The Seminoles are surging ahead of their Tuesday evening showdown versus Boston College. How FSU could be thinking NCAA Tournament with a win.
A conversation that never surfaced before the basketball season: Florida State having a chance at March Madness.
That same conversation wasn't brought up when the Seminoles lost five straight Atlantic Coast Conference games from December to Jan. 17.
Yet here we are...staring at the hottest ACC team before they take on Boston College for a Tuesday evening tilt inside the Tucker Center.
Head coach Luke Loucks has ignited new confidence in this group. Is it time for "bracketologists" to take the Noles seriously?
Looking at these scenarios, it's time to dive into why a March Madness run is in the works for the future...or even now.
Winning Streak Includes Toppling March Madness Hopefuls
Florida State started its run by stunning in-state rival Miami in ending the ACC slide.
The Hurricanes happen to be the same team that knocked off nationally ranked North Carolina recently.
That win certainly elevates chances for the current 12-13 Seminoles. But there's more on FSU's end.
Stanford (16-10, also beat UNC) fell to FSU. Cal (18-8 overall, defeated two ranked teams in UNC and UCLA) was another that took a loss to the Noles. Virginia Tech (17-9) was another winning team that fell to FSU.
Those wins boost the morale of Loucks' team and now gives them momentum during this final regular season stretch.
Where is FSU in RPI Rankings, Though?
The bad news here: The Noles are no where near the top 68. In fact, FSU sits at No. 89 as of Tuesday.
But the good news? Florida State is moving up...up six spots that is.
Pittsburgh has a lower RPI rating compared to FSU. Yet again, FSU has defeated conference teams with a higher RPI including No. 41 Miami.
What FSU Must do Moving Forward
It's more than just beating Boston College.
The likes of Lajae Jones, Robery McCray V, Chauncey Wiggins and the rest of the Seminoles can go for the sweep of Miami on Feb. 24.
FSU can also attempt the upset of current 20-6 team Clemson during this final regular season stretch too -- with that win further boosting its RPI.
Of course, winning out in the upcoming ACC Tournament solidifies the March Madness argument in Tallahassee. But even taking down either Virginia or Duke in the tourney without winning the ACC can present a case for the Noles. Virginia head coach Ryan Odum himself is in awe by how hard FSU is playing.
Obviously these are a lot of scenarios that must play into the Seminoles' hand. But FSU has surged into this position of manifesting a March Madness run right away under the former Noles basketball star Loucks.
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