ACC Roundup - Florida State Back To Winning

With its 68-61 win over Notre Dame Monday night, Florida State moved into a tie for fourth place in the ACC with Virginia Tech with Syracuse just a half game behind.

Not that Notre Dame made it easy. The Irish, young but improving, led much of the game.

Florida State fought back and its depth was a key advantage. Freshman Devil Vassell had 13 points and was a key asset off the bench.

Notre Dame is growing up but Mike Brey has been around for a while and realizes what his teams issues are: “We gave ourselves a chance,” he said after the loss. “We just couldn’t finish it. That’s kind of been a little bit of the story of us. Just maybe not mature enough or mentally tough enough yet to finish against a really good team.”

Perhaps. Next year he could get Rex Pflueger back and his young players will be a year older. They’ll be back to being a pain in the butt next year.

Florida State could conceivably own fourth place by Tuesday night if Virginia Tech loses at home to Duke and Syracuse pulls off an upset in Chapel Hill. As we’ve seen quite often since Syracuse joined the ACC, when it works it really, really works. The Orange will also have to slow UNC down. If they do, they have a chance in a half court game.

• State college basketball: Notre Dame falls to Florida State
• NCAA tournament position stays tenuous as NC State does the bare minimum
• Challenge for Cavaliers: Play best basketball down stretch
• No Zion does not mean no headaches for Virginia Tech
• No. 3 Duke faces another game without Zion Williamson at No. 20 Virginia Tech
• Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams preview Syracuse vs. North Carolina
• Why North Carolina has had success against Syracuse’s stingy zone
• Virginia Tech Basketball: Breaking Down the ACC Race