The oddsmakers didn’t give FSU basketball much of a chance to upset the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Thursday night. FSU entered the contest as +16.5 betting underdogs, despite playing Duke tough earlier in the year with a four-point loss.
FSU guard Robert McCray missed a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer to end the season (unless they receive an NIT bid). McCray probably could have and should have taken the ball to the rim, but the likelihood of getting a foul called if there were contact in Duke’s backyard was very low.
FSU WAS THIS CLOSE TO TAKING DOWN DUKE 😳
— ESPN (@espn) March 13, 2026
Get ready to fill out your Tournament Challenge bracket ➡️ https://t.co/8yZWASM358 pic.twitter.com/FEcrUJ5K7O
Some folks will point out that Duke was missing two starters, but FSU played them when they were at full strength and only lost by four.
FSU fans are all-in on Luke Loucks after how the second half of the season played out. The Noles went 10-3 in their last 13 games, and all three losses were against teams who’ll be high seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
FSU fans and national media acknowledge how well FSU basketball has played of late
FSU belongs in the NCAA tournament… Argue with your mama
— 💰Dolla Bill Dave💰 (@DaveInTheRC) March 13, 2026
Man FSU hoops was a joy to watch. Don’t even en remember the last time I couldn’t miss a single second of a game of hoops.
— oknole (@KevArsenault) March 13, 2026
Loucks and this team brought that joy back! Can’t wait for next year.
Hopefully we get a shot at the NIT 🍢🍢
Florida State is playing its ass off tonight. If they win this one, with this bubble…
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 13, 2026
Wow-an improved @FSUHoops went to the buzzer before losing 80-79 to # 1 @DukeMBB . Now @ClemsonMBB faces @UNC_Basketball & winner meets Duke tomorrow in semi finals .Will Tigers be able to stop round 3 of Duke & UNC from happening?
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) March 13, 2026
Told folks at ACC Media Day I loved the Luke Loucks hire at FSU.
— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) March 13, 2026
Playing a fun, modern style and they are hard to guard.
Doing this on one of the lowest NIL budgets in the Power 5.
If FSU gets its priorities right, this hire will deliver big things.
Think Luke Loucks at Florida State is going to end up having a real case as the best hire of 2025 coaching carousel cycle. They're gonna turn that around in a big way if they give him the resources. He's really sharp. Love what they run, scheme is modern on both ends. Big fan.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 12, 2026
It's going to be interesting to see what happens with FSU and postseason play. They should receive an NIT invite with how they have played over the last 15 games. They legitimately would be a scary game for any team in the NCAA Tournament, excluding no one.
Most of the players from this FSU team will be gone next year and Luke Loucks will have to use a mixture of freshmen and transfer portal guys. However, the future is beyond bright and FSU fans seems locked in with Luke Loucks.