The good, the bad, and the MVP: Michigan basketball defeats FSU

What was good, what wasn’t so good and who the MVP was in Michigan basketball’s big win over Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

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It was a rematch from the 2018 Elite Eight round, where the Wolverines defeated Florida State, 58-54, to head to the Final Four. Fast forward a few years, and both teams found themselves battling each other once again with the rights to get into the Elite Eight.

This go-around was a more lopsided affair in favor of Michigan. The Wolverines defeated the Seminoles, 76-58. Michigan was clearly the better team and prioritized creating better shots while keeping the ball safe more than FSU did.

It was an up-and-down game from the tip, where both teams ran a full court press, and shots were being thrown up from everywhere. The Wolverines did a good job in the first half getting the ball inside to Johns and Dickinson for easy points in the paint. The maize and blue also hit a couple of 3-pointers in the first half to keep the defense honest. The Wolverines really shined on the defensive side in the first half by forcing 10 turnovers — FSU averages a little over 14 turnovers-per-game, the number it ultimately hit once the final horn blew.

The second half was a particularly dominant performance for the maize and blue. They had the answer for anything Florida State threw their way. Michigan was able to get buckets under the basket flawlessly — post-ups, drives, or full-length circus shot layups from Mike Smith. The great defense the Wolverines played all game, combined with the excellent offense in the half was the icing on the cake.

We’re now going to dive more into the game and talk about the good, the bad, and the MVP.

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5 takeaways: Michigan basketball beats down FSU to advance to Elite Eight

Michigan basketball beat down Florida State to advance to the Elite Eight. Here are our five takeaways.

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After an emotional game against LSU last week in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Michigan basketball had a tough task on its hands in the Sweet 16 against 4-seed Florida State. Given that the Seminoles have been a tough team with a lot of length, they were a frequent upset pick going into the game on Sunday.

So how would the maize and blue fare?

The Wolverines controlled the game early, taking an 11-point lead into the half, so all the maize and blue would have to do is hold on in the second. But Florida State quickly got back into it, cutting the deficit to just 5 points relatively early in the half. How would Michigan basketball respond?

Quite favorably, as it turns out. Michigan went on a big run, pulling away and essentially ending the game with 10 minutes left. The Wolverines beat the Seminoles, 76-58.

Here are our five takeaways from the game.

5 things Michigan basketball fans should know about Florida State

What Michigan basketball fans should know about the Florida State Seminoles heading into Sunday’s Sweet 16 game.

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Michigan is no stranger to getting into the second weekend of the tournament, better known as the Sweet 16. Since 2013,  the Wolverines are tied with Gonzaga with the most Sweet 16 appearances – with six. The ‘blue bloods’ like Kentucky and Duke both only have five appearances since 2013.

The last time Michigan got into the Sweet 16, it fell to Texas Tech back in 2019, losing 63-44. The Wolverines are looking to avenge that loss, and attempt to get back into the Elite Eight.

It won’t be an easy task though, as the Wolverines will be taking on 4-seed Florida State. The Seminoles have taken down UNC Greensboro and Colorado on their way to a Sweet 16 berth, and they have done so with ease, having defeated UNC Greensboro, 64-54, and Colorado, 71-53.

As Coach Juwan Howard preps his team for the Seminoles, we’re going to tell you five things that you should know about Florida State before Sunday’s showdown.

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Seminoles shell Florida’s pitchers in midweek beatdown

The Gators dropped their second-straight game against their in-state rival in a 10-2 tilt with the Seminoles on Tuesday night.

Florida’s midweek struggles continued on Tuesday night, as the team dropped its second-straight game to rival Florida State in Tallahassee 10-2. The No. 5 Gators got down early, and in what was likely an attempt to preserve their best arms for the SEC opener series against Texas A&M this weekend, they burned through seven pitchers as the Seminoles (7-6) continued to pile on runs in a 13-hit performance.

Florida, meanwhile, struggled in the batter’s box. It failed to notch a hit until the fifth in a dominant performance on the mound from FSU’s Carson Montgomery, who struck out nine in 4.2 innings with just three hits and two runs.

Meanwhile, UF’s Garrett Milchin faced his toughest challenge since returning from injury, and he didn’t have control from the get-go. After allowing the first two batters of the game to reach base, he allowed a home run to give the Seminoles an early 3-0 lead.

The FSU lineup came back for more in the second. A two-RBI double from Logan Lacey followed by a pair of RBI singles ended Milchin’s night early, as he allowed eight hits and seven runs in just 1.2 pitched.

Trey Van Der Weide fared better on the rubber, getting out of the second inning with no additional runs and only giving up one hit over the third and fourth. Meanwhile, Florida found some offense in the fifth. Josh Rivera and Jacob Young each hit RBI singles to bring Florida within five runs, but the Gators couldn’t keep the rally going in the sixth.

At the bottom of the frame, Christian Scott got two outs for UF, but coach Kevin O’Sullivan made the decision to keep his pitch count low and replace him with Ryan Cabarcas, who gave up back-to-back home runs on his first two batters, one of which scored two runs.

The Gators didn’t have much left in the tank after that. Franco Aleman and Jordan Carrion kept FSU from scoring additional runs, but Florida couldn’t mount a comeback. It stranded two batters in the seventh and the ninth, and now UF heads back home after suffering another disappointing loss.

The Gators begin SEC play on Thursday at home against the Aggies, with first pitch for Game 1 set for 7 p.m. EST.

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No. 5 Florida heads to Tallahassee to face the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday

UF will be looking for revenge on Tuesday night when the two teams take the field after FSU snapped their 16-game winning streak in 2020.

The No. 5 Florida Gators (13-4, 0-0 SEC) hit the road for the first time in 13 games for a matchup with their biggest in-state rivals, the Florida State Seminoles (6-6, 40-5 ACC), on Tuesday evening. After taking the final two of three from the Jacksonville Dolphins last weekend, UF is looking to extend its winning streak to three heading into Southeastern Conference play.

The Seminoles have been in a bit of a lull lately after a run of success over the past decade-plus, entering Tuesday night’s tilt unranked, which has been a rarity in recent times. After winning the season-opening series at home against the North Florida Ospreys — though they did lose their opening game, much like the Gators did — the Noles were swept by the Pitt Panthers at Dick Howser Stadium the following weekend. Since then they have won three-game sets against the Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies on the road and at home, respectively.

Historically, Florida State holds the all-time edge by a narrow 129-121-1 margin since the series began in 1956. However, Florida has dominated the rivalry in recent years, running off 11 straight wins from 2016 to 2019 and 16 of the past 18 meetings; in fact, you can stretch that window of success to 21 wins in the past 25 games played.

Sadly, FSU’s last win in the series came last year in the final game played before COVID canceled the schedule — and it also broke UF’s program-best winning streak to start the season at 16 games. Suffice to say, the Gators will be looking for revenge on Tuesday night when the two teams take the field for a one-off tangle.

Here is a look below at the starting pitchers lined up for Tuesday night’s game along with the projected starting lineup. Scroll down further for interesting excerpts from the media guide.

Women’s college golf player of the week: Beatrice Wallin, Florida State

Florida State junior Beatrice Wallin claimed the individual title at the Seminoles’ home event and set a record in the process.

Florida State played its annual Florida State Match-Up for the first time on its new Seminole Legacy Club in Tallahassee, Florida, this weekend and the demands of the newly renovated course were apparent. The Seminoles stuck to their gameplan and used home-course knowledge to author a 37-shot victory over runner-up Kent State.

Florida State junior Beatrice Wallin claimed the individual title with rounds of 66-68-70 and at 12 under for 54 holes, set a tournament scoring record.

This marked the first time Wallin got to play her team’s home event at Florida State’s actual home course considering it had previously been under renovation.

“We were all super excited and then when we all played well, it was just awesome to see,” she said. “My own game was really good so I was just … enjoying every single moment.”

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Women’s team | Women’s individual
College golf blog: The Road to Grayhawk

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Men’s college golf team of the week: Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State Seminoles earned the honor of men’s college golf Team of the Week after a big win at home.

Led by senior All-American John Pak, Florida State went wire-to-wire to win its own Seminole Intercollegiate against a field of college golf’s best last weekend.

The Seminoles earned their second victory of the spring, besting the field by nine strokes at Golden Eagle Country Club in Tallahassee. Florida State finished at 26 under after a 9-under final round, followed by Oklahoma State (-17) and Oklahoma (-12).

“I’m really proud of the guys and how they came out and won a golf tournament on a really good golf course against a really good field,” said head coach Trey Jones.

“When the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and Duke and North Carolina State, when they decided to come here we’re like, ‘good.’ These guys are going to make us play well, they’re going to make us go out and execute. We had some goals early in the week, one was professionalism the other was toughness. They showed it.”

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual
College golf blog: The Road to Grayhawk

Pak was the low man for the third round with a 5-under 67, but his three-day score of 10 under wasn’t enough to catch Alexandre Fuchs, a Liberty senior from France who claimed the individual title at 11 under. Pak’s second-place finish is his best result since last year’s Seminole Intercollegiate, where he was the individual champion.

Florida State’s entire lineup finished under par for the tournament and placed inside the top 16: Cole Anderson (T-6, 6 under), Brett Roberts (T-11, 3 under), Vincent Norrman and Frederik Kjettrup (T-16, 2 under).

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This highly sought-after 4-star recruit got an offer from Florida

The defensive end is one of the best in the nation at his position, and the Gators have moved to add him to the Florida program.

In a tweet from his personal account, four-star recruit Marvin Jones, Jr. announced that he has received an offer from Florida’s to play collegiate football for the Gators. The defensive end is widely pursued and has received offers from over two dozen schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Miami.

The son and namesake of a former NFL journeyman, a good bloodline isn’t the only thing attracting teams to Jones, Jr. He’s also an extraordinarily talented defensive end. Ranked fourth in the country at his position by 247Sports, he’d be one of the bigger fish reeled in by the Gators from the 2022 recruiting class.

“[Jones, Jr.] launches out of his stance with enough fluidity and natural bend to get around the corner,” reads the 247Sports scouting report. “Keeps feet moving once engaged with blockers and is capable of winning hand battles. Tracks the ball well and plays situational football. Natural length allows him to disrupt passing lanes.”

If they can pull off getting a commitment from Jones Jr., it would be a real win for Florida, who aren’t leaders in the sweepstakes. He hails from the city of Fort Lauderdale, which isn’t exactly the heart of Gators territory. To make things harder, the senior Marvin Jones was an FSU standout in his college days before entering the NFL as a first-rounder.

The Seminoles have made Jones Jr. a major priority, making it clear from early in the recruiting process that they want to have a productive relationship. Additionally, the younger Jones said to Rivals that he has a “close relationship” with ‘Noles area recruiter Ron Dugans, calling him a family-oriented coach.

Fab Four: Selecting Florida football’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits

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College golf facilities: Florida State Seminoles

Check out Florida State University’s Dave Middleton Golf Center, home of the men’s and women’s golf teams.

Opened in 2001, the Dave Middleton Golf Center houses the Seminole Legacy Golf Club clubhouse and is also the home of the men’s and women’s golf teams. Fit with locker rooms and a team lounge and study area, the building also features an indoor teaching and technology center, weight room, training room and coaches offices.

If you step outside, you’ll find a 19-acre private facility for team use only. Players can practice on a full length driving range with two fairways and six target greens, as well as on the Nicklaus-designed 12-hole short course.

More: Check out our list of college golf practice facilities

Florida State golf facility

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12-hole short course

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Here’s how the Gators can snap their 6-game losing streak to FSU

Florida has lost their last six matchups against Florida State, but here’s how that bleak streak could end on Saturday morning.

The Gators basketball team hasn’t taken to the court since their home opener on Sunday evening, but that rest was needed. Florida is set to take on their first ranked opponent of the season — the Florida State Seminoles.

The face of Florida State’s roster looks pretty different as the new season unfolds. The team’s 2019-2020 roster was plundered in the draft, sending two players to the NBA in the first round. The new-look Seminoles are no pushovers, though. The Gators are given a 58.2 percent chance of victory by ESPN’s Basketball Power Index. BetMGM predicts a good game as well, giving the Seminoles a razor thin 3-point edge.

Florida enters this game looking to end a losing streak against Florida State, dropping their last six matchups to the in-state rivals. Although that storyline will undoubtedly dominate the airwaves, simply seeing how well this team tightens their game while facing a tough opponent should be instructive as well. Here are three things the Gators have to do win this game.