SMU needs every victory it can get to bolster its NCAA Tournament chances and can’t afford a loss when it takes on Florida State on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla., in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The Mustangs (22-8, 13-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) have alternated losses with wins over their past six games, damaging their fading tournament hopes. But with a victory on Saturday, SMU can secure a double-bye in next week’s ACC tournament and only need to win three games in said tournament to potentially clinch the conference’s automatic bid.
SMU is ranked 46th in the NCAA’s NET rankings and neither ESPN nor CBS Sports is projecting the Mustangs to make the tournament field.
Coming off a loss at Stanford on March 1, the Mustangs barely avoided back-to-back losses on Tuesday with a 77-75 win over Syracuse on Keon Ambrose-Hylton’s tip-in with 2.9 seconds left.
“I think (the win) gives us confidence to go in and play great on Saturday,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said. “Whether we win or not, who knows, we just have to compete, but I feel great.”
For Florida State (16-14, 7-12), the only way to make the NCAA Tournament is by winning the conference tournament title and an automatic bid. Saturday’s game will mark the final home game for longtime Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of the season.
Jamir Watkins, who is averaging 18.5 points per game, continued to impress with a team-high 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists against Virginia on Tuesday.
But the Seminoles continued a trend of struggling to the finish line, falling 60-57 for their fourth loss in a row. Overall, they’ve dropped nine of their past 12 games.
With its recent poor stretch, Florida State dropped into the 10-15 range of the ACC standings. It will likely need to win five games to steal its way into the NCAA Tournament.
FSU plans to honor Hamilton with a special ceremony right after Saturday’s game.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets,” Hamilton said in a statement after announcing his retirement. “Every head coach inherits a legacy and is obligated to leave the job better than they inherited it. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish here over the last 23 seasons.”
–Field Level Media
