Florida basketball’s brief 2021 Southeastern Conference Tournament run came to an end on Friday after a resounding loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in the quarterfinals, 78-66. The two teams entered the game having split the regular-season series and were seeded fifth and fourth, respectively, but the Vols proved to be the better team with two statement wins against UF in five days.
The Gators now turn their attention to the upcoming NCAA Tournament, in which their seeding has not benefitted from having lost three of their last four games. For the past few weeks, the team’s seeding has been rather buoyant without much shifting regardless of wins or losses.
According to BracketMatrix as of March 12, Florida is seeded as low as No. 10 and as high as No. 6, with the average sitting just under No. 8 (7.83) over a sample size of 133 different brackets. USA TODAY Sports’ updated bracket published Saturday morning agrees and has Florida seeded eighth, which is a drop from No. 7 before the Vols loss.
Sports Illustrated also released its latest postseason prognostication on Saturday, placing Florida in the exact same spot as the last update and consistent with the numbers presented above — the No. 8 seed of the Gonzaga region with the No. 9 UConn Huskies set as their first-round opponent.
Chances are, Gators fans, that this is the spot our beloved Orange and Blue will begin its 2021 NCAA Tournament title hopes next week.
Get ready for March Madness by registering in advance for USA TODAY Sports’ bracket sweepstakes. In the meantime, mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome.
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