The Daily Nole

Bracketology: FSU Set to Face Big East in Tourney Again

Mike Olivella/FSU athletics

Despite a 2-game losing streak and a 1-3 record in ACC play, Florida State looks to comfortably in the NCAA Tournament at the moment. The Seminoles are 12-4 overall and nationally ranked No. 23 with wins over North Carolina and on the road against Rutgers and Florida.

For FSU, the regular season is more than halfway over. All four experts cited or as they’ve come to be known, bracketologists, in this piece have the Seminoles in the dance. Here’s a look:

Projections
ESPN: South Region No. 8 seed vs. (9) Butler in Pittsburgh (Jan. 11)
CBS Sports: West Region No. 9 seed vs. (8) Marquette (Jan. 12)
SB Nation: Midwest Region No. 7 vs. (10) Marquette in Wichita (Jan. 9)
NBC Sports: South Region No. 8 seed vs. (9) Marquette in Atlanta (Jan. 12)

Summary
According to the experts, FSU currently sits somewhere between a No. 7 and a No. 10 seed. Three of the four experts have the Seminoles facing Marquette in the first round and all four have them facing a school from the Big East. It was a Big East team in Xavier that eliminated FSU in the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Of the three experts who listed cities, all three listed a different location for the contest. The only region where no experts picked the Seminoles to play in was the East Region.

It should be noted that Chris Dobbertean of SB Nation, who had FSU the highest as a No. 7 seed, published his bracket on Tuesday — one night prior to the Seminoles’ 73-69 loss at Louisville. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who has the Seminoles facing Butler, is the only expert to not pit FSU against Marquette for the time being.

Florida State is 2-3 all-time against Butler with the last loss coming in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii in December 2010. FSU is 2-2 against Marquette with the last meeting being a 57-56 victory in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando in November 2009.

FSU will host Syracuse on Saturday before playing at Boston College on Monday. Lundari had the Orange as a No. 10 seed while Jerry Palm of CBS Sports had Syracuse as a No. 11 seed and in the First Four. Neither of the other two experts current have Jim Boeheim’s team in the field. Boston College appears only in Dave Ommen, of NBC Sports’ piece as one of the “Next Four Out”.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson

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