Florida basketball’s first game of the new year is a massive matchup at home against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, but several other teams have already taken the court in 2024.
The NCAA NET rankings are updated daily and the Gators have taken a two-spot tumble since the calendar turned over. Florida checks in at No. 48 on Wednesday, but things could change again by Saturday.
Regardless of what happens over the next few days, Florida controls its immediate fate with Kentucky coming into town. Beating a Quadrant 1 opponent is the best thing a college basketball team can do for its Tournament resume, and upsetting the No. 22 team on the list could warrant a double-digit jump.
Florida will have a few opportunities against Q1 opponents this year, but starting SEC play with a big win sets the tone.
Here’s how the quadrant system breaks things up:
- Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
- Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
- Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
- Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353
Florida is 1-2 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 2-1 against Quadrant 2 opponents, 1-0 against Quadrant 3 opponents and 6-0 against Quadrant 4 opponents.
Tipoff on Saturday is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.
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