FSU Basketball faces most important three game stretch of season

FSU basketball is set to start a series of games including contest against ranked foes and on the road that could make or break their postseason hopes.

Before the season started for FSU basketball, there were countless articles written by yours truly talking about how the three game stretch of games to start ACC play for the Seminoles might have been the most important of the entire season. Upon further review based on how things have played out, that isn’t entirely true.

Yes, facing traditional powers like Duke and North Carolina along with in-state rival and pretty good team Miami was a big deal (and it would have been nice to get more than one win in that stretch). But now, with a 17-6 and record that is slightly misleading, the Seminoles start a three game stretch that could either get them a high tournament seed or keep them on the bubble.

Right now, FSU basketball has that record in part due to a 11-1 non-confence record that wasn’t all that great outside of a huge blowout win over a then No. 5 Florida Gators team. In conference play, the Seminoles have wins over ranked North Carolina and a tournament bound Miami team at home along with a road win at unranked Louisville – but it was better than nothing.

Unfortunately, the Noles also have losses at Duke and at home to Louisville where they blew second half leads – along with two bad losses to Boston College and Wake Forest on the road.

Enter the next three games that start Wednesday night at home against No. 2 Virginia. This is a Cavaliers team that the Seminoles beat last season during a stretch of five wins in six games against ranked foes. FSU basketball doesn’t fear UVa and if they can score more than 60 points, they could get the biggest win of the season and almost stamp their tournament ticket.

After that is games on Saturday at Notre Dame – who has struggled but is still tough on the road – and next Wednesday at home against a ranked Clemson team (the first of two games against the Tigers). Conventional wisdom would say that if the Seminoles want to make sure they are dancing, they need to win two of those games.

Now, beating Virginia might be enough to look past two losses to the Fighting Irish and Tigers but with those other bad losses that might not be the case. If the Seminoles HAD to lose a game, it would likely be one of the two ranked games – at least one ranked win help big time while losing at a average Notre Dame team would not look good.

Next: FSU Basketball Weekly Preview: February 5th-11th

Needless to ay, head coach Leonard Hamilton and the Noles face the final quarter of the regular season knowing that these next three games might be the most important 120 minutes of basketball Florida State will play this regular season.