FSU Basketball 2019 NCAA Tournament 1st Round Preview: vs. Vermont

Here’s a preview of FSU basketball and their upcoming game scheduled for play during the 2018-19 season.

For just the third time in the history of the FSU basketball program, the Seminoles are in the NCAA tournament for at least a third straight season – as the road to a second Final Four for the Noles all time will take them across the country after a seeding that has some wondering what more the Seminoles could have done this season.

It was a season that saw head coach Leonard Hamilton’s team set a program record for regular season total wins and ACC wins as they currently have the second most wins in the history of the program for a season even if they don’t win another game – as some think this team could make a deep run in this year’s March Madness.

The added pressure means anything less than an appearance in the second weekend of the tournament will be considered a failure – and it all starts against one of the tournament’s most consistent smaller programs over the last decade and a half.

More from FSU Basketball

Here’s our recap of the last game action and a preview of what’s ahead for the Seminoles.

Last Game Recap

After taking out the entire commonwealth of Virginia in their first two games of the ACC Tournament last week in Charlotte – getting an overtime victory over Virginia Tech on a miracle shot and dominating UVa the following night – FSU basketball played in their third championship game since joining the conference as they faced the Duke Blue Devils.

For much of the first half, the Seminoles and the team who would later become the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament went back and forth with both team overcoming early turnovers to head into the locker room all tied up at 36.

Sadly for the Noles, playing five straight halves of physical basketball took their toll and the Blue Devils – behind the play of Zion Williamson, who we will admit had a tournament for the ages in Charlotte – and despite 14 points from Mfiondu Kabengele and 12 from Terance Mann, the Seminoles dropped the game 73=63.

Opponent Preview

Despite having beaten two of the teams who got a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and playing for the title in the toughest conference, FSU basketball got a No. 4 seed and will start things off in Hartford, CT when they take on the No. 13 seed Vermont Catamounts.

For the seventh time in their program’s history – all of them coming since 2013 – the men from Burlington will be heading to the Big Dance with a 27-6 record that includes wins in 12 of their last 13 games that includes winning the American East Conference title last weekend on their home court against Maryland-Baltimore County.

On the season, Vermont is outscoring their opponents by an average of over 11 points a game (74.2 to 63.1 per game average) with junior forward Anthony Lamb leading the way with over 21 points per game on average. The Catamounts will be looking to repeat the 2005 tournament when, as the No. 13 seed, they upset No. 4 Syracuse in the first round.

Interesting Fact

For the 17th time in their history, FSU basketball is dancing in March and if history says anything the Seminoles should at least make it to the weekend as they have only lost in the first round six times before.

light. Related Story. 3 reasons Seminoles can make it to 2019 Final Four

Nine times, the Seminoles have been the higher ranked team in their first round game and just twice have been defeated – in 2009 when they lost to No. 12 Wisconsin in overtime and…man, this one is scary…30 years ago in 1989 when, as the No. 4 seed, they lost to No. 13 Middle Tennessee State.

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