ACC Basketball: 5 key storylines for No. 11 Florida State vs. North Carolina

By Ian Mumm | Feb 26, 2021

Feb 20, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton (right) talks to forward Malik Osborne (10) during the second half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

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Florida State Seminoles Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /

Seminoles pushing towards ACC Title repeat

After securing the program’s first regular-season ACC title in 2020, Leonard Hamilton’s group is in hot pursuit of repeating that achievement. The Seminoles are currently sitting alone at the top of the conference standings and have the opportunity to lock in the title potentially as early as this weekend.

With a 2-game lead over Virginia, there is some margin for error the Noles can play with heading into the final games of the season. However, the Cavaliers aren’t playing the best basketball right now and could quickly reduce the ‘magic number’ for Florida State to capture the crown.

Florida State has been one of the strongest teams in the ACC this season, but their ability to thrive on both sides of the ball has helped carry them to a very strong season. The program has been on the upswing for several seasons and sealing the regular-season title outright for a second straight year is crucial towards cementing their status as a top-tier school year in and year out. In fact, it’s imperative they do so in a “down year” for the conference.