Sweet Sixteen Preview: No. 1 Michigan vs No. 4 Florida State

The No. 1 Wolverines and the No. 4 Seminoles are set to square off this Sunday with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. Ironically, the two programs last met back in 2018 in the Elite Eight - with the Wolverines winning by a score of 58-54 and advancing to the Final Four.

Michigan will enter Sunday’s matchup still riding high off of a hard fought battle against the No. 8 LSU Tigers. In what was likely the most competitive game of the entire tournament so far, the Wolverines and the Tigers traded blows for a full 40 minutes. Thanks in large part to senior guard Chaundee Brown’s late game heroics, Michigan would go on to secure a victory and advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth consecutive year.

The Florida State Seminoles have also become accustomed to participating in the Sweet Sixteen, making their third straight appearance this weekend against the Wolverines. As is often the case in tournament play, Michigan fans are likely unfamiliar with the Seminoles and the threat level they pose to Michigan’s hopes of a national championship.

Here’s what you need to know:

Date: Sunday, March 28
Game Time: 5:00 pm ET
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Network: CBS

Florida State Preview

2020-21 record: 18-6
Conference: ACC
Head Coach: Leonard Hamilton (19th season)
Path to the Sweet Sixteen: Wins against No. 13 UNC Greensboro (64-54) and No. 5 Colorado (71-53)

Who to keep your eye on

Florida State is athletic, physical and loves to play above the rim. The Seminoles are led by 6-5, 213-pound senior guard M.J. Walker. Walker averages just over 12 points per game and is capable of posterizing an opponent at any given moment. Not only is he explosive around the rim, he’s also dangerous from beyond the arc - shooting just over 43% from 3-point range.

Just having fun with it 😜 pic.twitter.com/oD4q7x6EjZ
— Florida State Men’s Basketball (@FSUHoops) March 23, 2021

The Seminoles also have a 240-pound 7-footer in the middle who loves to play physical. Balsa Koprivica only averages 9.2 points per game but his sheer size makes him extremely disruptive on both ends of the floor.

SHEEESH 🥶 pic.twitter.com/aP0XACgsVW
— Florida State Men’s Basketball (@FSUHoops) March 23, 2021

Next up is RaiQuan Gray, a 6-8, 260 pound junior forward who’s a load to handle on both ends of the floor. Gray is the second leading scorer for the Seminoles, averaging 12 points and a team high 6.5 rebounds per game.

Beep Beep! Comin' throughhhhh! https://t.co/bBGKkoNrBY
— Florida State Men’s Basketball (@FSUHoops) March 14, 2021