5 things to know about Mizzou’s first-round opponent in NCAA Tournament
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Mizzou’s March is off to a disappointing start. Despite getting Michael Porter Jr. back, the Tigers lost to No. 12 seed Georgia in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
However, after the Tigers were included in the field of 68 March Madness teams, they can start having some real fun.
Mizzou, a team that has never made it to the Final Four, is the No. 8 seed in the West Region. The Tigers will face Florida State in the first round.
Here are 5 things to know about the Seminoles.
How the Seminoles got here
Florida State had an overall record of 20-11, going 9-9 in ACC play. The Seminoles lost in their first ACC Tournament game against Louisville.
Wins over Clemson, North Carolina and Florida impressed the Selection Committee, though, so the Noles are in the field of 68.
NCAA Tournament history
The Seminoles made it to the Final Four back in 1972, making it to the title game before losing. They made the tourney last year, beating Florida Gulf Coast in the first round before falling to Xavier in the second round.
Overall, the Noles have made 16 appearances in March Madness, last making the Sweet 16 in 2011.
Team strength
The Seminoles can score with anyone, averaging 81.8 points per game this year. That’s good for 29th in the country.
The Noles scored 90 or more points nine times this year, and have three players — Phil Cofer, Terance Mann and Braian Angola-Rodas — averaging around 13 points per game.
Must stop: Phil Cofer
The Tigers have been shredded by the three-point shot in recent weeks, so they’ll need to make sure they get a hand up in Cofer’s face when he launches it from long range.
Cofer is shooting 39.5 percent from deep this year, and is the Seminoles’ second-leading scorer with 13.1 points per game (just behind Terance Mann’s 13.2-point average). The senior isn’t afraid to shoot, and the Tigers will need to improve their perimeter defense to advance to the second round.
Did you know?
Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton has been with the Seminoles for 16 years (since 2002). In that time, the Tigers have had six head coaches — Quin Snyder, Melvin Watkins, Mike Anderson, Frank Haith, Kim Anderson and Cuonzo Martin.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
