Florida’s NCAA Tournament resume is finalized now that the team has been knocked out of the SEC Tournament. After suffering a 78-66 loss to Tennessee in the quarterfinals on Friday, UF saw its postseason stock drop a bit.
In his latest bracketology update, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi dropped the Gators from a No. 8 seed to a No. 9 seed. Not only did Florida’s poor showing in Nashville fail to help it rise in projections, it actually caused it to drop.
Now, UF is slotted to take on eighth-seeded Oklahoma in the first round. The two teams were originally supposed to play in November before that game was canceled due to COVID-19. A rematch now against a Sooners team that scored a number of big-time wins in the gauntlet that is the Big 12 is less than ideal for Florida.
Even if the Gators pulled off the upset (they would almost definitely be underdogs), the road would only get more difficult. In the Round of 32, they would take on Gonzaga, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Facing off against former Gator Andrew Nembhard and the Bulldogs in the first weekend would be a tough out for Florida, and it will hope Lunardi’s wrong about that bracket placement.
Tennessee saw a boost after beating the Gators, rising to a No. 5 seed, but the rest of the SEC remained static. No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Missouri all remained in the same position, though LSU’s tournament stock has risen in Nashville this week.
UF no longer has the ability to alter its fate. Now, it’s in the hands of the tournament committee, and the Gators will await their decision on Sunday.
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