Florida State surges towards ACC Tournament contention, fighting for a crucial first-round bye and a potential rematch with Pittsburgh.
With only two games left on the Florida State's regular-season schedule, the Noles (15-14, 8-8 ACC) are slated as the 10-seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament, taking place March 10-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The current projection has the Noles facing off with Pittsburgh (11-18, 4-12) in a first-round matchup. However, Florida State could easily work its way into a first-round bye, as the Noles' 8-8 conference record is tied with both Cal and Southern Methodist.
Florida State's final matchup of the season is a home game against SMU (19-10, 8-8), which could prove crucial in deciding who gets the bye. But before then, the Noles need to handle business against the struggling Panthers.
Wednesday's matchup is a tale of two different teams, as the Noles have been surging, winning seven of their last nine. Pittsburgh has lost six of its last eight.
Despite these recent losses, the Panthers still have a lot to play for, as they currently sit just one conference win ahead of Boston College (10-19, 3-13 ACC) for the final spot in the tournament.
The Noles have worked their way back into contention for a first-round bye thanks to recent wins over teams like Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Senior guard Robert McCray V, the Noles' leading scorer, has been on a heater, averaging 18.6 points per game over the nine-game stretch.
Against Clemson, McCray matched his highest scoring output of the season, tallying a game-high 29 points and nailing four 3-pointers.
Prior to this victory, the Noles got back above .500 with a comeback win over Boston College. McCray scored 27 points while adding five assists, six rebounds and a block. Following the game, he told reporters how the team is focusing going into each game.
"You know, just keep moving in the right direction. Take it game by game, you know, that's what we doing," McCray said. "You just, you get tired of losing, and I just feel like we want to win. So, we just want to win those close games and now we're pulling them together."
Florida State is back in action Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET against Pittsburgh.
ㅤ
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!