USA TODAY shares early prediction of Auburn's Final Four game with Florida
The Florida Gators stunned Auburn on Feb. 8 in Neville Arena, as the Gators' 90-81 win snapped the Tigers' 14-game win streak. The two SEC powers will meet again in the Final Four this Saturday in San Antonio, and one USA TODAY reporter expects history to repeat itself.
Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic recently shared his prediction for Saturday's SEC Final Four showdown, giving the Gators the edge with a projected score of 82-77. Cluff says that a few storylines led him to choose Florida to win Saturday's contest.
"This is a matchup between SEC conference rivals. Florida is a 2.5-point favorite in this game and owns a 1-0 advantage over Auburn on the season, having beaten the Tigers in Alabama on Feb. 8, 90-81, when Auburn was ranked No. 1 in the country. Florida has won 10 straight games. Johni Broome's injury looms large for the Tigers in this matchup. No matter what, the SEC will come out a winner in this game. Florida will continue its impressive run."
The then-No. 1 Tigers fell to Florida in the regular season due to poor free-throw shooting (14-of-23) and allowing Florida to score 17 points off eight turnovers. Four Florida starters reached double-digits in points while two reached the feat for Auburn. The Tigers will look to use strong defense in Saturday's rematch while finding their stride offensively.
The Tigers and Gators square off in the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, at 5:09 p.m. CT at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
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