The Florida State Seminoles were supposed to make it to the second round, and they barely got there. Murray State was supposed to be done after one game, but they put together an impressive performance to pull off a first-round upset. The two teams will meet in the West Region with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
Florida State came into the tournament with an impressive resume to earn a number four seed. The Seminoles had to sweat out an upset bid from Vermont before coming away with a 76-69 victory. Murray State was the 12-seed in the West Region but put on a show in upsetting 5-seed Marquette by a score of 83-64. Florida State is a 5.0 point favorite over Murray State in this game.
Ja Morant Show For Racers
Murray State point guard Ja Morant was more than ready to show the country what he can do in the win over Marquette. Morant registered a triple-double in the win and had a handful of highlight reel type plays. The future top-5 pick in the NBA Draft is leading the team with 24.6 points and 10.0 assists per game. Florida State will be ready for Morant, but I’m not sure that he can be stopped.
The rest of the Murray State team isn’t too bad either. The Racers are averaging 83.3 points per game this season, and they are almost impossible to stop when they get out on the break. Guard Shaq Buchanan has chipped in with 13.1 points per game and also leads the team with 1.8 assists. You might not have heard much about Murray State this season, but the Racers are legit.
Seminoles Have Plenty of Depth
The Florida State Seminoles don’t have a true star on their team, but they might be the deepest team in the country. Head coach Leonard Hamilton will play ten players in this game, and that depth wore down Vermont in the first round victory. The Seminoles average 75 points per game this season while allowing just over 67 per night. Florida State will have plenty of players to throw at Morant.
Forward Mfiondu Kabengele leads the Seminoles in scoring this season, even though he comes off the bench. Kabengele is averaging 12.9 points per game this season and is also shooting 36 percent from the three-point line. Guard Terance Mann will do most of the playmaking for the Seminoles and is averaging 11.4 points per game. The Seminoles have plenty of other players capable of leading the team in scoring in this one.
Murray State Pulls Off Another Upset
There is always a team that surprises everyone in reaching the Sweet Sixteen, and Murray State feels like that team this season. The Racers are led by a true superstar in Ja Morant, but they are extremely talented. Florida State has put together a terrific season, but they just don’t score enough to keep up in this game. Take Ja Morant and the Racers to pull off another win. Bet the Murray State Racers +5.0 over Florida State in this second round matchup.
