Gonzaga vs. Florida State: 2019 NCAA Tournament game preview, TV schedule
In a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 battle, Florida State and Gonzaga fight for a spot in the Elite 8. Will the results be different for the Bulldogs?
TV schedule: Thursday, March 28, 7:09 pm ET. CBS
Arena: Honda Center in Anaheim, California
In a tournament filled with chalk so far, all but two of the top 16 overall seeds have made it past the first weekend with little resistance. Gonzaga (32-3) and Florida State (29-7), the two teams playing first in the third round, handled their first set of opponents.
The Bulldogs were the only No. 1 seed who sounded defeated their 16 seed opponent, beating Fairleigh Dickinson by 38 points. And while there was a concerning run at the very beginning of the second half, Gonzaga took care of Baylor with the final score of 83-71. The amazing part was that WCC Player of the Year Rui Hachimura finished with season-low six points on 2/6 shooting. Zach Norvell and Josh Perkins combined to go 2/11 from deep. Still, the Bulldogs were able to win comfortably thanks to a record performance from Brandon Clarke.
The junior forward finished the game with 36 points, the most from a Gonzaga player in the NCAA Tournament. He went 15-18 from the field and the Bears didn’t have an answer for him whether using man or zone defense. He led the team to their 5th straight Sweet 16 appearance, the highest active streak.
Florida State looks to continue their postseason success with back-to-back Elite 8 spots. The Seminoles had a to deal with a feisty Vermont team in the Round of 64, before blitzing Ja Morant and Murray State to get to this point. Led by Mfiondu Kabengele‘s 22 off the bench, Florida State scored 90 points on the Racers on 11 made three-pointers while out-rebounding them by 19. The sheer size and athleticism of the Seminoles can be overwhelming to teams like it was a year ago between them and Gonzaga.
At this point a year ago, the Seminoles defeated the Bulldogs 75-60. Led by 18 points by Terance Mann, 11 different players contributed for them while shooting 54% from the field. A hamstring injury sidelined Killian Tillie before the game, while Perkins and Norvell combined to shoot 7/25 from the field. While Tillie will be playing in this game along with Clarke being around for the rematch, Gonzaga will have to shoot well from the perimeter to neutralize the size FSU has down low.
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A legitimate argument can be made that both teams are better than then they were a year ago. And even though Phil Cofer is out for the Seminoles while dealing with both a foot injury and the death of his father, Florida State still has enough to take down a No. 1 seed. Look for Kabengele to have a breakout game to improve his NBA Draft stock as the Seminoles advance in a tight one.