Florida basketball maintains top seeding in 3 major bracketologies ahead of LSU matchup
Florida basketball maintains top seeding in 3 major bracketologies ahead of LSU matchup
Five games remain on the regular-season schedule for the Florida basketball program as Todd Golden and his team barrel their way toward the postseason. Now standing at 23-3 overall with 10 wins in 13 tries against other Southeastern Confernece schools, the Gators are ostensibly a lock for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Orange and Blue sit second in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 this week while the NET rankings and KenPom has them ranked fourth, and ESPN's Basketball Power Index at fifth as of Friday. Florida also remains a top seed in the West Region in all three bracketologies provided by USA TODAY Sports, ESPN and CBS Sports.
USA TODAY Sports bracketology
USA TODAY Sports writers Eddie Timanus, Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg once again contributed to this update and kept Florida at the No. 1 seed in the West. However, its opening-round opponent in Raleigh, North Carolina, has changed back to the Norfolk State Spartans, who reclaim the No. 16 seed in this bracketology.
The SEC maintained its 12 member school mentions this time around. Florida (West), the Auburn Tigers (South) and Alabama Crimson Tide (Midwest) remained in their respective top seeds while the Tennessee Volunteers moved from the East to the West as a No. 2 seed; the Texas A&M Aggies fell from a No. 2 to a No. 3 seed in the South.
ESPN bracketology
ESPN's bracketology guru Joe Lunardi also kept Florida as the top seed in the West for the third straight week. However, instead of facing Norfolk State like in the previous update, the Gators are now matched up with the No. 16-seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats in Raliegh.
The SEC lost one team from its total representation this time around to a dozen mentions, with the trio of Florida (West), Auburn (South) and Alabama (Midwest) standing pat in their top seeds. Similarly to the USA TODAY Sports bracket, Tennessee held onto its second seed in the East while TAMU fell from No. 2 in the West to a No. 3 seed in the same region.
CBS Sports bracketology
Finally, CBS Sports basketball expert Jerry Palm kept Florida (West), Auburn (South) and Alabama (Midwest) as No. 1 seeds in their respective regions while lining the Gators up with a new team in the No. 16 Bryant Bulldogs. In the previous update, they were matched up with the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.
Palm once again has 13 SEC schools mentioned in his bracketology, and along with the usual suspects occupying three of the top four seeds, he also has both the Volunteers and Aggies as No. 2 seeds in the East and Midwest, respectively. That gives the conference five of the top eight overall seedings.
Next up for Florida
The Gators travel to Baton Rouge on Saturday, Feb. 22, to face the LSU Tigers. Gametime is slated for 6 p.m. ET and the action can be followed on the SEC Network.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
19 minutes ago
- USA Today
2025 U.S. Open Start Time Thursday, Tee Times, Pairings & ESPN+ Live Streaming Coverage
2025 U.S. Open Start Time Thursday, Tee Times, Pairings & ESPN+ Live Streaming Coverage The 2025 U.S. Open will happen June 12-15 at Oakmont CC (par-70, 7,372 yards) in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion. Ryan Fox shot -18 to win the RBC Canadian Open, with Sam Burns taking second place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. We have what you need to know going into the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open, including player tee times, plus TV and streaming info. Watch the PGA Tour all season long without cable! Start watching now on Fubo. And catch PGA Tour Live streaming, plus tons of other live sports and programming, with ESPN+. Tee times and pairings Hole 10 Round 1 TV & streaming information You can watch USA Network and more on Fubo. ESPN+ is the exclusive home for PGA Tour Live streaming.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shams Charania Hints LeBron James Will Retire Next Season: "Year 23 For No. 23"
Shams Charania Hints LeBron James Will Retire Next Season: "Year 23 For No. 23" originally appeared on Fadeaway World. LeBron James is coming off another inspiring season, bringing up his tally to 22. Now on the verge of entering Year 23, ESPN's Shams Charania hints that it might be James' final one. While discussing the likelihood of James opting in to his contract this season, he said: Advertisement "I'm told he's likely to opt in. He's got a player-option about $54-$57 million. He's got a massive player option. That's likely. That's the plan." Charania then adds why the offer was so lucrative for the Los Angeles Lakers forward. However, he also said that James' decision to keep playing would depend on how competitive the team would be going forward. On this note, Charania added why this could be the final year for the 40-year-old by saying, "Year 23 for No. 23. They have the All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. So, to me, it's very storybook if that's the way it goes. But that's a decision that he's gotta make." The ESPN insider added a very important point before concluding. He highlighted that the key, in this scenario, would be whether the Lakers would be able to acquire a "true center" in the offseason. Advertisement The Lakers' need for a center was highlighted almost immediately after the team was eliminated from the playoffs. Although the star duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic looked competitive enough while closing out the regular season, the Lakers and their shortcomings were put on full display against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A 4-1 series loss in the first round reflected the abject lack of depth in the frontcourt. With only Jaxson Hayes holding the fort, it was not enough to hold off the Wolves' frontcourt. Regardless, the Purple and Gold have been very active thus far. Appearing in virtually all offseason trade chatter, the organization has made its intention of pursuing a legitimate center known, pursuing the likes of Nic Claxton and Daniel Gafford, among many others. The team would benefit from having James back on the roster next season. Although his contract is a major hit on the team's salary cap, it pales in comparison to the value he brings on the court, even at this age. Advertisement In the 2024-25 season, the Lakers forward recorded an average of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. Even at 40 years old, James was considered among the best players in the league, rightfully earning a spot in the All-NBA Second-Team as well as finishing sixth in the MVP race. James' ability to do everything is not going to be easy to replicate. But Doncic emerges as an ideal replacement to emulate most of his contributions. A short stint together showcased what they were capable of. An entire season, with the right pieces surrounding them, could see them transform the Lakers into title contenders. Related: LeBron James Reveals His Extreme Diet: First Meal At 2 PM; No Creatine Or Unnatural Supplements This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
30 minutes ago
- New York Post
Dan Orlovsky thinks Shedeur Sanders is perfect fit for Kevin Stefanski's Browns offense
Don't be surprised if Shedeur Sanders ends up starting in Cleveland sooner than expected. ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said on 'Get Up' that Sanders is a 'perfect' fit for Kevin Stefanski's play-action-style offense which the Browns ran prior to Deshaun Watson's arrival in Cleveland. 'If this offense is going under Stefanski, at least rumors of what it was a couple of years ago, he's perfect for it,' Orlovsky said on 'Get Up' on Monday. 'He's perfect for the under center, play-action, control the line of scrimmage, see the defense — get from one, two, three, he's got to do it more quickly, but he's custom-made for that.' 3 Shedeur Sanders is perfect to run play action, according to ESPN's Dan Orlovsky. Getty Images Orlovsky sees Sanders as a more conventional, pro-style quarterback who lines up under center and uses the run game to his advantage as he methodically breaks down a defense, which is the opposite of quarterbacks who spread out defenses or run the option out of the backfield to utilize their legs. 'The way that he thinks, the way that he can see something on the board, take it to a walk-through, bring it to a practice that's [what you want to see],' Orlovsky said. The Browns ran play action on 25.5 percent of their pass plays (11th-most) in 2020 in Stefanski's first year as head coach, but that number that fell off a cliff to 18.3 percent in 2024 (10th-fewest) with Watson and Jameis Winston mostly behind center. Cleveland selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick despite having also drafted Dillon Gabriel No. 94 in the same draft, and the team also has veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in the mix. 3 Dan Orlovsky explains what makes Shedeur Sanders perfect for Kevin Stefanski. ESPN Peter Schrager added that Sanders fell in the draft in part because he was only coached by his father, Deion Sanders, in high school and college, while also not having an agent or attending the NFL Combine. Only 13 teams carried three quarterbacks through their initial 53-man roster last season after training camp, so it will be a situation worth monitoring throughout the summer. Still, Orlovsky believes that the former Colorado star quarterback has a path to playing time despite being selected No. 144 overall by the Browns. Watson could potentially miss the whole season after undergoing multiple surgeries on his right Achilles tendon, leaving the team in search of a Week 1starter despite his $35.9 million cap hit. 3 Shedeur Sanders in a four-way quarterback battle. AP Pickett is set to make the most among the team's quarterbacks and is on a guaranteed deal this year, while Flacco has a cap hit of just $2.85 million and could a trade candidate if he doesn't win the job. Sanders and Gabriel likely will be batting in camp to stay off the practice squad.
