Winners of six of its last seven, including a pair of signature wins over top teams, Florida basketball has been rising meteorically in the polls as well as the postseason outlooks.
The latest to weigh in is ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who recently published the third edition of his eponymous index. In it, he ranked the Gators at No. 25, just behind the Michigan State Spartans and just ahead of the Indiana State Sycamores.
Here is what he had to offer.
“Todd Golden has a good basketball team in Gainesville, and one that can continue to get better over the last month of the regular season,” Bilas begins. “Florida plays at a fast pace and can really crash the offensive glass, ranking second in the nation in offensive rebounding, gathering back nearly 40% of its missed shots.
“Guards Walter Clayton Jr., Zyon Pullin, and Will Richard are the scoring engine, and big men Tyrese Samuel, Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten are the board crashers,” he continues. “Florida has been winning games with its top-10-rated offense, but the defense has shown flashes of improvement. Still, Florida relies on outscoring teams rather than limiting opposing offenses.
“An overtime win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena, a one-point loss to Texas A&M on the road and a blowout win over Auburn in Gainesville show the Gators have the mindset to win, not just play. Two games against Alabama and a game at South Carolina remain on the regular-season slate. Those games will show just how much that mindset has taken hold.”
Golden and the Gators next travel to Athens for a rematch with the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tipoff is slated for an early 1 p.m. start and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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