50 percent of the SMU's total scoring (85.2), while also contributing over 13 assists per contest.
In the two squads' first matchup, the trio combined for 58 points while adding 12 dimes. Noles leading scorer Robert McCray V answered with 21 points and nine assists, but it was not enough to overcome a 12-point halftime deficit, as Florida State fell 83-80.
However, these two teams are at very different points in their seasons, as the Noles are now playing their best ball of the season. SMU, though, has dropped three-straight, with this final game of the regular season holding real weight in the Mustangs' March Madness chances.
SMU's Edwards is also questionable with an ankle injury, providing more uncertainty for a struggling Mustangs squad.
According to ESPN's Bubble Watch, the Mustangs "sat at 94% in the consensus at-large chances a little over a week ago, but a three-game losing streak to Cal, Stanford and Miami -- coupled with other developments across the bubble -- has dropped them to below 70%."
Saturday also marks Florida State's Senior Day. Head coach Luke Loucks talked about how Senior Day has changed thanks to the transfer portal, but also said that this group is "special" to him.
"It's kind of like you never forget your first girlfriend," Loucks said. "This is my first team. This is special for me. All six of these seniors have, you know, signed up to help me win games."
Loucks credited his team's maturity and poise, saying that despite the team's early struggles, they continued to show up with a "workmanlike attitude," determined to turn the season around.
Winning this final game would likely secure a first-round bye for the Noles and position themselves for a deep run in the ACC tournament.
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