NCAA Tournament: 2019 Final Four favorites from each seed line (8-1)
By Chris Kern
Four Seed: Florida State
The Florida State Seminoles are always tough to beat in the NCAA Tournament. Last season they advanced to the Elite Eight as a 9 seed and they’re an even better team this season. There in the West region which is very tough, but they’re good enough to beat anybody for a variety of reasons.
They have the size and athleticism to impose their will on the majority of the teams in the West region. They’re extremely deep and have guys who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. People may be familiar with their 7’4″ stud Christ Koumadje but they have many other guys who can impose their will.
This is an experienced team as well with a good senior class led by Terance Mann. He is an excellent leader and you can count on him to play well. This team had eight players who average more than six points per game so you have to account for everybody when you play them. Their leading scorer is Mfioundu Kabengele at 12.9 points.
They don’t necessarily stand out in any particular area in the stat sheet but they always get after it. You have to play smart on offense though because they do a good job getting steals and blocking shots. When you add in the defensive toughness they play with to go with their balanced offensive attack they make it tough on their opponents.
They get started against a very good Vermont Catamounts team that might have the best player on the floor in this game. Anthony Lamb is a skilled forward that is averaging 21.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He can score the ball in a variety of ways but as long as they do a good job defensively on him they should advance.
Their next matchup is when it gets exciting. They would be the better team against either opponent but both teams have electrifying guards. Marquette has Markus Howard and Murray State has Ja Morant. Florida State would be the better team but those players are capable of huge games and could pull off the upset.
A Sweet 16 matchup would likely be against the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs. They beat them in the Sweet 16 a year ago so the Bulldogs would be ready against them this time around. Gonzaga is a much better team this season and with Killian Tillie healthy they will be extremely tough to beat.
Then in the Elite Eight, they might be able to get revenge against the Michigan Wolverines who knocked them out a year ago in the Elite Eight. These teams were all in the West Region a year ago and they’re on a collision course to beat up yet again. Who knows if it will happen but these teams might all be better than they were last season.
Florida State will need to play well on the offensive end of the floor to make a deep run but they’re more than capable of doing so. They also do have a tough path but they’re more than capable of getting it done. If they come out and play as they did in last years NCAA Tournament, then expect the Seminoles to be playing in Minneapolis.