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NCAA Tournament: 3 things FSU needs to do to beat Gonzaga

By Kelvin Hunt

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 21: Mfiondu Kabengele #25 of the Florida State Seminoles celebrates after he dunks the ball against the Vermont Catamounts during their first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. The Seminoles won the game 76-69. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - MARCH 21: Mfiondu Kabengele #25 of the Florida State Seminoles celebrates after he dunks the ball against the Vermont Catamounts during their first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at XL Center on March 21, 2019 in Hartford, Connecticut. The Seminoles won the game 76-69. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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FSU basketball will face Gonzaga in a rematch from the 2018 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. I discuss three things FSU needs to do to win.

The NCAA Tournament is now down to the final 16 teams in the nation. FSU basketball is looking for history to repeat itself Thursday night when they take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs as underdogs just as they did last year.

Of course, the Noles went on to whip Gonzaga to make their first Elite 8 appearance since 1993. The two teams are vastly different but with some of the same players from last year.

Both teams can score and both teams can defend. What’s crazy is the teams have nearly identical raw numbers in several different categories.

Check out how the teams stack up in the following categories on the season(raw numbers):

  • Rebounds-(Gonzaga, 1,275) (FSU, 1,271)
  • Steals-(Gonzaga, 249) (FSU, 237)
  • 3 pts made-(Gonzaga, 257) (FSU, 255)
  • Free Throw attempts(Gonzaga, 718) (FSU, 721)
  • Field Goal attempts (Gonzaga, 1,997) (FSU, 1,984)

Those are some incredible stats to be so close. One thing to consider though is FSU plays in a far superior conference and is the more battle tested team.

3 Things Noles Need To Do For Victory

  • Crash Offensive Boards-The Noles don’t shoot it quite as well as Gonzaga has on the season but have been the better offensive rebounding team. Approximately 31 percent of the ‘Noles rebounds come on the offensive glass compared to just 25 percent for the Bulldogs.
  • Don’t Settle For Jump Shots and Take The Ball To The Rim-The Noles are not a great three-point shooting team and have shown they can get to the rim. They’ve proven they can consistently make free-throws throughout the year. Gonzaga’s not as deep as the Noles are and foul trouble on their end would be very impactful. Smart shot selections will be big in a game like this.
  • Limit Turnovers-Gonzaga has 117 LESS turnovers on the season than FSU. Granted, FSU has played against much better competition, it’s an area the Noles have struggled from time to time. Gonzaga isn’t a team that will beat itself in this area and possessions will be at a premium.

Final Thoughts

If the Noles can do those three things while locking in defensively they have a great shot to pull off the upset.

I expect them to apply pressure to force Gonzaga’s guards to work to bring the ball up court. That’ll limit the time they have to execute on offense and could highlight FSU’s depth as the game goes on. That old saying “fatigue makes a coward out of men” definitely holds some weight.

Next. NCAA Tournament: FSU vs. Gonzaga Sweet 16 Preview. dark

It should be a good game and be sure to follow us on Twitter for real-time commentary and reactions during the game.

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