Seminoles basketball managed to land a day off as the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament starts up. But how does FSU stack up versus Cal and the rest of the field?
Florida State basketball is taking a rare bye for Tuesday.
That's because the Seminoles locked in a higher seed compared to the likes of Pittsburgh, Stanford, Virginia Tech, SMU, etc.
They have a day to prepare for the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Plus won't have to worry about Tuesday's early winner Pitt.
They must worry more about Cal, Wednesday's foe inside the Spectrum Center at Charlotte. Here's a closer look at the matchup, March Madness chances and finally, the path to the ACC title FSU must take.
Is Cal 'on Bubble?'
The Golden Bears own 21 victories and have established a new culture with past NBA champion Mark Madsen leading Cal.
But Cal appears to be losing ground with being considered for March Madness. The Golden Bears hold a 0.8% chance of making the NCAA Tournament now per the website Team Rankings. That also includes a 0.7% chance to earn an at-large bid.
Florida State previously beat Cal by building a 15-point lead before hanging on for the 63-61 win. Chauncey Wiggins dropped 18 points to lead the Noles that night. FSU watched Justin Pippen score 19 but no other Bears player surpassed that mark. The Seminoles delivered three blocks on the night plus collected 42 rebounds to control the paint.
FSU can further bury Cal's NCAA Tournament hopes with a win. They also used the Jan. 28 game to ignite their improvement in ACC play (FSU was 1-6 in conference games before beating Cal, then finished 10-8 in the ACC).
Examining Florida State's March Madness Chances
FSU holds a slightly lower percentage to make the field of 68 compared to Cal.
The Noles hold a 0.4% chance to make the tourney. That includes 0.2% for an at-large bid per Team Rankings.
Even a victory on Wednesday doesn't guarantee FSU will boost its tourney chances. Yes it adds another win over a 20-win foe for head coach Luke Loucks and company. But their path gets brutal after Wednesday if they win.
Looking at Path to ACC Title
Loucks has turned FSU into an immediate winner again. He's turned Robert McCray V into the leading scorer in his Seminoles debut. Lajae Jones also hit new career-best marks by transferring to FSU. Loucks also is winning over talented recruits like top 100 talent Martay Barnes.
But the path to the ACC title gets rigid after Wednesday. Because awaiting Cal or FSU is the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils.
A win over Duke certainly would force the selection committee to write in FSU. But Loucks and the Noles likely will receive a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) invite.