Will the Gators drop a spot or two when polls come out today?

Will Richard lit up the Aggies for 25 points Saturday night (Photo by Chris Spears)

Florida’s 89-70 win over 12th-ranked Texas A&M Saturday night was impressive as the Gators (25-4, 12-4 SEC) beat the Aggies inside with 42-37 advantage on the backboards and outside with 14 3-pointers led by Will Richard’s 6-9 effort. The question today is will the impressive win over the Aggies give voters in the polls offset Florida’s stunning loss to Georgia earlier in the week?

The Gators dropped one spot to No. 3 in last week’s poll because voters were unimpressed with the Gators win over LSU. The Gators fell behind by 26 points before coming back to actually take the lead late in the Georgia game. It was a ferocious comeback that clearly showed how strong and capable the Gators can be, but is it enough to convince the voters to keep the Gators at No. 3?

Bracketologists Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Jerry Palm (CBS) dropped the Gators down to a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament after the Georgia loss. Getting back to No. 1 will take the Gators beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa and then finishing off the regular season at home by knocking off Ole Miss.

EVERY SEC TEAM WITH TWO GAMES TO GO

No. 6 Alabama (23-6, 12-4 SEC): The loss at Tennessee could have serious consequences. With games against No. 3 Florida and at No. 1 Auburn, the Crimson Tide is in danger of free-falling to a fifth place finish in the SEC which will mean no double bye in Nashville.  

Arkansas (17-12, 6-10 SEC): What John Calipari has done with only eight scholarship players at his disposal is miraculous, but that bad loss at South Carolina leaves the Razorbacks with work to do this week. They’re at Vanderbilt and home against Mississippi State. It’s almost imperative that they win at least one of those two games.

No. 1 Auburn (27-2, 15-1 SEC): The Tigers are the SEC champs. No matter what happens this week they will have the double bye in Nashville and they’ll be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 3 FLORIDA (25-4, 12-4 SEC): The Gators can take sole possession of second place with wins at Alabama and home against Ole Miss this week. At 27-4, it might be very difficult for the NCAA to keep the Gators off the No. 1 line. Split the two games and the Gators still clinch a top four finish in the SEC and the double bye.

Georgia (18-11, 6-10 SEC): The Bulldogs are Team Lazarus. They’ve risen from the dead and are two wins away from 20, which will put them squarely in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are at South Carolina and home against Vanderbilt this week.

No. 17 Kentucky (19-10, 8-8 SEC): The Wildcats are in serious danger of finishing with a sub-.500 SEC record and possibly playing on the first day at the SEC Tournament. The honeymoon is over for head coach Mark Pope. He’s not in danger of being fired this year but having to play on Wednesday at the SEC Tournament would make his seat very, very warm for 2026.

LSU (14-15, 3-13 SEC): The only hope for the Tigers is to win the last two games at Kentucky and home against the Aggies, then win a game or two at the SEC Tournament. If LSU gets to 17 wins it probably makes the NIT. Would that be enough to hush the talk that head coach Matt McMahon needs to find gainful employment somewhere else?

No. 24 Mississippi State (20-9, 8-8 SEC): The Bulldogs need at least a split this week for a .500 record in league play that would prevent having to play on Wednesday. Two wins might get to a five or six seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 14 Missouri (21-8, 10-6 SEC): If the Tigers go 2-0 and Alabama goes 0-2, Mizzou would finish among the top four teams and get the double bye since it owns the tiebreaker. Two wins could get the Tigers all the way up to the No. 4 line in the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma (17-12, 4-12 SEC): The Sooners are in scramble mode, needing wins against Arkansas and Texas to make the NCAA Tournament.  Head coach Porter Moser has a very hot seat that won’t cool down even if he makes the NCAA field.

Ole Miss (20-9, 9-7 SEC): The Rebels got a much-needed win to get them to 20 for the season. They are solidly in the NCAA. Tournament even if they lose to Missouri and Florida in the last two games of the regular season.

South Carolina (12-17, 2-14 SEC): The Gamecocks aren’t going anywhere but they can affect the SEC Tournament if they somehow spring an upset over either Georgia or Tennessee.

No. 5 Tennessee (23-6, 11-5 SEC): The Vols have two very winnable games this week. At 13-5, Tennessee will get the double bye and may very well clinch a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Texas (16-13, 5-11 SEC): Buzzards are circling over the Texas basketball complex. The Longhorns look like they’re a lock for the NIT which isn’t good for head coach Rodney Terry, who is 59-32 in three seasons on the job. Much more is expected. Only God had more money than the Longhorns so they can make a Godfather offer to someone … like maybe Billy Donovan?

No. 12 Texas A&M (20-9, 9-7 SEC): Four straight losses have eliminated any thought that the Aggies will be a top four seed in both the SEC and NCAA tournaments. They’re in desperation mode which makes them dangerous for No. 1 Auburn, who they play Tuesday night.

Vanderbilt (20-9, 8-8 SEC): The Commodores have gone from the NCAA bubble to solidly in the tournament. Win two tough games this week (Arkansas, at Georgia) and they could make it to the No. 6 or even No. 5 NCAA line.

SEC BASKETBALL

Tuesday’s games

No. 1 Auburn (27-2, 15-1 SEC) at No. 12 Texas A&M (20-9, 9-7 SEC)

LSU (14-15, 3-13 SEC) at No. 17 Kentucky (19-10, 8-8 SEC)

Texas (16-13, 5-11 SEC) at No. 24 Mississippi State (20-9, 8-8 SEC)

Arkansas (17-12, 6-10 SEC) at Vanderbilt (20-9, 8-8 SEC)

Georgia (18-11, 6-10 SEC) at South Carolina (12-17, 2-14 SEC)

Wednesday’s games

No. 3 FLORIDA (25-4, 12-4 SEC) at No. 6 Alabama (23-6, 12-4 SEC)

No. 5 Tennessee (24-5, 11-5 SEC) at Ole Miss (20-9, 9-7 SEC)

No. 14 Missouri (21-8, 10-6 SEC) at Oklahoma (17-12, 4-12 SEC)

Saturday’s games

Ole Miss (20-9, 9-7 SEC) at No. 3 FLORIDA (25-4, 12-4 SEC)

No. 6 Alabama (23-6, 12-4 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (27-2, 15-1 SEC)

South Carolina (12-17, 2-14 SEC) at No. 5 Tennessee (24-5, 11-5 SEC)

No. 12 Texas A&M (20-9, 9-7 SEC) at LSU (14-15, 3-13 SEC)

No. 17 Kentucky (19-10, 8-8 SEC) at No. 14 Missouri (21-8, 10-6 SEC)

No. 24 Mississippi State (20-9, 8-8 SEC) at Arkansas (17-12, 6-10 SEC)

Vanderbilt (20-9, 8-8 SEC) at Georgia (18-11, 6-10 SEC)

Oklahoma (17-12, 4-12 SEC) at Texas (16-13, 5-11 SEC)

UF BASEBALL: MIAMI HANDS GATORS FIRST LOSS

The pitching ran out for the Gators Sunday afternoon as Miami salvaged some dignity for the weekend by winning game three, 13-7. Florida (11-1) won games one and two of the series behind great pitching and home runs, but the Gators had problems with the strike zone Sunday and that proved costly.  

The Gators staked Jake Clemente to a 4-0 lead with a 2-run first and two more in the third on Brody Donay’s sixth home run of the season. Clemente couldn’t hold the lead because he walked four and hit three batters in four innings of work. Miami scored two in the fourth, five in the fifth and two more in the sixth.

The lead expanded to 13-4 before the Gators scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth and another in the ninth.

The Gators will be at UCF Tuesday and return home to Condron Family Ballpark to host Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. The Gators will host Harvard next weekend.

UF SOFTBALL: GATORS RUN-RULE FAMU FOR 23rd WIN

Reagan Walsh hit her fourth home in the last three games to help power the 3rd-ranked Gators (23-1) to their 16th run-rule win of the season, 9-1, over Florida A&M. Walsh, Mia Williams and Kendra Falby drove in two runs apiece as part of an 11-hit attack.

Olivia Miller (3-0) got the win with relief help from Kara Hammack. Miller went four innings, giving up two hits and one unearned run. Hammack pitched two hitless innings.

Falby stole two bases. She has 26 already this season and 108 for her career. Skylar Wallace holds the Florida career record (119) with Kelsey Stewart (113) in second place.

In the last five games, Walsh is 11-16 with three doubles and four home runs.

The Gators will be at Houston Wednesday then on to College Station to open SEC play at Texas A&M. The Gators will be without ace Keagan Rothrock for more than a week due to tenderness in her shoulder.