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College Basketball Power Rankings: Week 18

By Nathaniel Reeves

Feb 1, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason (0) celebrates after forcing a turnover during the second half of the game against the Baylor Bears at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 73-68. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Frank Mason (0) celebrates after forcing a turnover during the second half of the game against the Baylor Bears at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 73-68. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 28, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) drives the ball against Duke Blue Devils guard Matt Jones (13) in the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Dwayne Bacon (4) drives the ball against Duke Blue Devils guard Matt Jones (13) in the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
19

Florida State Seminoles

Last week: 23-6, 11-5 ACC
Last rank: 18

Florida State split a pair of tough games this week and will enter the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, but there are still a few questions about how well Leonard Hamilton’s team can perform away from its home floor.

The Seminoles late rally at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night fell just short in a 75-70 loss to Duke, their third defeat in a span of five games. Florida State managed to close the regular season on a high note with a solid 66-57 win over surging Miami, its 10th top-50 win of the year.

Explosive guard Dwayne Bacon broke out of a mini slump with a pair of good performances this week, including 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting against the Blue Devils. If Bacon can effectively lead an offense that features a ton of length and depth, the Seminoles have one of the highest ceilings of any team in the nation.

Even with the terrific overall resume, Florida State went just 2-6 in true road games this year, and hasn’t played its best basketball over the past month. The potential is still there for a deep run, as KenPom grades the Seminoles out as a top 25 team on both sides of the ball, and finishing second in this year’s ACC certainly is impressive.

A double-bye will keep Florida State out of action until Thursday’s quarterfinals, where it will likely play either Wake Forest or Virginia Tech.