FSU Basketball Holding Steady in NCAA Tournament Projection
Florida State didn't see much change in its latest ESPN Bracketology projection. Just as they were at the beginning of the month, the Seminoles remain a 5-seed in the East Region, opening play with Loyola Chicago in Providence, Rhode Island.
Another thing Joe Lunardi hasn't altered is FSU's prospective second-round opponent, which is still the winner of 4-seed Ohio State and 13-seed Belmont. The only change to Florida State's side of the bracket is the 8-seed, as LSU has been swapped out in favor of fellow SEC squad Alabama.
In fact, the top five seeds in the East remain the same, with top-seed Villanova, 2-seed Duke, and 3-seed West Virginia ahead of the Buckeyes and 'Noles. But there's some movement behind them. Previous 6-seed Rutgers has been dropped to the region's 7-seed, with another Big Ten team, Michigan, in as the new 6-seed.
The Scarlet Knights replace Florida on the 7-line, as the Gators have been elevated to a 6-seed in the Midwest's Wichita venue. Rutgers' first round foe is new to the region as well, as Arizona State has also been shipped to the Midwest and replaced by Ole Miss on the 10-line. San Diego State is now the 11-seed instead of Saint Louis, and 14-seed Wright State is out in favor of Winthrop.
At the bottom of the bracket, Stephen F. Austin has been subbed out on the 15-line for Siena. Seeing as this would be Duke's opponent, we should all hope for the former to get that draw, since they stunned the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and it'd be one of the more interesting 2 vs. 15 matchups in tourney history.
Up top, 'Nova is still getting a play-in winner, but instead of the Robert Morris-Delaware victor, it's now the survivor of Fairleigh Dickinson and Southern.
One of the reasons for movement was Oklahoma State's suspension from postseason play, which resulted in Virginia Tech's inclusion in the field. That brought the ACC even with the Big Ten, at nine invitees apiece.
