Colin Castleton – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Florida drops precipitously KenPom rankings after Vandy loss

The Gators lost a lot of ground in another of the analytical rankings systems.

The regular season is winding down for the Florida men’s basketball program in what might be a mixed blessing for the Gator Nation. The grueling schedule has been rough on [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] and his gang, and the loss of star center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] exacerbated an already difficult task for the Orange and Blue.

All hopes of making the NCAA Tournament this spring have evaporated, especially after Florida’s most recent blowout loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville. The second-straight loss to Vandy was the third-straight for the Gators, who have also lost six of their last seven since beating the Tennessee Volunteers in Gainesville.

Ahead of Saturday’s loss, the Orange and Blue were ranked No. 53 in the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings and fell all the way to No. 63 following the defeat. Florida continues to climb up the adjusted offense metric moving up from No. 128 to No. 120 while the adjusted defense metric took yet another hit, falling 10 spots from No. 24 to No. 32.

Next on the schedule for Florida are the Georgia Bulldogs, who host the Gators on Tuesday night inside Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. UGA is currently ranked No. 142 in KenPom and beat UF in their meeting earlier this season in Gainesville, 82-75. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be watched on the SEC Network or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

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Gators remain in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index top-50 by skin of their teeth

ESPN’s BPI is the only objective ranking system that still has Florida in its top 50… but barely.

Times are hard for Florida’s men’s basketball team, who have now lost three-straight games after their star center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] suffered a regular-season-ending injury in the Gators’ last win over the Ole Miss Rebels. Since then, the Orange and Blue have simply not had enough to keep up with their opponents as 2022-23 campaign winds down.

Florida’s most recent loss came on the road against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, who laid an 88-72 beatdown on the visitors. Coming into the game, the Gators were No. 46 on ESPN’s Basketball Power Index and following the defeat are now at No. 50. [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s team ranks No. 16 in strength of schedule but their strength of record comes in down at No. 80, according to BPI.

Next on the schedule for Florida are the Georgia Bulldogs, who host the Gators on Tuesday night inside Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. UGA is currently ranked No. 137 in the BPI and beat UF in their meeting earlier this season in Gainesville, 82-75. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be watched on the SEC Network or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

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Key takeaways from Florida basketball’s road loss at Vanderbilt

Pat Dooley breaks down Vanderbilt’s convincing win over Florida on Saturday night.

Florida’s defense continued to be a major issue and added missed free throws to the equation as the Gators allowed 88 points to Vanderbilt for the second time this season and were swept out of Memorial Gym, 88-72.

The Gators dropped below .500, something that we all saw coming once UF lost its best player. Florida is now 14-15 and 7-9 in the SEC.

That win over Tennessee seems like two years ago. UF has now lost six of its last seven games and all three since [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] was pronounced DFY (Done For the Year).

To be fair, the Gators have allowed at least 85 points to the three opponents it has faced since Castleton went down.

Vanderbilt is 16-13 and 9-7 in conference play.

Gators slide down ESPN’s Basketball Power Index after Kentucky loss

Florida lost four spots in ESPN’s BPI thanks to the Kentucky loss.

Florida basketball’s moribund NCAA Tournament hopes took yet another hit on Wednesday night against the Kentucky Wildcats, who came to Gainesville and took away a hard-fought win over the Gators on their home court, 82-74. Even without center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], the team was able to keep the game close enough to give the ‘Cats a scare but still came up short in the end.

Nonetheless, the loss sent the Orange and Blue tumbling in ESPN’s latest Basketball Power Index update with Florida falling from No. 44 prior to the game to No. 48 following. The Gators’ strength of schedule now ranks No. 17 overall in the nation while their strength of record is down at No. 78.

Next up for Florida are the Vanderbilt Commodores who host the Gators on Saturday, Feb. 26, inside Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. The two teams have already faced off once this year with Vandy stealing an upset win in Gainesville back on Feb. 11. The Commodores are currently ranked No. 90 in the BPI. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN2 or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

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Florida still nowhere to be found in USA TODAY Sports’ latest bracketology

The loss against the Hogs did not help the Gators’ NCAA Tournament chances.

Time is running out for [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] and his Florida basketball team to make their case for a bid in the 2023 NCAA Tournament with just four games remaining in the regular season. It has been a tough go for the Gators in SEC play this year as the Orange and Blue sit even at 7-7 in conference play (and 14-13 overall) after its loss on Saturday at the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Having lost four of its last five games plus its best player on both ends of the court, [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], for the third-straight installment Florida once again finds itself outside of USA TODAY Sports‘ Eddie Timanus, Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith’s latest bracketology update.

The Southeastern Conference has a total of eight bids in the projected final 68, represented by Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 1 seed), the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 3), Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 8), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 9), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 9), Missouri Tigers (No. 10), Auburn Tigers (No. 11) and the Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 11).

Next up for Florida are the Wildcats, who travel to Gainesville to face the Gators on Wednesday, Feb. 22, inside the O’Connell Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN or ESPN2 (to be announced) or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

Take a look at the full projected NCAA Tournament bracket along with the bubble teams below.

Last four in

Southern California, Memphis, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

First four out

North Carolina, Utah State, Penn State, Texas Tech.

Next four out

New Mexico, Clemson, Arizona State, Oregon.

Conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (9), Big 12 (8), SEC (8), ACC (5), Big East (5), Mountain West (3), Pac-12 (3), American Athletic (2), West Coast (2).

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Still no votes for Florida basketball in USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Still no votes and it is unlikely the Gators will get any before the end of the season.

Florida basketball split its two games this week, earning a home win over the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday night before getting routed on the road by the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, the Gators lost its best player [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] halfway through their game against the Rebs which has pretty much sealed the deal on the 2022-23 season for the Orange and Blue.

Unsurprisingly, Florida remains voteless in Week 16 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll released Monday, continuing a long run of futility in both major polls.

The Southeastern Conference is represented by three schools in the top 25, led by the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 2, followed by the Tennessee Volunteers at No. 13 and Texas A&M Aggies at No. 25. The Kentucky Wildcats and Auburn Tigers also received votes with eight and two, respectively.

A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank	Team	Record	Points	Change
1	Houston	25-2	791 (24)	+1
2	Alabama	23-4	753 (6)	-1
3	UCLA	23-4	716	+1
4	Kansas	22-5	693 (1)	+3
5	Purdue	24-4	669	-2
6	Virginia	21-4	638 (1)	–
7	Arizona	24-4	607	+1
8	Texas	21-6	558	-3
9	Marquette	21-6	515	+1
10	Baylor	20-7	512	-1
11	Miami	22-5	437	+2
12	Gonzaga	23-5	431	–
13	Tennessee	20-7	398	-2
14	Saint Mary’s	24-5	349	+3
15	Xavier	20-7	309	+1
16	Kansas State	20-7	299	-2
17	Indiana	19-8	288	-2
18	Providence	20-7	226	+3
19	Creighton	18-9	225	–
20	San Diego State	21-5	180	–
21	Iowa State	17-9	174	-3
22	Northwestern	20-7	148	+4
23	Connecticut	20-7	128	–
24	North Carolina St	21-7	93	-2
25	Texas A&M	20-7	87	–

Schools Dropped Out

No. 24 Texas Christian

Others Receiving Votes

Texas Christian 64; Florida Atlantic 14; Pittsburgh 13; Duke 13; Maryland 10; Kentucky 8; Oral Roberts 6; Boise St. 6; Texas Tech 4; Iowa 4; Auburn 2; Rutgers 1; Oklahoma State 1

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Florida basketball’s run of futility continues in AP Poll

Tumbleweeds rolling through the votes for the Gators.

The regular season is winding down and so are Florida basketball’s chances of making this year’s NCAA Tournament — especially now that the Gators will have to play out the remainder of their schedule without star center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], who is out for several weeks with a broken hand.

Nonetheless, the game goes on and the Orange and Blue managed to finish off the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday after losing Castleton midway through the matchup. However, it was clear that [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s gang missed their centerpiece when they were run out of Fayetteville by the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday.

Subsequently, Florida remains voteless in the AP Poll’s Week 16 update — as it has for a couple of months now — as well as in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

The Southeastern Conference is represented by three teams in the top 25: the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 2); Tennessee Volunteers (No. 11); Texas A&M Aggies (No. 25). Also receiving votes are the Kentucky Wildcats (14), Arkansas (6) and the Missouri Tigers (3).

Next up for Florida is Kentucky, which travels to Gainesville to face the Gators on Wednesday, Feb. 22, inside the O’Connell Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN or ESPN2 (to be announced) or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Talking men’s basketball with Razorbacks Wire

We caught up with Eric Bolin of @RazorbacksWire ahead of Saturday’s matinee matchup between the Gators and Hogs.

Florida basketball hits the road to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday afternoon as the Gators look to cling to their waning NCAA Tournament hopes without their star [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], who is expected to be out for the remainder of the regular season.

A home win against the Ole Miss Rebels snapped a three-game losing streak and gave the Orange and Blue a breath of life, but its next opponent is likely to give it some fits. With time running out, [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s gang could use another signature win and a road victory over Arky is just what the doctor ordered.

Ahead of Saturday’s men’s basketball matchup, Gators Wire reached out to Eric Bolin of Razorbacks Wire to get an inside scoop on what is happening with the Hogs this season. Take a look at our question-and-answer session below

Florida remains outside USA TODAY Sports’ bracketology despite win

Unsurprisingly, the Gators were not able to get back on the bubble after the Ole Miss win.

Florida basketball finally snapped its three-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a 79-64 win over the visiting Ole Miss Rebels. However, it appears that the victory was a bit Pyhrric as the Gators lost their top statistical leader [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] to a hand injury, which sources report will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Unfortunately, the Quadrant 3 home win was not enough to really move the needle for Todd Golden’s team, which took a dagger to the heart in their game prior against the Vanderbilt Commodores, who upset the Orange and Blue in Gainesville. As such, USA TODAY Sports‘ Eddie Timanus, Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith published their latest bracketology and once again omitted the Gators from their field of tournament teams for the second-straight update.

The Southeastern Conference has a total of nine bids in the projected final 68, represented by Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 1 seed), the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 2), Missouri Tigers (No. 8), Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 9), Auburn Tigers, (No. 10), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 10) and Kentucky Wildcats (No. 11); the Mississippi State Bulldogs sit among the Last Four In group.

Next up for Florida are the Razorbacks, who host the Gators inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Saturday, Feb. 18. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST and can be watched on the ESPN2 or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

Take a look below at USA TODAY Sports’ full bracketology update.

Last four in

North Carolina, Memphis, Mississippi State, Clemson.

First four out

Southern California, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Penn State.

Next four out

Oregon, Seton Hall, New Mexico, Utah State.

Conference breakdown

Multi-bid conferences: Big 12 (8), Big Ten (8), SEC (8), ACC (7), Big East (5), Mountain West (3), American Athletic (2), Pac-12 (2), West Coast (2).

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Sources: Florida’s Colin Castleton out for season with broken hand

If the loss to Vandy didn’t sink the Gators’ NCAA Tournament hopes, losing Castleton will certainly do it.

Florida basketball was dealt a season-killing hand on Wednesday night — literally — when star center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] left the game early in the second half gripping his hand in apparent pain. After the Gators put up an admirable effort in his absence to cruise to a 79-64 home win over the Ole Miss Rebels, the program told the media that he suffered a fracture in his hand.

According to sources familiar with the extent of the injury per The Athletic, the broken hand ends the final regular season of his collegiate career, but there is a slight chance he could return for a postseason run. Given that the Gators are on the outside looking in on the NCAA Tournament, that also seems fairly unlikely.

Castleton had a slow first half in Wednesday night’s game and only tallied three points, three rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes before leaving the court. There were no prior indications that anything was wrong with the 6-foot-11-inch center and even the replays of the event at the time were unclear as to what the cause of the injury was.

The former transfer from the Michigan Wolverines started all 25 games for the Orange and Blue during the 2022-23 campaign, averaging a team-leading 16.5 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.7 assists per. Last year — in a season that was also marred by injury — Castleton averaged 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.5 assists.

With his collegiate eligibility exhausted, the top shot-blocker in the Southeastern Conference is expected to test the NBA draft waters but will likely land either with a G-League team or a franchise overseas.

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