#i dont know that caleb would actually be able to lift him but if he could itd be adorable

[dent-de-leon]

I think Mollymauk should be small enough for both Yasha and Caleb to carry him around and cradle him in their arms, as a treat--

[deceasedreese]

Predictions, Hopes, and Headcannons for Watching and Dreaming

Flashbacks!!!

Orgins of both The Collector and the Titans. I would love to know more about both of their species and about King's father

Caleb Wittebane AND Evelyn Clawthorne. I need to know what these two sound like. Even if its just for a second. Give me more reasons to feel sad that Caleb is gone, leaving Evelyn a widow and single parent.

Manny Noceda. Not sure how that would be integrated into the narrative. Maybe and unconcious Luz getting advice/motivation from her Papi?

Belos. Im a lover of angst, so I would love to see the entire process of him deciding he needed to kill Caleb.

Callback(s) to A Lying Witch and a Warden

"Do not underestimate me ______. For I am Luz Noceda, _______ ...Now eat this sucka!" Luz delivering the final blow.

"And that's the end!" I could totally see the series ending with Luz retelling this entire story to her children. To witchlings, human children, etc. I think it would be cute!

Awesome animation!!

There are only two things I can think of that would get the majority of the animation budget.

A fight scene.

Luz reuniting with King and Eda. I will cry many, many tears.

Or...we get both 🤷🏻👀

Raine's possession

As I stated in a previous post, Eda is now the spitting image of Evelyn. I wouldn't be surprised is Belos tries to hurt her. I would like to think they would stop him before he is able to but idk...

I also like to think they'll prevent Belos from actually harming Eda, the kids, etc.

They'll be 'unpossessed' with the help of the Collector

However, I think the main people Belos will be aiming to hurt would be Luz, Eda, or Hunter. Yet, he might also hurt King, Willow, Amity, Gus, and/or Camila to hurt them.

I don't think Raine will walk out of this without a few scars. Specifically on their ear and cheek

Lumity

I NEED an "I love you." from Luz. Amity has been the one to initiate everything in their relationship. She asked Luz out, she always gives initiates physical affection, etc. I would love for Luz to initiate this one.

A call back to Good Witch Azura 2.

Im sure there will be parallels of this entire scene alone, but I'll be awaiting the angst that is to come.

Future Lumity! I need to see these two older. Even as adults maybe. I live for this relationship due to it being such a revolutionary thing. A healthy, happy sapphic couple. Maybe they both subtlely got rings on their finger 👀

Huntlow

I dont think the plotline of Hunter being a grimwalker was resolved. I think Willow will pull him aside and talk to him about it. Saying what he is changes nothing about how she feels about him.

And then he'll say something about loving the person she is. How grateful he is for her, etc.

Reunions!

Luz, King, and Eda. I'll cry. Especially if it's something like this:

Amity and Alador; Willow and Gilbert and Harvey; Gus and Perry; Lilith and Hooty; Clawthorne family reunion

All the Hexside kids with their parents

King and The Collector

I really feel like there will be a confrontation later that will go along the lines of:

The Collector: You betrayed me! If you don't ____, I'll-

King: Or you'll what? Kill me? Just like your people did to my dad? My entire species??

I think it would be cute if the Collector was integrated into the relationship King has with Luz. Unique sibling trio for the win!

King letting The Collector hold François

Epilogue

Luz having her quinceñera. All her friends and family are there. Eda, Camila, and Amity dance with her.

Or if they do flash-foward: Everyone just living their lives.

Hunter carving palismen and living his best life. Helping young witches carve their own. Maybe he'll even carve his own palisman when he's ready. I am certain it will be a bird.

Gus being an ambassador* of the human realm. *: wreaking havoc. Occasionally accompanied by Luz, Willow, and/or Hunter. I could also see him as an Illusionist instructor.

Willow being a coach for grugby at Hexside. Helping to lift up young witches confidence and self-esteem.

Amity not working for the family business at all. Maybe a teacher or as a librarian.

Maybe all of them just work at Hexside lol

Raeda being old gays. I will simply NOT accept either of them dying. That's a hate crime.

Lumity and Huntlow adults

An actual scene of people going to therapy. Maybe someone leaves and tags the next person in lol

A parallel to this scene:

Luz has gone through a lot. But she made it through a better and wiser person witch. She can just be embracing what her life is now in TBI before flying back home to Amity and/or Eda and King.

.

.

.

Will likely add more later lol

Feel free to do it too!

[wordfires]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Essek Thelyss, Caleb Widogast, The Mighty Nein Series: Part 1 of Essek Week 2021

i’m doing essek week this year! i’ve never actually dont stuff like this before but i thought i’d give it a go. in any case thanks to @essek-week for putting this together!

you can read on ao3 or here, but this is for the day one prompt which was whiskey // battle

Battle was not Essek’s forte, as he had found out through the past few days travelling with the Mighty Nein. First it had been the frost giants, where he had barely been able to haste Yasha, then whatever the strange beast following that had been. For that he had only managed to gather his wits enough to slow the creature before it too was decimated by his friends, who were admittedly far more organized in combat than he had originally given them credit for. The next creature, some sort of worm centipede thing that had made Essek want to be sick, hadn’t even been around long enough for him to do anything.

And now they were wiping its guts off themselves and marching forward. He had made the mistake of going first, offering his eyes as they were better in the dark of Aeor’s halls. It was not untrue, but he was only marginally calmed by Fjord’s quiet presence at his side. If there was any comfort it was Caleb behind him, keen blue eyes matching that mind of his. Neither of which Essek was thinking about, of course,  as he was meant to be looking for any further creatures or hints as to where they should be going or traps.

And it was for entirely unrelated reasons, perhaps something in the air had gotten in his eye, that Essek heard Fjord’s warning yell before he saw the five crystalline creatures that had pulled away from the shadowed walls in front of them. They glowed a sharp white-blue, drawing a hiss from his lips as he squinted against them, only realizing the threat they posed as the air chilled and the frost burned at the tips of his ears. 

Yasha’s battle cry washed over him and as Veth’s arrows and the vibrant green of Fjord’s magic pelted the creatures, Essek shook the cold off, collecting his wits. 

One breath in, one breath out. 

Drawing the familiar geometry into the air with resistant fingers.

A small grin as practised words fell off his tongue and he felt the spell coalesce in his hands, the air trembling ever so slightly around him as he pushed it towards the creatures, releasing it from his grasp the moment they were all encased.

He watched the spell form, a sphere of shadow expanding outward, just translucent enough to watch as they were pulled together, a jumbled tangle of ice spines and briefly dimming light stilling just for a second before the spell dissipated into the air, two of the creatures falling to the ground and shattering, shards of ice skittering across the floor.

Essek stepped back, and his focus left him as he realized he’d dropped the spell that held him above the ground, his balance almost failing before he backed himself against a wall and out of the way of the rest of the Nein.

He exhaled, watching Beau and Yasha rush forward grinning at each other as more spells flew through the air. He carefully traced haste into the air, clutching the spell before pushing it onto Beau. He let himself grin again, the blood seeming to rush back into the tips of his fingers and ears as a well-placed firebolt from Caleb shattered the last creature.

The rush of battle had faded quickly, and after asking the time from Caleb the group had decided to set up camp. Caleb had brought up his dome, which Essek realized he had come to appreciate far more than anticipated as most of the Nein hunkered down for the night. He had taken first watch, attempting to make up for earlier, and Caleb had joined him, though he hadn’t met Essek’s gaze when he volunteered.

Not that Essek had noticed, of course. He had already been keeping lookout, and wasn’t hoping Caleb would look at him the way he had when they had been working on spellwork together again. In fact, he hadn’t been thinking about Caleb at all, he was simply very focused on keeping watch.

“You know, Essek, you will have to show me if there is anything I missed when I was working that spell out sometime.” His name in Caleb’s accent sent a shiver up Essek’s spine, knocking any thought from his head except the fact that Caleb had acknowledged him and was talking about spells again.

“I’m sorry?” Essek turned to face Caleb, his response barely stammering out of his mouth.

“I only mean that I would like to see if I was wrong about any of it, I worked it out just from the other time I saw it used by you.” Caleb’s eyes gleamed in the dim, his eyebrows lifted inquiringly.

“I- of course, I can show it to you when we are more secure than,” Essek gestured to the dome around them, “this.” He had never been more thankful that humans couldn’t see in the dark and Caleb was using Frumpkin intermittently to see, otherwise the other wizard would have seen the blush that had surely crept into his cheeks.

“Of course.” Caleb paused, and Essek tried not to be too eager for him to continue. “Well, in any case, I am glad to see you adjusting better to battle, my friend.”

Essek blinked, hoping Caleb couldn’t hear his heart beating out of his chest as it caught on his words, and he barely managed to mumble his gratitude before wincing into the dark of the night. If only he was better at adjusting to being with friends. Especially very attractive and smart friends that he was definitely, absolutely not letting his mind drift towards for the remainder of his watch.

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

First look at the 2018 Sweet 16 field of the NCAA tournament

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/first-look-at-the-2018-sweet-16-field-of-the-ncaa-tournament/

First look at the 2018 Sweet 16 field of the NCAA tournament

The Sweet 16 is set. There are names you expected to see and some, well, we’ll need proof if you said before the NCAA tournament started that these teams would still be playing on the second weekend. The tournament, though, does not stop here. There’s more to be done. It’s time to look at how the 16 still left standing got here and, more important, what they have to do if they want to continue on the path to the Final Four.

South Region

No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats First round: Defeated Davidson 78-73 Second round: Defeated Buffalo 95-75 Up next: Kansas State

The tournament has tipped off. Your picks are locked in. It’s time to find out how your bracket is holding up. Check your brackets

How they’ve gotten this far Once again, coach John Calipari has figured out how to get his freshmen studs to play like a team of vets in March. Forward Kevin Knox says the Cats are finally playing “unselfish” ball, but the biggest thing for Kentucky is that they have completely embraced being a defense-first team. Davidson and Buffalo averaged a combined 28.1 percent from 3, which is one point lower than what Kentucky gave up entering the tournament. Kentucky also held both to under 40 percent shooting from the field.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning These young Cats have to keep spreading around the ball. Calipari made it a point to mention after Kentucky’s blowout win over Buffalo on Saturday that despite the current run his team is on, these guys are still freshmen, and with all that talent, they can easily revert to their old, selfish ways. After relying on Knox and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander late in the season, Kentucky watched four players score in double figures Saturday. — Edward Aschoff

No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack First round: Defeated Texas 87-83 Second round: Defeated Cincinnati 75-73 Up next: Loyola-Chicago

How they’ve gotten this far At one point Sunday night, Nevada guard Caleb Martin asked coach Eric Musselman if it was OK for the Wolf Pack to start in front once. Apparently the answer was no. The Wolf Pack escaped Nashville only after spotting a 14-point lead to No. 10 Texas on Friday and a 22-point lead to No. 2 Cincinnati on Sunday. Each time the team made up almost exclusively of transfers showed toughness by clawing its way back, shooting lights-out in the second half of games.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Following the pattern of epic comebacks maybe isn’t the way to go. Not as the stakes get higher in Atlanta. Instead, Nevada must continue to find ways to create mismatches with an undersized lineup that’s 6-foot-7 across the board with the exception of 6-foot-3 guard Hallice Cooke. Twin forwards Caleb Martin and Cody Martin, who combined to average 34 points in Nashville, must continue to carry the offense. — Alex Scarborough

No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats First round: Defeated Creighton 69-59 Second round: Defeated UMBC 50-43 Up next: Kentucky

How they’ve gotten this far Tenacious defense. The 50-43 win over UMBC was recorded in a game that was actually played at a normal pace (66 possessions). Even more impressive, the Wildcats held a very good Creighton offense to its worst performance of the season. K-State has been recording takeaways and forcing misses at the rim. The games that have resulted have been filled with turnovers and rebounds. Not pretty, perhaps, but definitely a winning formula for Bruce Weber and his team.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning More scoring. Leading scorer Dean Wade missed the games against the Bluejays and Retrievers because of a foot injury, and his status for the Sweet 16 is still unclear. Better performance from a Kansas State offense that has been so-so thus far would definitely provide a significant boost against Kentucky. After all, getting to the Elite Eight doesn’t necessarily require a third consecutive extraordinary game on D. A win could also come from really good defense and much better offense than we’ve seen to this point from the Wildcats. — John Gasaway

No. 11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers First round: Defeated Miami 64-62 Second round: Defeated Tennessee 63-62 Up next: Nevada

How they’ve gotten this far Defense, ball movement and poise. This is a proven team that came into the tournament with solid credentials: a Missouri Valley Conference championship, an RPI ranked 28th nationally and a nonconference win at Florida. The Ramblers held their first two tournament opponents, Miami and Tennessee, to 62 points apiece, right at their season average (which ranked fifth in Division I). Their spacing, passing and patience has compensated for the disadvantages they faced in athleticism, and they’ve been clutch with two veteran guards (Donte Ingram and Clayton Custer) hitting last-second shots to lift them to victory.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning They’ll have to keep playing defense and taking care of the ball the way they have been (only 10 turnovers in each of their first two tournament games). As they get deeper, the talent disparity will widen, so they’ll probably have to make a few more long-range shots (they hit 38 percent of their 3-pointers against Miami and 40 percent against Tennessee). They’re a patient enough offensive team to continue to move the ball and wait for their opportunity, but the deeper and more athletic the opponent, the more taxing it will become — even Custer admitted at halftime against Tennessee that he was exhausted by how much the Ramblers had to work to get open looks. — Sam Khan Jr.

Midwest Region

No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks First round: Defeated Penn 76-60 Second round: Defeated Seton Hall 83-79 Up next: Clemson

How they’ve gotten this far Balance. The Jayhawks have simply had more weapons than their opponents so far. Against Penn, Devonte’ Graham went for 29 points and six assists. Graham struggled against Seton Hall, though, and Malik Newman stepped up with 28 points and Svi Mykhailiuk had 16. The return of Udoka Azubuike from injury was a big boost, as the 7-footer played 22 minutes against Seton Hall and was key in the Jayhawks’ victory.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Perimeter defense and Azubuike. Both Penn and Seton Hall made double-digit 3-pointers against Kansas this week. Part of that was due to late-game comeback mode, but both teams also had their fair share of open looks from the perimeter. Moreover, Bill Self needs a healthy Azubuike. Without him on the floor, Seton Hall dominated the paint and dominated the glass. Mitch Lightfoot was good against Penn but overmatched against Angel Delgado and Seton Hall. — Jeff Borzello

No. 2 Duke Blue Devils First round: Defeated Iona 89-76 Second round: Defeated Rhode Island 87-62 Up next: Syracuse

How they’ve gotten this far Duke physically overwhelmed Iona and Rhode Island in the first two rounds, using its size and talent advantage to post double-digit wins. What stood out in the victory against the Rams was the way Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. dominated, especially in the paint. They went a combined 14-of-16 and most of those field goals came on either slam dunks or layups. The Blue Devils also said they are more comfortable in the two defensive schemes they are using, and that showed in both games.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning

Duke players are fully aware they won’t be able to physically outmatch everybody as they move through the tournament. Beyond having the inside-outside game work as well as it did in the first two games, the biggest key is going to be getting consistency on the defensive end. This has been a bugaboo all season along, but this young team seems to be getting the concepts down and if the improvement continues, Duke feels really good about its chances moving forward. — Andrea Adelson

No. 5 Clemson Tigers First round: Defeated New Mexico State 79-68 Second round: Defeated Auburn 84-53 Up next: Kansas

How they’ve gotten this far The Tigers’ first two games of the tournament have been nearly a best-case scenario. After cruising to a 79-68 win against No. 12 New Mexico State, they followed it up with their biggest margin victory in tournament history — an 84-53 win against Auburn that didn’t even feel that close. The common denominator in both wins: excellent shooting. They shot 51.6 percent from the field (62 of 120) and 40 percent from 3-point range (16 of 40).

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Coach Brad Brownell knew coming into the season he would have to win to keep his job and by advancing to the school’s first Sweet 16 since 1997, he’s already cleared the bar. A matchup with Kansas in Omaha, Nebraska — where the crowd will be decisively pro-KU — presents an obvious challenge, but if the Tigers able to replicate the defensive effort they gave against Auburn, which shot just .258 from the field, it’ll have more than a puncher’s chance. — Kyle Bonagura

No. 11 Syracuse Orange First Four: Defeated Arizona State 60-56 First round: Defeated TCU 57-52 Second round: Defeated Michigan State 55-53 Up next: Duke

How they’ve gotten this far Duct tapes and guts, for the most part. Syracuse has leaned on Tyus Battle, Frank Howard and Oshae Brissett to play nearly every minute of its unexpected three-game run to the second weekend. The 2-3 zone has been its typical, befuddling self while holding opponents (including the uber-talented Michigan State Spartans) to an average of less than 54 points per game in the postseason.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Jim Boeheim knows his team’s ticket to any win this year will be defense, but he also knows that the party won’t last much longer if his guards don’t start shooting a bit better. The group will now get the better part of a week to get its legs back under them. If the Orange has any chance of beating Duke — a team that is more accustomed to playing the zone than the three non-ACC opponents they faced this past week — it’s going to have to shoot better than 35 percent from the field and the dismal 12.5 percent it shot from 3-point land against the Spartans. — Dan Murphy

East Region

No. 1 Villanova Wildcats First round: Defeated Radford 87-61 Second round: Defeated Alabama 81-58 Up next: West Virginia

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How they’ve gotten this far It is fairly straightforward: 3-point shooting and defense. In their double-digit wins over Radford and Alabama, the Wildcats made a combined 31 3-pointers — the second-most over a two-game stretch in NCAA tournament history. But it goes beyond the shooting. Players pointed to the way they played defense, too, especially against Alabama – limiting Crimson Tide standout Collin Sexton to 17 points. Overall, Radford and Alabama each failed to reach 62 points. What it’ll take for them to keep winning: If Villanova keeps shooting and playing defense the way it did in the first two rounds, it’s going to be hard to slow the Wildcats down. This is a team that doesn’t lack confidence in its outside shot, especially with four different players averaging more than 40 percent from the 3-point line. Just as promising is the way they played defense against a more athletic Alabama team.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning If Villanova keeps shooting and playing defense the way it did in the first two rounds, it’s going to be hard to slow the Wildcats down. This is a team that doesn’t lack confidence in its outside shot, especially with four different players averaging more than 40 percent from the 3-point line. Just as promising is the way they played defense against a more athletic Alabama team. — Andrea Adelson

No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers First round: Defeated CSU Fullerton 74-48 Second round: Defeated Butler 76-73 Up next: Texas Tech

How they’ve gotten this far The Boilermakers’ veteran lineup has puts its depth and diversity on full display in the first couple NCAA tournament games. Two nights after Carsen Edwards carried his team through a slow start, Vincent Edwards helped hold Butler at bay and fellow senior Dakota Mathias stepped up with a late, game-clinching 3-pointer. Purdue closed ranks without losing its pace after the loss of Isaac Haas to injury.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Haas is holding out hope that his fractured elbow will heal itself this week, but there’s a far greater chance that Purdue’s frontcourt will have to figure out a way to battle without their 7-foot-2 mainstay in the middle. Redshirt freshman Matt Haarms held his own in taking Haas’ place and a supporting cast also played a role. It will get harder for those big men against a tough, physical defense when they face Texas Tech in Boston. — Dan Murphy

No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders First round: Defeated Stephen F. Austin 70-60 Second round: Defeated Florida 69-66 Up next: Purdue

How they’ve gotten this far With a diverse selection of playmakers — senior guard Keenan Evans and freshman forward Zhaire Smith chief among them — and an efficient, active defense. Evans has been the key man in the clutch, making key play after key play down the stretch in the Red Raiders’ first two tournament wins. When they need a bucket or a play, they turn to him and he usually delivers.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Keep Evans as fresh and healthy as possible. His first three games back from his sprained toe, which he suffered in February against Baylor, were touch and go, but the last five games, he’s feeling better (he said after the second round that he’s at about 85 percent) and playing that way (he’s averaged 21 points per game in the last five). The more he improves the better. And Texas Tech interior defense will have to be better than it was vs. Florida. After a solid performance against Stephen F. Austin (20 points in the paint allowed), the Red Raiders allowed 38 to the Gators, way above the season average they allowed coming into the tournament (20.2, second-fewest nationally). — Sam Khan

No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers First round: Defeated Murray State 85-68 Second round: Defeated Marshall 94-71 Up next: Villanova

How they’ve gotten this far The Mountaineers have been one of the most impressive teams in the tournament with lopsided wins against both Murray State and Marshall. Neither opponent could match the caliber of athletes West Virginia had on the court, which allowed its already potent press to be even more effective.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning There are no easy outs in the East regional, where the top three seeds — Villanova, Purdue and Texas Tech — all advanced, but that’s the status quo for West Virginia this year. The Mountaineers have played the nation’s 13th-toughest schedule, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, and that ranks No. 2 — behind Kansas — of the 16 teams remaining. If they can hold Villanova to a low three-point shooting percentage, they’ll give themselves a good shot to advance. — Kyle Bonagura

West Region

No. 3 Michigan Wolverines First round: Defeated Montana 61-47 Second round: Defeated Houston 64-63 Up next: Texas A&M

How they’ve gotten this far Defense and luck. Michigan is guarding better than any John Beilein team, and the Wolverines have needed every bit of it in the first two rounds. They held Montana to just 0.71 points per possession, and then forced Houston’s Rob Gray to take 22 shots in order to get his 23 points. Of course, the Wolverines wouldn’t be here without Jordan Poole‘s 30-footer at the buzzer to beat Houston by one. Ironically, that play was called “Indiana.”

What it’ll take for them to keep winning Better offense. Michigan can’t win if it keeps scoring at the clip it did the first weekend. The Wolverines were held below one point per possession in both games, the first time since January they’ve done that in back-to-back games. In two games, they’ve gone 13-for-46 from 3-point range, and have struggled to get any flow on the offensive end. Moe Wagner, the team’s leading scorer, averaged 8.5 points on just 15 combined shots through two games. — Jeff Borzello

No. 4 Gonzaga Bulldogs First round: Defeated UNC Greensboro 68-64 Second round: Defeated Ohio State 90-84 Up next: Florida State

How they’ve gotten this far For one, tournament experience goes a long way, as guards Josh Perkins and Silas Melson have made it to four straight Sweet Sixteens. The Zags can also be a defense’s worst nightmare. After UNC Greensboro’s press held Gonzaga to 68 points in the first round, the Zags laid 90 on an Ohio State team that was allowing 64.9 ppg before Saturday. Gonzaga doesn’t figure to see much press from its side of the bracket.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning The offense has to stay hot, but the free-throw shooting has got to get better. This is a team that should be shooting better than 70 percent from the charity stripe each night, but in its two games in Boise, Gonzaga shot a paltry 57.1 percent (32-of-56) from the foul line. The Zags missed four of their last five free throws with less than two minutes left in their 68-64 win over UNCG. — Edward Aschoff

No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies First round: Defeated Providence 73-69 Second round: Defeated North Carolina 86-65 Up next: Michigan

How they’ve gotten this far Incredible defensive rebounding. Facing possibly the best offensive rebounding team in the nation in North Carolina, Billy Kennedy’s team pulled down a whopping 83 percent of the Tar Heels’ missed shots. Robert Williams alone had 12 defensive boards, and the Aggies were also relentless at taking the ball to the rim at the other end of the floor. Lastly, it hasn’t hurt matters that Providence and UNC combined to make just 12 of their 51 3-point tries.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning More of the same on defense. During the SEC season, the Aggies were just average on D. Then Kennedy’s men ran into the defending national champions and held them to 0.84 points per possession, the Heels’ third-worst showing on offense for the entire season. If A&M’s really turned over a new leaf on defense, the timing is impeccable. The next opponent is Michigan, and the Wolverines are excellent in their own right on that side of the ball. It could be a defensive struggle in LA. — John Gasaway

No. 9 Florida State Seminoles First round: Defeated Missouri 67-54 Second round: Defeated Xavier 75-70 Up next: Gonzaga

How they’ve gotten this far Florida State wasn’t a trendy pick in the tournament, and with good reason considering it lost six of its last 10 games entering the tournament. But the Seminoles’ depth and experience have made a world of difference with four of five starters being upperclassmen. All told, 65 of its 142 total points came from the bench.

What it’ll take for them to keep winning The bench scoring has been nice, but getting Terance Mann a couple days of rest is important as Florida State’s leading scorer was limited by a groin injury in Nashville. Braian Angola (24 total points) and Co. were able to carry the load, but against stiffer competition having a go-to scorer of Mann’s ability in the half-court could be the difference. — Alex Scarborough