Just a few weeks ago, Florida was fighting for a spot on Joe Lunardi’s bubble and the NCAA Tournament seemed far from a certainty for the Gators.
An overtime win against Kentucky and a 19-point win over Auburn has changed everything, though. In the latest bracketology update from ESPN, Lunardi has Florida listed as an 8-seed in the Midwest Region.
Plenty of basketball remains left to play, but notching two signature wins has Florida well-positioned to end the season as a tournament club. It’s been seven years since the Gators last reached the Sweet Sixteen and two years since Florida lost to Oral Roberts in the second round under former head coach Mike White.
If Lunardi’s projections were 100% accurate, Florida would have a tough draw, facing 9-seed Washington State in the first round and likely 1-seed Purdue in the second round.
Eight other SEC teams are projected to make the field of 68. Right now, Lunardi projects Tennessee as a 2-seed, Alabama and Auburn as 3-seeds, South Carolina as a 5-seed, Kentucky as a 6-seed, Texas A&M as a 7-seed, Mississippi State as a 9-seed and Ole Miss as an 11-seed.
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