After notching their first conference win of the season on Saturday, the Florida Gators have moved back into the NCAA Tournament picture, according to ESPN bracketology expert Joe Lunardi.
Florida joins Butler, Indiana State and Kansas State in Lunardi’s Next Four Out. Lunardi splits his bubble up into four categories — Last Four Byes, Last Four In, First Four Out and Next Four Out. The Gators are on the very edge of the bubble right now, and a blowout loss to Tennessee on Tuesday night could see them right back on the outside looking in. That’s why it’s imperative that Florida put up a fight against UT, a project 2-seed in the Midwest Region.
Looking at the rest of the SEC, seven more programs from the conference are projected to make the tournament. The West Region is loaded with SEC teams. Kentucky is the projected 3-seed, Alabama is the projected 5-seed and South Carolina is in line to earn one of the Last Four Byes as the 10-seed.
Auburn is also a 3-seed in the South regions, joined by Ole Miss as the 8-seed. Texas A&M is the 8-seed in the East, and Mississippi State joins the Vols in the Midwest as the region’s 9-seed.
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