Will FSU Basketball ever make another deep NCAA Tournament run?

FSU basketball is headed back to the fun of March Madness – but will they ever be able to get over the barrier of opening weekend and expectations.

For the 16th time in the 71 seasons that FSU basketball has been playing, the Seminoles will see their season extended by playing in the NCAA Tournament – ironically, this year being the 50th anniversary of their first ever appearance in what is now March Madness where they lost in the first round to East Tennessee State in 1968.

Just like that season, this season and the 14 in between, the Noles will not be bringing home the first ever national championship to the Tucker Center. I’m not trying to sound negative in saying that, but the fact of the matter is that this team would need to drastically turn around their fortunes if they want to sniff a Final Four trip.

While FSU basketball has its share of good moments and great players on the resume, the team has only been to the second weekend of the tournament four previous times (1972, 1992, 1993 and 2011) and has only made it to the Final Four during that first year listed, where they lost to UCLA in the national title game.

The Seminoles have been seeded fourth or higher five time since seeding began in the 1979 tournament – with the last two times (2012 and 2017) ending with second round losses and the first (1989) ending with a first round upset at the hands of a No. 13 seed.

It brings about the question that Noles fans have been asking for a while now (especially after watching titles won in Gainesville and recent success in Coral Gables): can Florida State even sniff bringing a trophy back to Tallahassee.

There are some writers and bloggers out there – including those who cover the Seminoles – who believe that fans have “unrealistic expectations” when it comes to FSU basketball and say the school has not done enough to help the program succeed, while also going with the typical narrative of blaming 16 season head coach Leonard Hamilton for not doing enough.

First off, if you are a true Seminoles fan or supporter you are not “happy” with a 20-11 record entering the NCAA Tournament. It isn’t because you have “unrealistic expectations”, but more because you want Florida State to win every game possible – and there is nothing wrong with that since we love the Noles.

Second, I have been the first person when I’ve worked for Chop Chat and other outlets to criticize Hamilton when it needs to be done regarding game plan, lineups and decisions. This season is not one where he did anything wrong considering this was a Seminoles team without their top three scorers from last season – all who played in NBA games last week.

It is disappointing to go into March Madness almost every season the Seminoles are playing in it and plan yourself mentally for the idea that you won’t get to watch the Noles play longer than one weekend. That being said, we all still have to stand behind Hamilton and the garnet and gold and hope for the best.

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The law of averages says FSU basketball – baring a meteor strike that takes out Earth – will eventually win a national championship. It might be this year (probably not) or it might be 150 years from now.