Florida State basketball fans will likely always wonder "what could have been" in the 2020 NCAA men's basketball tournament, and they certainly are not alone.
Dick Vitale, the college basketball broadcasting icon, has penned a new book about the tournament, which was called off last March due to the coronavirus pandemic. And while we don't want to provide any spoilers (cough, cough) ... let's just say that Vitale projects how the entire 64-team tournament would have played out, and Florida State fans might be very, very, very pleased with the end result.
On Thursday morning, Vitale participated in a Zoom interview with Tallahassee media to spread the word about the book he wrote with legendary college basketball writer Dick Weiss, "The Lost Season: A look at what the journey to the 2020 National Championship could have been."
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“It was really, to me, like therapy,” Vitale said.
The book, which features stories from Vitale about a number of college basketball programs, conferences, coaches and players, actually begins with a foreword from Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton.
Hamilton explains why he came into the 2019-20 season with high hopes after the Seminoles' strong finish to the previous season. He also discusses the joy of winning the school's first regular-season ACC championship only to see the season end prematurely one week later.
"I woke up with an uneasy feeling on the morning of our first game in the ACC Tournament," Hamilton writes. "My fears were realized shortly before tip-off against Clemson, when we learned the tournament had been canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic."
Before the season was cut short, Florida State was 26-5 overall, 16-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and ranked No. 4 nationally. The Seminoles' four conferences losses all came on the road and by five points or less.
Vitale said he first realized Florida State could be a legitimate national title contender after broadcasting the Seminoles’ victory at Louisville in January.
He was impressed by their defense and the fact that so many players were capable of taking over a game.
“This team could beat anybody,” Vitale said of his thoughts that day. “You didn’t know who was gonna hurt you. They had so many weapons. ...
“They had all the parts that you like.”
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the book will go to The V Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research. You can order the book or make donations to the foundation at www.DickVitale.com.
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