SMU Looks to Boost NCAA Tournament Hopes Against Florida State

Mustangs aim to end 3-game skid against Seminoles in regular-season finale

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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SMU (19-11, 8-9 ACC) has lost its last three games, dropping the Mustangs firmly onto the NCAA Tournament bubble. They'll look to boost their fading tournament hopes in the regular-season finale against Florida State (16-14, 9-8 ACC), who has dealt blows to several conference opponents' at-large hopes during its recent surge.

Why it matters

With SMU on the bubble and Florida State's own tournament hopes hinging on winning the ACC tournament, this regular-season finale has major implications for both teams' postseason aspirations.

The details

SMU has been led by the scoring duo of Boopie Miller (18.9 ppg) and Jaron Pierre Jr. (17.9 ppg), but the rest of the team has struggled, especially with the absence of B.J. Edwards (12.7 ppg) due to an ankle injury. Florida State, meanwhile, has won 9 of its last 12 games, including a dramatic 75-74 victory over Pitt in its last outing.

  • SMU defeated Florida State 83-80 at home on January 24th.
  • This is the regular-season finale for both teams on March 7th.

The players

Jermaine O'Neal Jr.

SMU guard.

Boopie Miller

SMU's leading scorer at 18.9 points per game.

Jaron Pierre Jr.

SMU's second-leading scorer at 17.9 points per game.

B.J. Edwards

SMU guard averaging 12.7 points per game who has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

Chauncey Wiggins

Florida State guard who scored 18 points in the Seminoles' last game.

Lajae Jones

Florida State guard who also scored 18 points and hit 7 three-pointers in the Seminoles' last game.

Luke Loucks

Florida State head coach.

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What they’re saying

“People only remember the last thing they saw. If we can go out and win this next game and then win the ACC tournament or go as far as we can, nobody's going to be talking about these (three) games.”

— Jermaine O'Neal Jr., SMU guard

“The reality is there's a bunch of teams together: us, SMU, Cal, even Louisville. We could end up anywhere from seven to, I believe, 10th or 11th. Huge implications (vs. SMU).”

— Luke Loucks, Florida State head coach

What’s next

The winner of this game will have a better chance of securing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, while the loser will likely need to win the ACC tournament to make the Big Dance.

The takeaway

This regular-season finale between SMU and Florida State has major implications for both teams' NCAA Tournament hopes, with the Mustangs looking to boost their fading chances and the Seminoles aiming to deal another blow to a bubble team's aspirations.