The Sweet 16 kicks off in the West Region with a rematch of last year’s showdown between Florida State and Gonzaga, which ended with the Seminoles moving on to the Elite Eight.
The idea of a true rematch in the NCAA Tournament is rare, but this year’s West Region is full of them. Three of the participants from last year’s regional in Los Angeles are back, with Gonzaga, Florida State, and Michigan in the mix for a trip to the Final Four out in Anaheim.
The night kicks off with a matchup between Florida State and Gonzaga, and these two teams actually met in this very round a year ago. 9-seed Florida State knocked off 4-seed Gonzaga 75-60 to earn a trip to the regional final, so the Bulldogs are highly motivated to secure some revenge here.
Gonzaga had little trouble punching its ticket to the Sweet 16, blowing out Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round and dispatching Baylor to advance to Anaheim. Junior forward Brandon Clarke took center stage against the Bears, pouring in 36 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and blocking five shots to help the Bulldogs move on.
Florida State won’t be intimidated by Gonzaga, however, considering the fact that most of the team that beat the Bulldogs in Los Angeles last March is back for another shot at glory. The Seminoles survived a scare against Vermont in the first round before blowing away Ja Morant and Murray State in Hartford to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.
How to watch Gonzaga vs. Florida State
- Date: Thursday, March 28
- Time: 7:09 p.m. ET
- Location: Anaheim, CA
- Venue: Honda Center
- TV: CBS
- Live Stream: CBS All Access
The winner of this game will square off with either Michigan or Texas Tech on Saturday with a berth in the Final Four on the line.