After two solid wins last week, Florida State jumped a few spots in the recent Associated Press Top 25. After a 21-point win over then-No. 7 Virginia, it has become clear Florida State is a dominating force in the ACC. With a victory over Pittsburgh to finish the week, FSU jumped five spots and is now the No. 11 teams in the nation.
The Seminoles are now 13-3 overall and 9-2 in conference play, placing themselves atop the ACC standings. Monday’s game against Virginia was a testament to how well the team has been playing this 2020-21 season. In an all-around effort, the Seminoles were able to overcome a good Cavalier’s defense. Led by MJ Walker’s 17 points, the team shot 50 percent from the field. Walker finished with five of Florida State’s season-high 13 3-pointers. The team ended the game shooting 54 percent from three.
As of now, Florida State looks like the top contender to win the ACC regular-season title, looking for a back-to-back title win from last season. The team still has three road games on the schedule, including a game against Miami on Wednesday and UNC on Saturday. However, if Florida State continues to thrive the way they have been this season, they’ll handle these matchups with ease and secure themselves a no. 4 seed or higher in March Madness.
In regards to the rest of the poll, Gonzaga and Baylor continue to hold the top two spots, with the Zags picking up 27 first-place votes and the Bears retaining four. Michigan also holds at No. 3 after outlasting Ohio State in a terrific game Sunday. Illinois takes No.4 and The Buckeyes drop to No. 5.
This will be the last poll of February as college basketball takes an exciting turn into March. As of now, the bracket selection will take place on March 15 and the tournament will officially begin on March 18.
Alabama moved up two spots to No. 6 this week, its highest ranking since reaching No. 4 in 2006-07. The Crimson Tide have won three straight games.
The Jayhawks have won five in a row, including a six-point win over No. 18 Texas Tech last week, and moved up six spots to No. 17 in this week’s poll.
No. 20 Arkansas has its highest ranking since reaching No. 18 in 2014-15 after beating Florida last week.
No. 12 Houston lost six spots to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since Jan. 11 after losing to Wichita State and beating Cincinnati last week
No. 15 Virginia dropped eight spots after losses to Duke and Florida State last week.
No new teams moved in or out of the poll this week
1. Gonzaga
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
