Florida State men's basketball is on the NCAA Tournament bubble for the 2026-27 season, ranked among the 'First Four Out' in ESPN's latest Bracketology. The program is showing promise under coach Luke Loucks, thanks to a strong transfer portal class and top-10 recruiting haul.
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Florida State menās basketball is already finding its way back into the national conversation ahead of the 2026-27 season, landing on the outside edge of the NCAA Tournament picture in ESPNās latest Bracketology projection. Longtime bracket forecaster Joe Lunardi has the Seminoles listed among the āFirst Four Outā in his updated 2027 field, which now reflects the NCAA Tournamentās expansion to 76 teams.
While the designation still places Florida State just short of the projected cut line, it represents a notable step forward for a program that is still finding its footing after a successful first season under Luke Loucks. The projection signals growing national belief in Loucksā revamped roster, which has been reshaped through a top-ranked transfer portal class and a top-10 recruiting haul, setting the stage for a pivotal year in Tallahassee.
The expansion means FSU is now competing for a spot in a field eight teams larger than the one that has excluded them for five consecutive seasons ā a structural change that meaningfully improves their odds of ending that drought. At this stage of the offseason, the projections are inherently fluid, but appearing on the bubble at all reflects Lunardi's belief that FSU has assembled a roster capable of competing for postseason consideration.
Florida Stateās inclusion in Lunardiās projections is a direct reflection of Loucksā most impactful offseason since taking over in Tallahassee for Leonard Hamilton. A transfer portal class ranked No. 4 nationally by On3 ā featuring Kameron Taylor, Anthony Robinson II, Sebastian Rancik, Shon Abaev, and Cooper Schwieger. That combined with a freshman class that sits inside the national top 10, gives FSU the raw talent to compete for its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2021.
For a program that pushed No. 1 overall seed Duke to an 80-79 final in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals just two months ago, landing in Lunardi's First Four Out is a signal that the national perception of Florida State basketball is already shifting. The goal entering November is simple: move from the bubble's outside to its inside, and end the program's longest NCAA Tournament drought in more than two decades.
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Florida State is currently listed among the 'First Four Out' in ESPN's 2027 NCAA Tournament projections.
The expansion increases Florida State's chances of making the tournament, as they now compete for a spot in a larger field, which has not included them for five consecutive seasons.
Key players include transfers Kameron Taylor, Anthony Robinson II, Sebastian Rancik, Shon Abaev, and Cooper Schwieger, along with a top-10 freshman class.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU basketball among First Four Out in ESPNās 2027 bracket projection