Sweet 16: Seminoles, Aggies rarin’ to sustain run

LOS ANGELES – Gonzaga, Michigan and Texas A&M are no strangers to the Sweet 16.

Florida State? It’s been 25 years for the Seminoles, who are brimming with confidence after knocking off No. 1 seed Xavier last weekend.

Texas A&M took care of defending national champion North Carolina in the second round, ensuring neither of the region’s top two seeds would be in Los Angeles.

The Aggies are seeking to make the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

“The first time you get in a situation like this you’re celebrating and everything’s about having fun,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “You want your guys to experience it all.”

That wasn’t the case with the start of SEC play in late December. After being ranked fifth early on, the Aggies lost their first five conference games and dropped off the radar.

They endured suspensions and injuries along the way.

“I believed that we could get it corrected, and I knew we had the pieces,” Kennedy said.

Florida State will next face Gonzaga while Texas A&M will take on Michigan.

Florida State has a lot of moving parts. The Seminoles use a 10- and 11-man rotation, which goes against what most teams do in reducing their bench as they go deeper into the postseason.  

“Very  impressive,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.