Florida State Seminoles vs Smu Mustangs Picks and Predictions March 8th 2025

Bubble Team SMU Still Searching for Wins, Visits Florida State

SMU is in desperate need of wins to strengthen its NCAA Tournament chances and cannot afford a misstep when it faces Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla., in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Mustangs Eyeing ACC Tournament Double-Bye

The Mustangs (22-8, 13-6 ACC) have alternated wins and losses over their last six games, which has hurt their fading tournament hopes. A victory on Saturday would secure a double-bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament, reducing their required wins to three for a potential automatic bid.

SMU currently sits at No. 46 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, and neither ESPN nor CBS Sports projects the Mustangs to make the tournament field. That makes every game from this point forward a must-win scenario.

Coming off a loss to Stanford on March 1, SMU narrowly avoided back-to-back defeats on Tuesday when Keon Ambrose-Hylton’s tip-in with 2.9 seconds left secured a 77-75 victory over Syracuse.

“I think (the win) gives us confidence to go in and play great on Saturday,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said. “Whether we win or not, who knows, we just have to compete, but I feel great.”

Florida State Honors Leonard Hamilton in Final Home Game

Florida State (16-14, 7-12 ACC) has only one path to the NCAA Tournament—winning the ACC Tournament outright. Saturday’s game will be significant for another reason, as it marks the final home game for longtime Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton, who is retiring at season’s end.

Jamir Watkins, the team’s leading scorer at 18.5 points per game, delivered another strong performance on Tuesday with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists against Virginia. However, the Seminoles fell 60-57, their fourth consecutive loss and ninth in their last 12 games.

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With its recent struggles, Florida State has slipped in the ACC standings and will likely need five straight wins in the conference tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament.

FSU will honor Hamilton with a special postgame ceremony.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to have given this job my all with no regrets,” Hamilton said. “Every head coach inherits a legacy and is obligated to leave the job better than they inherited it. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish here over the last 23 seasons.”

With SMU fighting for its tournament life and Florida State looking to send Hamilton off in style, Saturday’s matchup has plenty of storylines to watch.

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