2017 NCAA Tournament, Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast: Game time, TV channel, how to watch online
The 2017 NCAA Tournament officially begins for all teams Thursday, March 16 in basketball arenas across the country. In the West bracket, No. 3 Florida State will played its first tournament game against No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
The winner of the game between the Seminoles and Eagles will earn the right to play the winner of No. 6 Maryland against No. 11 Xavier. Their game will take place on the same court immediately before the Seminoles-Eagles matchup. The winners will face each other on Saturday for the right to advance to the Sweet 16.
Here’s all the information you’ll need for the Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game:
2017 NCAA Tournament Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game time, details
Time: 9:20 p.m. ET
Date: Thursday, March 16
Location: Amway Center; Orlando, Florida
What TV channel is the 2017 NCAA Tournament Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game game on?
TNT is televising the game.
How can I watch the 2017 NCAA Tournament Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game online?
NCAA.com will broadcast all games for free online. Click here to watch.
How can I listen to the 2017 NCAA Tournament Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game?
The game will be broadcast by Westwood One Sports, with Tom McCarthy and Will Perdue on the call. You can find information on radio stations and streaming options here.
Who is calling the 2017 NCAA Tournament Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game on television?
Verne Lundqvist, Jim Spanarkel and Allie LaForce will call the game for TNT.
2017 NCAA Tournament Florida State vs. Florida Gulf Coast game preview
What better way to cap off the first day of the tournament than to watch Florida’s version of David vs. Goliath coming from a neutral site in the state?
Florida State won 25 games for the first time since 2011-12, which was the last time the Seminoles were in the NCAA Tournament. At one point this season, they climbed as high as No. 6 in the AP Poll. Although they weren’t quite as impressive down the stretch, the Seminoles still went 6-3 versus ranked opponents, knocking off Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame and Virginia.
Sophomore Dwayne Bacon leads the team with 16.9 points per game, but freshman forward Jonathan Isaac and junior guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes both average double-figures as well. Isaac is second on the team in scoring with 11.9 points and leads the Seminoles in rebounding with 7.6 per night.
If there’s a weakness to this team, though, it’s their 68.9 percent free-throw percentage as a team. If Leonard Hamilton’s squad has an off night shooting, it isn’t a team that can get by at the line and leads could be tough to hold in tournament play without good shooting at the charity stripe.
The Florida Gulf Coast basketball program is in its 10th year of existence and is set to make its first ever back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance. The Eagles lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round last season.
But as a No. 14 seed in 2013, Florida Gulf Coast knocked off third-seeded Georgetown, 78-68, in the Round of 64. It was one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, and the Eagles won in the next round too, advancing to the Sweet 16.
There isn’t a single player left from that team, but junior Brandon Goodwin has put together a great season, averaging 18.2 points per game. In total, the Eagles have four players that average double-figures per night.
