Todd Golden and the Florida Gators pulled off a major upset on Wednesday night with a decisive 67-54 win inside the O’Connell Center against the visiting Tennessee Volunteers, who entered the game ranked No. 2 in both major polls along with the top two spots in the major analytical rankings as well. The Orange and Blue came out of the gates blazing hot and kept its foot on the pedal to cruise to a double-digit victory.
As a result of the win, Florida basketball saw some big improvements in the objective metrics, including a healthy bump in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index from No. 40 to No. 34 on Thursday. The Gators’ strength of schedule ranking now sits at No. 18 while their strength of record is down at No. 60 in the nation.
Next up for Florida are the Kentucky Wildcats who host the Gators inside Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, Feb. 4. The ‘Cats have won five-straight SEC games after a sluggish start and are currently ranked No. 22 in the BPI. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST and can be followed by watching ESPN or listening to the Gators IMG Sports Network.
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