Florida Gators Officially Excluded From NCAA Tournament
Not to be overshadowed by the news surrounding head coach Mike White's reported departure to the Georgia Bulldogs, the Florida Gators have officially been left out of the 2021-22 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
The previously assumed has become reality for the Florida Gators men’s basketball team as the NCAA Tournament field was announced Sunday evening.
For the first time since 2016, Florida did not qualify for the field of 68 to compete for a national championship.
The Gators (19-13, 9-10 SEC), who sat on the bubble for much of the season, struggled down the stretch of the year to elevate themselves to a safe place where a March Madness berth seemed attainable.
Heading into the conference tournament in search of a deep run to pad a relatively unimpressive resume, Mike White and company would face off against the eighth-seeded Texas A&M Aggies looking to avenge the one-point loss on the road they suffered to Buzz Williams’ squad earlier in the year.
However, impressive comeback efforts amid Kowacie Reeves Jr.’s breakout performance to send the game to over proved to be in vain as Florida lost in the final seconds.
There, the season — at least where competing for a title is conceded — would effectively come to an end.
On Sunday, that reality was made official.
Six squads from the SEC earned their way into the tournament.
At one point this season, UF was highly regarded as a dark horse squad riding up the ranks of college basketball for their impressive first month of play.
Beginning the season 6-0, the veteran presence brought by three transfer guards aided their defensive efforts to force opposing teams into mistakes. However, as everything does, the burst of production out of the gates for the Gators in the 2021-22 season regressed to the mean.
The players they brought in to be shot makers struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc, making it difficult to compete with the competent power five teams that wouldn’t allow easy fast-break opportunities.
That was exemplified by their .500 record in regular-season league play.
The Gators will experience yet another offseason of drastic program reconstruction as they will begin their search for a new head coach and for pieces to replace the seven departing seniors — including player-coach Keyontae Johnson.
This unit could suit up with each other in a win-or-go-home format in the NIT, pending invitation and acceptance to the tournament, but that looks less likely with White leaving for Georgia.
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