FSU basketball: 3 reasons Noles could win the ACC Tournament

No. 15 FSU basketball (15-5, 11-4 ACC) are odds on favorites to win the ACC Tournament. The No. 2 seed has a double-bye and will not play until the quarterfinals.

If tournament seeding holds, the Noles will take on No. 3 seed Virginia Tech, who they did not play in the regular season due to COVID-19 issues.

A disappointing road loss against sub .500 Notre Dame cost the Noles the No. 1 seed and the ACC Regular Season Title.

Despite ending the season on a sour note, the Noles have a great shot of winning the ACC Tournament.

Three Reasons

• Size and Length
• 3-point shooting
• Depth

The Noles have a lot of size and length on their roster, which can cause problems for opposing teams on both ends of the court. Scottie Barnes and RaiQuan Gray handle the ball a lot, with both able to get to the basket with their size. This factor comes into play on defense as well, with FSU switching on every screen. This factor allows FSU to rebound well when they give the effort.

FSU’s gift and curse at times is their ability to shoot the 3-pointer well. The Noles had five players shooting over 40 percent from 3-point land at one time. They shoot 38 percent from long-range as a team, which is top 15 nationally.

The depth of FSU basketball causes issues for lots of teams. The Noles have nine players averaging around 15 minutes or more per game. Depth is a factor that can come into play when playing multiple games over 2-3 days.

Parting Thoughts

If you’re an avid reader of the site, you know where I stand with this team. I wouldn’t be shocked if they won the ACC Tournament, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them lose their first game. The team has not been very good on the road, and their energy is too inconsistent to make me feel confident in how they will perform.

IF they play with good energy, I have no doubt they have what it takes to shine over a three-game period.