weekly – Syndication Server

Florida rejoins KenPom top 5 after win over South Carolina

A pair of wins over Texas and South Carolina has Florida back into the top five of the latest KenPom college basketball ratings.

The Florida Gators are once again a top-five program in the KenPom College Basketball Ratings, after improving to 17-2 with a one-point win over South Carolina.

A plus-29.82 adjusted efficiency margin puts Florida 0.22 points ahead of Tennessee and 1.06 points behind Iowa State at No. 5 in Friday’s KenPom ratings. Passing the Vols means the Gators are now the second-highest-rated team in the SEC, per efficiency metrics.

Gators Wire last checked in on these ratings eight days ago on Jan. 16, following a Florida loss to Missouri. Since then, the Gators have triumphed over Texas (by 24 points) at home and South Carolina on the road to improve to 17-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

Breaking down the KenPom ratings

Date	Nov. 12 (Week 1)	Nov. 26 (Week 3)	Dec. 9 (Week 5)	Dec. 18 (Week 6)	Dec. 31 (Week 8)	Jan. 16 (Week 10)	Jan. 24 (Week 11)
W-L	3-0	6-0	9-0	11-0	13-0	15-2	17-2
NetRtg	+19.83 (20)	+21.86 (18)	+25.30 (8)	+26.50 (7)	+27.63 (6)	+29.34 (6)	+29.92 (5)
ORtg	117.2 (13)	119.5 (8)	121.9 (5)	122.8 (7)	121.8 (8)	123.6 (6)	124.3 (5)
DRtg	97.4 (49)	97.6 (49)	96.6 (29)	96.3 (21)	94.2 (11)	94.3 (16)	94.4 (15)
AdjT	73.2 (47)	70.4 (93)	69.0 (131)	70.1 (83)	70.9 (78)	69.9 (85)	69.2 (81)
Luck	+.000 (117)	+.000 (188)	+.002 (187)	+.010 (178)	+.029 (143)	-.032 (249)	-0.13 (221)
SOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (208)	+2.11 (102)	-1.05 (208)	+4.18 (64)	+5.74 (52)
SOS ORtg	100.8 (265)	101.4 (303)	102.6 (319)	105.6 (230)	105.0 (249)	108.1 (84)	108.7 (69)
SOS DRtg	105.0 (198)	105.2 (164)	103.9 (87)	103.5 (45)	106.0 (151)	103.9 (65)	102.9 (38)
NCSOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (209)	+2.11 (98)	-1.05 (201)	-1.98 (232)	-1.63 (218)

Florida’s adjusted offensive efficiency continues to climb past 100 points per 100 possessions, now at 124.3 – good for fifth overall in the country. Alabama (125.1), Kentucky (124.8) and Duke (124.4) are within range of Florida, but Auburn (131.0) has a firm grip on the top spot.

The Gators also have a top-15 adjust defensive efficiency rating, allowing just 94.4 per 100 possessions. Florida has boasted a top-25 defensive since the middle of December, and the shift to the SEC schedule hasn’t changed too much. Only Duke, Houston and Iowa State have top-15-ranked programs on both sides of the ball — with the Blue Devils being ranked inside the top 5 each way.

Two more games of slightly slower-paced basketball have Florida’s adjusted tempo down to 69.2 possessions per 40 minutes after topping out around 70.9 at the end of the non-conference schedule. Conference play is slowing everyone done a bit, allowing Florida to climb to No. 81 despite the dip. The Gators are still playing far slower than the top-50 tempo expected ahead of the season, but it’s the only disappointing metric of the bunch.

Luck has not been a relevant metric all year for Florida, which is a good thing. If luck deviates too far from triple zeroes, it means someone is getting hosed. High luck can mean a lower rating than a record suggests and negative luck often means underperforming. Florida’s luck trended closer toward .000 this week.

Strength of Schedule according to KenPom

Florida faced a relatively easy non-conference slate, but the jury remains out until all the games are played. The non-Power Four teams that come to the O’Dome and get crushed often end up the most competitive in conference play, when the playing field evens up. Florida’s non-conference strength of schedule (SOS) jumped from No. 232 to No. 218 in this week’s rankings.

The Gators’ overall SOS rating is now up to 52nd overall at +5.74 net. That number should only grow as SEC play continues. KenPom says Florida’s opponents average 108.7 points (69th) and allow 102.9 (38th) per 100 possessions.

Looking back at Florida’s 13 non-conference wins: four came against top-100 programs, North Carolina (32nd), Arizona State (55th), Florida State (67th) and Wake Forest (75th); four have come against opponents rated between 100 and 200, Virginia (126th), Wichita State (140th), Jacksonville (157th) and South Florida (183rd); and five have come against opponents rated outside of the top 200, Southern Illinois (201st), North Florida (207th), Grambling State (320th), Stetson (342nd) and Florida A&M (351st).

In conference play, Florida has beaten Tennessee (6th), Texas (39th), Arkansas (54th) and South Carolina (80th) with losses to Kentucky (19th) and Missouri (31st).

SEC KenPom ratings

All 16 SEC programs are rated inside the top 80 this week, with 13 inside the 50, eight inside the top 25 and four inside the top 10.

Auburn (+36.36, 2nd) leads the SEC net efficiency rating but no trails Duke (+36.66, 1st) nationally.

Florida (+29.82, 5th) and Tennessee (+29.60, 6th) are the other two heavy hitters in the conference, with Alabama (+27.40, 8th) back in that conversation.

Texas A&M (+24.20, 15th), Ole Miss (+23.59, 18th)and Kentucky (+23.50, 19th) make up the next tier of SEC teams, with Mississippi State (+21.85, 23rd) close behind.

Missouri (+19.00, 31st), Georgia (+18.26, 36th), Texas (+17.51, 39th), Oklahoma (+16.61, 41st) and Vanderbilt (+15.67, 47th) are all inside the top 50, with Arkansas (+14.51, 54th) just on the outside of that threshold.

LSU (+11.67, 69th) and South Carolina (+10.66, 80th) are at the bottom of the conference but would still be near the top of most others.

Why KenPom matters

Many college hoops experts and oddsmakers consider Pomeroy’s ratings to be the gold standard in the sport, and its reputation has lasted for more than 20 years.

“His ratings are derived from a proprietary algorithm, with the core centered on the Pythagorean calculation for expected winning percentage, made famous by baseball statistician Bill James,” ESPN explains.

“Pomeroy’s formula is designed to be purely predictive, with an emphasis on margin of victory. He factors in offensive and defensive efficiency, tempo and even luck, but does not, however, take into consideration injuries or emotional factors.”

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Florida moves in to ESPN Basketball Power Index top 10

Pulling out a win against South Carolina helped Florida move up significantly on the ESPN Basketball Power Index this week.

Florida moved up four places to No. 10 on the ESPN Basketball Power Index following Thursday’s action across college hoops, marking a new high point for the Gators on the rankings.

Since Gators Wire last checked in with the BPI on Jan. 14, the Orange and Blue have gone 2-1 in SEC play. The Gators lost to the Missouri Tigers by a point at home, defeated the Texas Longhorns by a comfortable 24 points in Gainesville and, most recently, won on the road against South Carolina on Wednesday.

Florida’s win against the Gamecocks prevented it from plummeting down several rankings, not just the BPI. The team is expected to be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and can only afford to lose to the top tier of the SEC. A loss to bottom-of-the-conference South Carolina would work against current projections.

Florida’s BPI is 17.4, further broken down as 9.5 (11th) on offense and 7.8 (22nd) on defense. Compared to last week’s numbers — 17.0, 9.1 and 8.0 — the offensive rating is back up 0.4 points and the defense is down 0.2 points. Those changes are good for a six-spot improvement on offense and just a one-spot dip on defense.

Note: The BPI is updated daily; however Gators Wire provides weekly updates so as not to overwhelm fans with constant changes. We took two weeks this time.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 24.2-6.8 overall record and an 11.2-6.8 record in conference play — 0.1 fewer than last week — based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. With no more non-conference games on the schedule, those two projections will change identical amounts moving forward.

The Gators have 5.3% odds to win the conference, up 0.2% from two last week. Florida faces the 18th-toughest schedule moving forward with several Quadrant 1 matchups ahead against SEC programs.

NCAA Tournament Resume

The 17-2 start has the Gators ranked sixth overall in strength of record, which translates to a No. 2 seed if the season were to end today. Three of the four projected No. 1 seeds — Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee — are SEC programs on Florida’s schedule.

Florida’s overall strength of schedule is now No. 48, and its non-conference strength of schedule is up to No. 115. The Gators only have are 3-2 in “quality matchups” (against the top 50 in BPI), with wins over Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee and losses to Kentucky and Missouri.

ESPN gives Florida 1.5% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 4.6% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (11.8%) or Elite Eight appearance (26.0%) continue to see increased odds, as do the chances of a Sweet 16 (52.9%) and Round of 32 appearance (86.5%).

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Florida slips a seed in CBS Sports bracketology after week’s results

The Mizzou loss predictably brought Florida down a notch in CBS Sports’ bracketology but there’s plenty of basketball left to be played.

The Southeastern Conference schedule continues for Florida basketball, which finds itself with three wins along with a pair of losses after five games of league play. The league continues to prove that it is the best this season, boasting the most top-ranked teams deep into January.

The Gators remain a consensus top-10 squad despite those losses, with the most recent coming at home by one point to the Missouri Tigers. While Todd Golden’s gang bounced back afterward with a 24-point showing against the Texas Longhorns inside the O’Connell Center, it is the Mizzou loss that most have been focused on.

CBS Sports college basketball bracketology expert Jerry Palm released his latest bracket before the ‘Horns game and dropped Florida from the No. 2 seed to the No. 3 seed in the East Region.

“The Gators dropped from a No. 2 seed to a No. 3 seed after losing to Missouri, which is starting to build a nice little tournament resume,” Palm notes. “The Tigers previously beat Kansas and are a No. 6 seed.”

That matches the Gators up with the 14th-seeded Cleveland State Vikings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the first round. The sixth-seeded Louisville Cardinals and 11th-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers play in the other bracket held in that city.

SEC teams in CBS Sports bracketology

The Southeastern Conference is represented by an astounding 13 out of 16 total member schools in this week’s bracketology, headlined by the Auburn Tigers (South) and Tennessee (West) as two of the four top seeds. Meanwhile, the Alabama Crimson Tide (East) and Kentucky Wildcats (Midwest) are both second-seeded schools.

The league has a pair of 3-seeded teams in Florida (East) and the Ole Miss Rebels (South), followed by the Texas A&M Aggies (4-seed, East), Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-seed, Midwest), Missouri (6-seed, East), Georgia Bulldogs (7-seed, West), Oklahoma Sooners (8-seed, Midwest), Texas (11-seed, Midwest) and Vanderbilt Commodores (11-seed, South).

The ‘Horns, along with the ‘Dores, are both among the last four in.

Next up for Florida

The Gators head to Columbia to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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SEC wins outweighing losses for Florida in KenPom ratings

The college basketball world has learned a lot about Florida over four conference games. Here’s what the Gators’ KenPom metrics reveal.

A lot has happened since Gators Wire last checked in on Gators Wire’s KenPom College Basketball Ratings, and the good news is that a 2-2 start in conference play has not hurt Florida’s efficiency numbers at all.

The bad news is obviously Florida losing two winnable games — the first a 206-point shootout in Lexington and the second back home against Missouri by a single point Tuesday night — but the Gators still hold a firm claim to the No. 6 spot on Pomeroy’s latest list.

Beating No. 5 Tennessee by 30 points had Florida as the No. 2 team in the conference for a week, but the Volunteers have since reclaimed that title.

With how well the SEC is playing overall, wins and losses will be hard to come by until the end of the season. Learning a few lessons in the form of losses isn’t the worst thing that could happen to a good Gators team.

Breaking down the KenPom ratings

Date	Nov. 12 (Week 1)	Nov. 26 (Week 3)	Dec. 9 (Week 5)	Dec. 18 (Week 6)	Dec. 31 (Week 8)	Jan. 16 (Week 10)
W-L	3-0	6-0	9-0	11-0	13-0	15-2
NetRtg	+19.83 (20)	+21.86 (18)	+25.30 (8)	+26.50 (7)	+27.63 (6)	+29.34 (6)
ORtg	117.2 (13)	119.5 (8)	121.9 (5)	122.8 (7)	121.8 (8)	123.6 (6)
DRtg	97.4 (49)	97.6 (49)	96.6 (29)	96.3 (21)	94.2 (11)	94.3 (16)
AdjT	73.2 (47)	70.4 (93)	69.0 (131)	70.1 (83)	70.9 (78)	69.9 (85)
Luck	+.000 (117)	+.000 (188)	+.002 (187)	+.010 (178)	+.029 (143)	-.032 (249)
SOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (208)	+2.11 (102)	-1.05 (208)	+4.18 (64)
SOS ORtg	100.8 (265)	101.4 (303)	102.6 (319)	105.6 (230)	105.0 (249)	108.1 (84)
SOS DRtg	105.0 (198)	105.2 (164)	103.9 (87)	103.5 (45)	106.0 (151)	103.9 (65)
NCSOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (209)	+2.11 (98)	-1.05 (201)	-1.98 (232)

Despite holding a 2-2 record, conference play has not hurt the Florida Gators’ efficiency numbers at all. Since Gators Wire last checked in with KenPom, Florida’s adjusted offensive efficiency rating is up 1.8 points per 100 possessions to a season-high 123.6, and the defense is allowing just 0.1 more points per 100 possessions. Those numbers translate to a two-spot rise in the offensive ratings and a five-spot jump on defense.

Adjusted tempo is back down below 70 after steady gains to close 2024. Florida ranks 84th overall in the category after a top-50 projection at the start of the year.

Strength of Schedule according to KenPom

Florida faced a relatively easy non-conference slate, one ranked No. 232 in this week’s KenPom strength of schedule breakdown, but the Gators’ overall SOS rating is now up to 64th overall at +4.18 net through four SEC games. KenPom says Florida’s opponents average 108.2 points (84th) and allow 104.0 (65th) per 100 possessions.

Looking back at Florida’s 13 non-conference wins: four came against top-100 programs, North Carolina (28th), Florida State (61st), Arizona State (63rd) and Wake Forest (76th); four have come against opponents rated between 100 and 200, Virginia (132nd), Wichita State (136th), Jacksonville (165th) and South Florida (169th); and five have come against opponents rated outside of the top 200, Southern Illinois (217th), North Florida (219th), Grambling State (323rd), Stetson (340th) and Florida A&M (356th).

In conference play, Florida has beaten Tennessee (5th) and Arkansas (47th) but lost to Kentucky (16th) and Missouri (33rd).

SEC KenPom ratings

Auburn (+37.08, 1st) leads the entire country in net efficiency rating and sets the standard in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee (+29.92, 5th) and Florida (+29.34, 6th) are the other to heavy hitters in the conference, with Alabama (+26.63, 10th) slipping to the edge of the top 10.

The Crimson Tide remains one of the best teams in college basketball, but the 3-point difference in net efficiency rating is too significant to ignore at the highest levels of the game. These are rudimentary tiers, or even subtiers, of the conference, though, and keep in mind the gap between Alabama and Kentucky (+23.69, 16th) is even larger than the Big Blue and Florida. Games aren’t won on paper.

Thirteen of the 16 SEC programs are ranked inside the top 50.

Ole Miss (+23.45, 18th), Texas A&M (+23.39, 19th) and Mississippi State (+23.45, 21st) are all within 1.25 points of each other and firm up that second tier that Kentucky heads.

Missouri (+18.52, 33rd) is a big climber so far in the conference play, moving up nearly 20 spots in half a month. Texas (+18.01, 36th) continues to be a team on the periphery of the top 30, Georgia (+17.47, 38th) is on the same upward trajectory as Mizzou, Arkansas (+15.76, 47th) is trending dangerously close to falling outside the top 50 and Oklahoma (+15.61, 50th) is taking that idea to the extreme.

Vanderbilt (+14.85, 54th) is on the hunt for re-entry into the top 50, while LSU (+11.59, 69th) and South Carolina (+10.88, 74th) are falling well behind the rest of the conference.

Why KenPom matters

Many college hoops experts and oddsmakers consider Pomeroy’s ratings to be the gold standard in the sport, and its reputation has lasted for more than 20 years.

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Up-and-down start to SEC play has Gators steady in ESPN’s BPI

Losing to Kentucky seemed crippling for Florida’s chances at a top-10 breakthrough on the ESPN Basketball Index, but a 2-0 response from the Gators has UF holding steady.

Florida’s standing on the ESPN Basketball Power Index has varied with the start of conference play, but the Gators are at an all-too-familiar No. 13 on the BPI as of Monday following three games against SEC teams.

Florida opened the new year with a six-point loss to Kentucky where both teams put up triple digits, then a 30-point thrashing of then-No. 1 Tennessee and a not-so-impressive win against Arkansas on the road stabilized things. Hence, Gators Wire’s decision to wait until the middle of the month to pick this series back up from the break.

Note: The BPI is updated daily; however Gators Wire provides weekly updates so as not to overwhelm fans with constant changes. We took two weeks this time.

Losing to Kentucky hurt Florida’s projections, no doubt, but a 30-point win over a No. 1 undid most of that damage. While the BPI doesn’t say it outright, the Kentucky game was a tossup in the projections, so losing it doesn’t hurt as much as winning an assumed loss (Tennessee) helps.

Florida’s BPI is 17.0, further broken down as 9.1 (17th) on offense and 8.0 (21st) on defense. Compared to the New Year’s Eve BPI numbers — 17.0, 8.7 and 8.3 — the offensive rating is back up above nine and the defense is down a bit after giving up 106 to Kentucky. Those changes are good for a three-spot improvement on offense and a seven-spot dip on defense.

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 24.3-6.77 overall record and an 11.3-6.7 record in conference play — 0.7 more than last week — based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. With no more non-conference games on the schedule, those two projections will change identical amounts week-by-week moving forward.

The Gators have 5.1% odds to win the conference, down 0.6% from two weeks ago. Florida faces the 18th-toughest schedule moving forward with Kentucky and one-half of a home-and-home against Tennessee in the books. The next major matchup won’t be for a few weeks, though, barring changes in the rankings.

NCAA Tournament Resume

The 15-1 start has the Gators ranked sixth overall in strength of record — down from fifth two weeks ago — which translates to a No. 2 seed if the season were to end today. Three of the four projected No. 1 seeds — Auburn, Alabama, Iowa State and Tennessee — are SEC programs on Florida’s schedule.

Florida’s overall strength of schedule is now No. 72, and its non-conference strength of schedule is No. 127. The Gators only have are now 3-1 in “quality matchups” (against the top 50 in BPI), with wins over Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee.

ESPN gives Florida 1.1% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 3.5% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (9.4%) or Elite Eight appearance (20.6%) continue to see increased odds, as do the chances of a Sweet 16 (44.0%) and Round of 32 appearance (78.9%).

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Florida back in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll top 5 after pair of SEC wins

Florida only spent a week outside of the top five in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after shaking everything up with a 30-point win over Tennessee.

The college basketball world has had since Tuesday to figure out what the new top 5 would look like, following Florida’s 30-point beatdown of former No. 1 Tennessee. On Monday, the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll answered all questions, shoving the Volunteers down to No. 6 and moving Florida back up to No. 4 overall.

Auburn stayed perfect in conference play and secured the majority of Tennessee’s first-place votes. Iowa State is the closest competitor with five first-place votes at No. 2 overall, and the Cyclones only trail the Tigers by 29 points. Duke rounds out a strong top three, albeit one with the Blue Devils a step behind the other two.

Alabama trails UF by one point at No. 5 in this week’s poll, and Tennessee is a big win away from jumping back into the top five. Marquette, Houston, Kentucky and Kansas round out the top 10, in that order.

Florida’s dominant win over Tennessee erased any doubts created in Lexington and was a near-perfect response after a 200-plus point affair that didn’t go the right way. Speaking of the Wildcats, they dropped two spots to No. 9 after a 13-point loss to Mike White’s (and Alex Klatsky’s) Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday.

The Gators’ second win of the week came against Arkansas by single digits. Florida was the better team on paper and in practice, but it wasn’t the Orange and Blue’s strongest performance of the season. It’s not exactly a rest game on the road, but perhaps a dial-it-back-until-something-hits-the-fan game fits the bill.

Florida is currently in a seven-way tie for fourth in the conference standings after all teams have completed three games. Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss remain undefeated in conference play; the Tigers being the closest matchup on Feb. 8.

SEC schools in Coaches Poll top 25

In addition to the five top-10 programs listed above, four more SEC programs earned spots on the Coaches Poll this week, with two more in search of a top-25 ranking.

The Auburn Tigers are king for now, followed by the No. 4 Florida Gators, No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers all clearly competing for top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats open up that second tier of the conference, along with the No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies and No. 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs; the Wildcats being the closest to any sort of promotion.

The SEC’s third tier consists of two ranked teams, No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 23 Georgia Bulldogs, and two unranked teams with poll points, the Oklahoma Sooners (14) and Missouri Tigers (2).

An 0-3 start for the Sooners in SEC play and the Bulldogs’ big win over Kentucky forced the two to switch places on this list, but Oklahoma was one of three unbeaten teams coming into conference play, including Florida and Tennessee, and ranked No. 16 a week ago.

Coaches Poll Top 25 Week 10 rankings

Ranking	Team	Record	Points	Change
1	Auburn	15-1	768 (25)	+1
2	Iowa State	14-1	739 (5)	+1
3	Duke	14-2	705	+1
4	Florida	15-1	649	+4
5	Alabama	12-2	648	–
6	Tennessee	15-1	626 (1)	-5
7	Marquette	14-2	587	-1
8	Houston	12-3	522	+3
9	Kentucky	13-3	514	-2
10	Kansas	12-3	460	+2
11	Texas A&M	13-3	425	-2
12	Michigan State	14-2	424	+2
13	UConn	13-4	945	-3
14	Oregon	15-2	343	+3
15	Purdue	13-4	294	+4
16	Gonzaga	14-4	285	+2
17	Memphis	13-3	272	+3
18	Mississippi State	14-2	267	-5
19	Michigan	13-3	231	+5
20	Illinois	12-4	223	-5
21	Ole Miss	14-2	195	+1
22	Utah State	16-1	143	+3
23	Georgia	14-2	80	+10
24	Baylor	11-4	72	+2
25	West Virginia	12-3	69	-2

Schools Dropped Out

No. 16 Oklahoma; No. 21 UCLA

Others Receiving Votes

St. John’s 52; Wisconsin 29; Arizona 29; New Mexico 19; Oklahoma 14; UCLA 12; Maryland 8; Texas Tech 6; Clemson 5; Saint Mary’s 4; Louisville 3; Indiana 3; San Diego State 2; Missouri 2; UC Irvine 1

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Gators hang tight in ESPN’s bracketology after two SEC games played

Florida is still right where they have been for a month now in ESPN’s bracketology after the first pair of SEC battles.

Two games are already in the books for Florida basketball in its Southeastern Conference schedule so far. The Gators opened up with a 106-100 road loss at the Kentucky Wildcats but bounced back with a 73-43 home rout over the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

After sweeping their first 13 games against unranked opponents, Todd Golden’s gang started the new year with a pair of bruisers and fared quite well, all things considered. Sure, the winning streak was snapped, but the program has a great head start on its March Madness aspirations.

There has not been ample opportunity for the two major rankings to respond to the Vols upset, but the Orange and Blue are ranked eighth in both the Coaches and AP Poll after the Kentucky loss. Many other metrics have Florida among the top 10 as well.

So what about the NCAA Tournament outlook? ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updated his weekly bracketology outlook on Friday, with nothing changed for the Gators.

Florida’s ESPN bracketology seed, region

The Gators remain the No. 2 seed in the West Region (San Francisco) for the fourth straight week, where they are projected to play the No. 15-seeded Utah Valley Wolverines in Cleveland, Ohio. The No. 7-seeded Utah State Aggies are also slated in the same city and will face the No. 10-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders in the opening round.

SEC teams in ESPN’s bracketology

The SEC added one team to its nation-leading tally with 13 of its 16 member schools included in this week’s update.

The top-seeded programs are still the Auburn Tigers (No. 1, South) and the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 1, Midwest), followed by Florida (No. 2, West), the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 2, East), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 2, South) and Texas A&M Aggies (No. 3 South).

The Kentucky Wildcats fell to No. 4 in the West Region, while the Ole Miss Rebels (No. 6, West), Oklahoma Sooners (No. 7, Midwest), Georgia Bulldogs (No. 9, East), Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 11, Midwest) trail behind in the main bracket.

The Vanderbilt Commodores and Missouri Tigers are both among the last four in, holding a No. 11 seed that would place them in the East and South Regions, respectively, if they win their play-in games.

The Texas Longhorns are the first team out of this week’s bracketology, while Auburn is the top-seeded team overall.

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to the road to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Gators tumble out of CBS Sports power rankings top 10 depsite Vols win

CBS Sports’ power rankings dropped Florida eight spots despite beating Tennessee on Tuesday.

The start of the Southeastern Conference schedule has been a wild one for the Florida basketball program, dropping its first game in a shootout at the Kentucky Wildcats before blowing out the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at home.

The ‘Cats snapped the Gators’ 13-game winning streak to open the season in a game that saw both teams combine for 206 points. The win over the Vols was by a 30-point margin and saw Todd Golden’s gang go wire-to-wire with the lead, improving to 14-1 overall.

While that defeat still stings, things are looking good for the Orange and Blue moving forward. The major polls have not had a chance to respond to Florida’s first-ever home win against a No. 1 team, but many of the other rankings have.

Among them is CBS Sports’ weekly power rankings put together by Kyle Boone. After slipping from third to fourth in last week’s update before the UK game, Boone now has the Gators down eight spots at No. 12 despite the result against the Vols.

“Falling eight spots feel too penal for Florida after a close loss at Kentucky and a beatdown of previously unbeaten Tennessee. But I couldn’t rank Kentucky in the top 10, and I couldn’t have Florida above Kentucky after losing to the Wildcats,” he notes.

“So consider this the most respect I’ve ever given to the No. 12 team in the power rankings. The (Gators) rebounded from their UK loss by beating Tennessee 73-43 (!!!!!!) on Tuesday. Yowza.”

It certainly does not feel respectful after steamrolling the best team in the nation.

CBS Sports Power Rankings Explained

“Ranking teams with an emphasis on recent performance based on their level of competition. These are heavily unscientific in nature and can be distilled down to a “vibes” ranking — with things like margin of victory, injuries, performance vs. top competition, momentum and other sometimes subjective factors weighing into the equation.

“The power rankings can be thought of in a weekly setting as a reaction — or sometimes even an overreaction — to the small sample of the week that was.”

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to the road to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday, Jan. 11. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Florida basketball drops two spots in AP Top 25 after first loss

Florida’s first loss on the hardwood this season didn’t send the Gators tumbling down the AP Top 25, but a two-spot dip seems appropriate.

Florida remains a top-10 program in Monday’s AP Top 25 Poll, but the Gators are down two spots to No. 8 after a 106-100 loss to Kentucky on Saturday.

The top five of Tennessee, Auburn, Iowa State, Duke and Alabama all held steady. The UK Wildcats jumped four spots to No. 6 while No.7 Marquette and No. 9 UConn sandwich Florida. Texas A&M made a three-spot leap to give the SEC six teams inside the top 10.

Florida peaked at No. 6 after a 13-0 performance through the first two months of the season, but to remain perfect through conference play seems a near impossibility. With nine to 10 teams battling for a spot in the top 25 each week, a four-loss conference slate could win the regular-season title.

Tennessee is still perfect at 14-0, but the Gators get a chance to end that streak on Tuesday.

In addition to the six top-10 teams mentioned above, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 17 Oklahoma and No. 23 Ole Miss also represent the SEC in the AP Top 25. Arkansas (62), Georgia (6), Missouri (5) and Vanderbilt (1) all earned votes in this week’s poll.

Week 9 AP Top 25 Poll

Ranking	Team	Record	Points	Change
1	Tennessee	14-0	1,484 (45)	–
2	Auburn	13-1	1,453 (15)	–
3	Iowa State	12-1	1,369	–
4	Duke	12-2	1,309	–
5	Alabama	12-2	1,260	–
6	Kentucky	12-2	1,154	+4
7	Marquette	13-2	1,134	+1
8	Florida	13-1	1,045	-2
9	UConn	12-3	964	+2
10	Texas A&M	12-2	924	+3
11	Kansas	10-3	809	-4
12	Houston	10-3	768	+2
13	Illinois	11-3	693	+9
14	Mississippi State	13-1	690	+3
15	Oregon	13-2	624	-6
16	Michigan State	12-2	616	+2
17	Oklahoma	13-1	553	-5
18	Gonzaga	12-4	469	+1
19	Memphis	12-3	384	+2
20	Purdue	11-4	374	–
21	West Virginia	11-2	277	–
22	UCLA	11-3	234	-7
23	Ole Miss	12-2	219	+1
24	Michigan	11-3	160	–
25	Utah State	14-1	119	–

Others receiving votes:

Pittsburgh 91, Arkansas 62, Nebraska 62, Baylor 32, Wisconsin 31, St. John’s 27, San Diego St. 26, Cincinnati 22, Clemson 19, Maryland 7, Georgia 6, St. Bonaventure 6, Texas Tech 6, Indiana 6, Missouri 5, Arizona 3, Dayton 1, Georgetown 1, Vanderbilt 1, Xavier 1.

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Florida falls but remains in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll top 10

The Gators are still a top-10 team in the Coaches Poll, but they gave up some ground after the Kentucky loss.

The winning streak came to an end for Florida basketball on Saturday in Lexington, where the Kentucky Wildcats beat it for the first time this season in a 106-100 shootout to open up the Southeastern Conference schedule.

Prior to the loss, the Gators had run off 13 straight victories with 12 coming by at least 10 points or more and a margin of victory that ranked among the best in Divison I. However, Todd Golden’s gang had no answers for the Cats’ offensive onslaught on the road, marking the first of many tough matchups on the road ahead.

As a result of its first loss, Florida fell three spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll to No. 8, putting the Orange and Blue between a pair of SEC schools. Kentucky moved up four spots to No. 7 with the win while the Texas A&M Aggies scootched up three to move right behind UF at No. 9.

SEC schools in Coaches Poll top 25

The SEC is represented by nine programs in the top 25, headlined by the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers and second-ranked Auburn Tigers. In addition to the aforementioned trio of conference schools noted above plus the two top teams, the Alabama Crimson Tide also join them among the top 10 at No. 5.

After that, the Mississippi State Bulldogs own the No. 13 spot followed by the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 16 and Ole Miss Rebels at No. 22. The Georgia Bulldogs earned five votes while the Vanderbilt Commodores and Arkansas Razorbacks earned three and one, respectively.

Coaches Poll Top 25 Week 9 rankings

Ranking	Team	Record	Points	Change
1	Tennessee	14-0	765 (21)	–
2	Auburn	13-1	749 (10)	–
3	Iowa State	12-1	711	–
4	Duke	12-2	670	–
5	Alabama	12-2	651	+1
6	Marquette	13-2	581	+2
7	Kentucky	12-2	560	+4
8	Florida	13-1	529	-3
9	Texas A&M	12-2	488	+3
10	UConn	12-3	461	+3
11	Houston	10-3	454	+3
12	Kansas	10-3	438	-5
13	Mississippi State	13-1	372	+3
14	Michigan State	12-2	350	+1
15	Illinois	11-3	300	+5
16	Oklahoma	13-1	287	-6
17	Oregon	13-2	284	-8
18	Gonzaga	12-4	246	+1
19	Purdue	11-4	228	+3
20	Memphis	12-3	192	+5
21	UCLA	11-3	147	-3
22	Ole Miss	12-2	119	+1
23	West Virginia	11-2	110	+14
24	Michigan	11-3	98	+5
25	Utah State	14-1	73	+5

Schools Dropped Out

No. 17 Cincinnati; No. 21 Baylor; No. 24 Maryland

Others Receiving Votes

Baylor 49; Cincinnati 38; Pittsburgh 32; San Diego State 25; St. John’s 24; Clemson 10; Maryland 9; Georgia 5; Nebraska 4; Arizona 4; Wisconsin 3; Vanderbilt 3; Indiana 3; UC San Diego 1; Texas Tech 1; Arkansas 1

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