Where Gators Basketball Stands in Latest Tournament Projections

The Gators find themselves in a good spot as far as tournament projections go, but have shifted around in the bracket
The Gators have moved around a bit in the projections
The Gators have moved around a bit in the projections / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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With the Florida Gators continuing their roll through the season, they remain in high standing for the tournament. 

In ESPN’s Bracketology, the Gators are the No. 2 seed in the East Region. They would start off in Raleigh, NC, and face Norfolk State. Florida has shifted in the bracket a bit. Before this update, they were going to be the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, starting off in Cleveland. Now, Marquette is heading there. 

Meanwhile, Bleacher Report gives Florida the exact same matchup. Norfolk State would be an automatic qualifying team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. In that bracket projection, they’re rated as the highest second seed in the tournament, making them in turn the fifth-best team.

The four teams that have the No. 1 seeds - Auburn, Duke, Iowa State and Alabama - are the four teams ahead of them in the AP Poll. Florida has two of those teams, Auburn and Alabama, on the docket. Big up those two juggernaut wins, and they’ll be the top seed of the entire tournament. 

The Gators are currently 18-2 overall and 5-2 in conference play. They have posted a 3-2 record in Quad 1 matchups. The wins were over UNC, Tennessee and Arkansas. The losses came against Missouri and Kentucky, both of which were decided by single digits. 

This track record is good enough to have them fifth in the NET Rankings. 

When looking at the upcoming schedule, the Gators have eight Quad 1 matchups ahead of them on the schedule. Georgia has been upgraded to a Quad 1 bout after being a Quad 2 game the first time around. 

Five of these games will be on the road: Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi State. The door is wide open for the Gators to make the jump beyond fifth in the country. They just have to seize the moment. 


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