Florida State Notes / UNC Greensboro Notes
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (seminoles.com) The Florida State men’s basketball has earned the No. 4 seed in the East Region and will play No. 13 seeded UNC Greensboro in its first game of the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 20 at 12:45 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Florida State is an at-large selection from the ACC while UNC Greensboro is the champion of the Southern Conference. The Seminoles’ selection to the 2021 NCAA Tournament marks the 18th time in school history and eighth time under head coach Leonard Hamilton the Seminoles will appear in the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles selection to the 2021 NCAA Tournament marks the school-record tying fourth consecutive season the Seminoles will play the event (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021). Florida State has now participated in the postseason in 15 of Hamilton’s 19 seasons at Florida State. The Seminoles were primed to participate in 2020 NCAA Tournament before it was cancelled by the NCAA because of the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic. Under Hamilton, the Seminoles have played in the NCAA Tournament in the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons.
FLORIDA STATE ENJOYS SUCCESSFUL 2020-21 SEASON
Earning success in the most unique seasons in the history of college athletics, Florida State has won 16 overall games, 11 ACC games, finished second in the ACC standings, played in the ACC Tournament Championship game and is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the school-record tying fourth consecutive season. The Seminoles are seeded fourth in the East Region of the 2021 NCAA Tournament – the second consecutive year and third time in school history – they are a No. 4 seed. The Seminoles began the season ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and spent all but two weeks of the season ranked nationally by the AP. Florida State was ranked as high as No. 11 in the AP Poll (February 22 and March 1) and as high as No. 9 in the Coaches Poll (February 22). The Seminoles earned victories over three nationally ranked teams (No. 25 Florida, No. 22 Clemson and No. 7 Virginia) and enter the 2021 NCAA Tournament as the highest ranked ACC team at No. 14 in both polls.
WALKER, GRAY AND BARNES EARN ALL-ACC HONORS
Florida State’s M.J. Walker (All-ACC Second-Team, RaiQuan Gray (All-ACC Third-Team) and Scottie Barnes (All-ACC Third team) earned All-ACC honors while Barnes was named as the ACC Freshman of the Year, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year and to the All-Freshman Team as the individual conference honors were announced for the 2021 season by the ACC. Barnes is just the second player in Florida State history to be named the ACC Freshman of the Year joining Bob Sura (1992) and is the 12th Seminole to be named to the All-Freshman team.
FLORIDA STATE’S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Led by sophomore center Dave Cowens, Florida State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance during the 1967-68 season. Cowens averaged a double-double of 18.8 points and 17.0 rebounds for the 19-8 Seminoles who fell to East Tennessee State, 79-69, in their first ever NCAA Tournament game. The Seminoles have a 21-17 overall record in NCAA Tournament play, played UCLA for the 1972 National Championship, have played in one Final Four (1972), two Elite Eights (1972 and 2018) and in the Sweet 16 six times (1972, 1992, 1993, 2011, 2018 and 2019).
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