Xaivian Lee had a Senior Night to remember (Photo by Chris Spears) To our Gator baitmedia.com members: We have been hacked are down right now. Hope to have it back up soon. -ranked Florida really didn’t have to make a statement Wednesday night at the O-Dome, particularly since it already had a share of the Southeastern Conference championship no matter the outcome of the Gators’ encounter with Mississippi State. With best player Tommy Haugh sitting this one out as a precaution, having rolled his ankle back on Saturday against Arkansas, the Gators had a built-in excuse to go through the motions, which is exactly what they did the first eight-and-a-half minutes.   Haugh could have played but Todd Golden chose to sit him out with a road trip to Lexington for a regular season-ending game with Kentucky itching to rematch the Gators at Rupp. Arrogance on the part of Golden, who preaches that every time the Gators take the floor it should be treated as if it’s the single most important game of the year? It seemed that way when Mississippi State made 10 of its first 13 shots for a 24-14 lead that had the O-Dome the bulk of the folks in the crowd of 10,969 giving each other one of those “what the hell is going on here?” looks.   Granted, some of the early difficulty had to do with Senior Night, which Golden said is almost always a distraction because “i t's hard to play well with a lot of emotions, you got family in town.” Golden’s response to the combination of Senior Night and the Haugh injury was to start 7-1 Micah Handlogten at the four (power forward) while moving 6-11 Alex Condon out to the three (wing). A front line of Handlogten, Condon and Big Freaky (6-11 Rueben Chinyelu) at center was certainly mountainous but for every added inch of height over and above Haugh’s 6-9 it was doubly awkward.   “W hen you start with me at the four and Condo at the three, we’ve never done that even in practice for, like, ever, so definitely took some adjustments,” Handlogten said after acquitting himself rather nicely with 10 points and nine rebounds on Senior Night.   Adjust is what Golden did and tends to do as well as if not better than any coach in the country, but this one seemed every bit as awkward as his starting lineup. He called on freshman CJ Ingram, one of Florida’s mop-up warriors who gets to make contributions when minutes and seconds dwindle in out of hand games. All he did was launch and connect from the 3-point line on back-to-back possessions that brought the Gators back to within a single point.   The Gators were inspired and the O-Dome crowd became loud and intimidating. Ingram’s contributions were part of an 18-0 run that saw the Gators go from 10-down to an 8-point lead over a 6-minute span.   It was brutal to say the least.   Florida’s 47-35 lead at the half was just the warmup for things to come. The Gators played the second half as if they were sending a “be afraid, be very afraid” message to the rest of the Southeastern Conference and the teams that will hear their name called by the NCAA Tournament selection committee a couple of Sundays from now.   When the horn sounded it was a merciful end to a 108-74 pillage and plundering win that should send shivers up and down the spines of any team that gets in the way of this juggernaut that seems to be getting incrementally better with each outing. This one had to be particularly satisfying for Golden, who earned his 100 th win as Florida’s coach. He got there faster than any coach in Florida’s history and that includes Hall of Famers Norm Sloan and Billy Donovan.   It was the tenth straight win for the Gators (24-6, 15-2 SEC), who are the outright champions of the Southeastern Conference. There was a presentation pre-game in which SEC commish Greg Sankey handed over the championship trophy that perhaps seemed a bit premature considering Alabama still had a mathematical chance to split the title with UF. That, too, might have added to the Senior Night distractions but by halftime all the Gators had to do was show up and maintain a lead over Mississippi State since Georgia bushwhacked Alabama in Athens.   Still, it was important for the Gators to finish like champs, which is exactly what they are — and did. First half distractions in the rearview, the second half was an intimidating, muscle-flexing shot across the bow. Not just Mississippi State, mind you, but the other 15 teams that will gather in Nashville next week for the SEC Tournament.   “I think we were just a little caught in the moment,” Golden said post game. “We started a very unique lineup we probably won’t see again ever with those guys, and Mississippi State was hot, you know. They came out and made shots and made us pay for defense that wasn't elite. And I think once we got kind of back to our regular rotations and got kind of comfortable with who was out there, we settled.   “I think they were 10-for-13 from the field to start the game, if I remember correctly, and then they were five for the next 19. So, [we] really settled in on the defensive end, got stops, and as we discussed about nearly every time I'm up here, when we guard and we get clean rebounds, we're really tough to keep out of transition.”   From that 10-13 shooting start, Mississippi State was just 17-47 the rest of the way. The Gators outrebounded Mississippi State 23-15 in the first half. In the second half, the Gators grabbed 30 rebounds. Mississippi State had (count ‘em) 11.   It was all about the adjustments. The starting lineup was a deadend street because it put players in unfamiliar situations. So when Golden started shuffling players in and out, each time creating different combinations that left Mississippi State dazed and confused, the Gators became that team nobody in his right mind wants to play.   In the absence of Haugh, the team’s leading scorer for the season, Alex Condon picked up the slack on the inside with 26 points seven rebounds and three assists. Rueben Chinyelu posted his 18 th double-double of the season with 11 points and 16 rebounds to go with two assists, three blocked shots and a steal. Handlogten’s 10 points and nine rebounds were supplemented by three assists and a blocked shot.   Out on the perimeter where Mississippi State tried bully tactics that the zebra crew of Pat Adams, Lucas Santos and Will Howard seemed to largely ignore, the Gators caught fire once Ingram came off the bench firing away. Lee turned Senior Night into a night to remember for himself and family that came down to Toronto to watch. Lee finished with 19 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals.   Lee’s inconsistencies in the first half of the season had the experts believing the Gators were perhaps overrated. The way he’s played ever since the Vanderbilt game has turned heads as he’s starting to look like an improved version of the player everyone thought the Gators were getting when he transferred in after a rather spectacular career at Princeton.   “He's been really, really good all conference play, really, and it started with the Vanderbilt game,” Golden said. “I can't remember what the date was in that game, but he was exceptional, hit a huge three that helped us win that game. Over the last month, he's just been special. I mean, I think we all saw it tonight, just the ball control he has, the quickness, his ability to penetrate and keep his dribble alive, and now he's just so confident and comfortable out there. You know, he kind of gets to his spots and does what he wants. So he's -- what was he? – 5-for-7 from two tonight? He’s shooting like 65 percent from two in conference play, something insane like that. He’s playing fantastically well. And obviously him and Boogie [Fland] emerging the way they have has allowed us to really take off and become a really good team.”   The Fland-Lee backcourt can no longer be viewed as a liability but instead is becoming elite. Fland’s night was 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. He didn’t turn the ball over. Lee turned it over just one time.   And, off the bench came Urban Klavzar (10 points), Isaiah Brown (9) and CJ Ingram (8). Klavzar and Brown have become productive staples off the bench. Ingram simply gives opposing coaches one more migraine.   There at the end during mop-up time the roof of the O-Dome just about got blown off when walk-on Cooper Josefsberg knocked down a three and 7-9 Olivier Rioux got into the game, causing what Golden said was “a full circle moment” for the Gators who were 5-4 and being written off by all the experts and fans alike after a 5-4 start.   Golden would have loved to win those games, but he was never discouraged or deterred by the outcome, noting that he “talked to the guys after the game, just how much better we've gotten over the course of the year. I think that's something that kind of gets lost in this day and age. Like, if you're not super successful early, people don't think you're any good. Our team's gotten a lot better. We were good early, we were okay, but we are not anywhere near the same team we were in November, December, and I feel like we're playing some really good basketball right now."   Really good is 19-2 since losing to UConn on December 9. Really good is storming through the SEC for a 3-game lead in league play with one game to go. Really good is all the bracket gurus putting the Gators on the No. 2 line and conceding that they might just be a No. 1 if they win at Rupp Saturday and then turn Nashville into the Gator Invitational for the second straight year.   Really good is a coach with 100 wins already, a national championship last year, an SEC championship this year, and a clear path to go back-to-back as the last team standing at the end of the year.   Really good translates to the rest of the college basketball world these words: Be afraid. Be very afraid because the big bad Gators are hungry for more.   ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC Georgia (21-9, 9-8 SEC) 98, No. 16 Alabama (22-8, 12-5 SEC) 88: Georgia put an end to Alabama’s 9-game winning streak behind a 32-point night by freshman Kanon Catchings. Catchings hit 7-13 from the 3-point line to go with six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Georgia hit 13-29 from the 3-point line. Alabama launched 42 threes, made 16 and was outrebounded by Georgia 40-30. Labaron Philon Jr. led Alabama scoring with 26 points.   No. 23 Tennessee (21-9, 11-6 SEC) 78, South Carolina (12-18, 3-14 SEC) 59: JP Estrella and Felix Okpara picked up the scoring slack for Tennessee, which played without stud freshman Nate Ament. Estrella scored 22 while Okpara added 20. Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 12 assists for the Vols. Meechie Johnson was South Carolina’s leading scorer with 20.   No. 24 Vanderbilt (23-7, 10-7 SEC) 89, Ole Miss (12-18, 4-13 SEC) 86, OT: Tyler Tanner scored 10 of Vanderbilt’s 13 overtime points and 34 overall to lead the Commodores past Ole Miss. Patton Pinkins had a chance to tie the game with two seconds remaining but his 3-pointer clanged off the rim. Vanderbilt had a chance to win the game in regulation but Duke Miles’ contested layup wouldn’t drop. For Ole Miss, which has lost seven games by seven or fewer points, Pinkins was the leading scorer with 16 points.   Texas A&M (20-10, 10-7 SEC) 96, Kentucky 19-11, 9-8 SEC) 85: Rylan Griffen and Ruben Dominguez came off the bench to combine for 27 points from the 3-point line, leading the Aggies to a decisive win over Kentucky. Giffin hit 4-8 of his threes while scoring 21. Dominguez was 5-8 from three, scoring 17. The Aggies hit 13-28 from the 3-point line for the game.   Auburn (16-14, 7-10 SEC) 88, LSU (15-15, 3-14 SEC) 74: Tahaad Petiford had his best game of the season with 27 points, two rebounds, six assists and four steals as Auburn pulled away from LSU in the second half to go two games over .500 for the season. Defensively, Auburn held LSU’s Max Mackinnon to three points. Mike Nwoko was LSU’s leading scorer with 19 points.   Oklahoma (16-14, 6-11 SEC) 80, Missouri (20-10, 10-7 SEC) 64: The Sooners shot 62 percent (28-45) overall and 12-22 (55 percent) from the 3-point line while assuring a winning record for the regular season. Missouri turned the ball over 16 times and was just 8-24 from the 3-point line. Five Sooners scored in double figures led by Jalon Jones with 13. Missouri’s Mark Mitchell scored 17.   Tonight’s game Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (21-9, 11-5 SEC)

By CARLTON REESE GatorBaitMedia.com Todd Golden will not tolerate a static nature to his program. Watching the Florida Gators win is exhilarating. Championships are even better. However, the true joy lies in maintaining that winning edge year after year. Each season feels like a potential title run, whether it’s a conference championship or a national one. Winning it all last year took every Gator fan to a place we thought we might never return to. Despite a rough start to this season, we are back in the conversation. That’s where the real excitement lies. The Thrill of the Hunt Jack Nicklaus once said he cherished those nervous feelings during a golf tournament. Those butterflies can lead to an athlete “choking” under pressure. For Nicklaus, when those butterflies kicked in, it meant only one thing: he was in the hunt. Being "in the hunt" is where everything matters. It’s where the senses are heightened. The food tastes better, the drinks are more intoxicating, and the ride is a thrill. That’s what sustained success looks like. You don’t always win the championship; in fact, you rarely do. But playing for championships and being “in the hunt” makes the journey exhilarating. The Evolution of Florida Basketball Watching this Florida basketball team evolve throughout the year has taught every Gator fan something important. Todd Golden will not tolerate a static nature in his program. Improvement, progress, teamwork, and understanding are essential traits for every player who wears the jersey. These qualities define the team each season and the program overall. That is how success is sustained. The Journey of Development If this season’s Florida basketball team has proven anything, it’s that a starting point is just that—a starting point. There is always a hill to climb. The work to climb it may come at a slow pace, but the reward is being at the top with a view everyone dreams of. In every phase, it seems Florida is a different team from where it began. We can credit Golden and his staff for this transformation. What we see across the board is genuine development. From the player at the end of the bench who only sees a few minutes of garbage time to the sure-fire All-American leading the team in scoring, they all share one thing in common: they are better basketball players today than they were last year or even two months ago. Rising Stars Remember those guards who came in with high expectations and looked like they might be a bust? Today, Xavian Lee is shooting like he’s back in the Ivy League, playing with the confidence of someone who knows he belongs in the Southeastern Conference. Boogie Fland had everyone wondering if he would ever show up. However, he has transformed into a world-class defender. Admit it, two months ago, you thought we were all taken for a ride with these two players. But they have developed into what we hoped they would be. Their emergence as outstanding guards is why Florida looks poised for a serious run at a second consecutive national championship. Not long ago, advancing past the second round seemed like a lofty goal. The Unsung Hero: Alex Condon Alex Condon certainly deserves recognition. Last year, he was the crown jewel of the nation’s best frontcourt. However, for the first half of the season, the spotlight shined on Rueben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh, and rightfully so. Condon became the unsung hero while everyone talked about Bird and Magic. We cringed every time he launched a shot from the top of the 3-point circle, thinking he was just part of Florida’s supporting cast. Today, Condon is Florida’s best passer underneath. He is now scoring at will and controlling the glass. He was once a player no one thought needed to develop, but he did need to develop, and he certainly has. Chinyelu's Transformation Chinyelu has transformed from a man-child who was the opponent’s best fouling option to a player who is not only the best rebounder in the country but also a solid shooter in the lane and from the free-throw line. As a defender, he presents a challenge that no one can gameplan for. Everyone at Florida is a better basketball player than they used to be, and that’s not something many other teams can boast. Observing how Lee, Fland, Condon, Chinyelu, and Haugh have developed excites me for what’s coming next. The Future Looks Bright If these players can develop into what they are today, what does that say for the potential of players like Isaiah Brown or C.J. Ingram? These physical specimens may have ceilings higher than anyone thought, thanks to the guidance of Todd Golden. Great recruiting and portal mastery are essential, but give me a coaching staff that can take good players and develop them into great ones. I’ll show you a team that can compete for championships every year. It feels good, doesn’t it? ---wix---

PHOTO CHRIS SPEARS Gator Spring Football Practice – Day 1   By GatorBait Media.com GAINESVILLE – Sleep wasn’t easy to come by for Jon Sumrall on the eve of his first spring practice as Florida’s head football coach. By his own admission, he woke up at 3 a.m., 3:30 and again at 4 before finally deciding, “might as well go to work.”  You get the sense the man’s not just eager — he’s wired for the grind. Months of building a staff, reshaping a roster, and laying the foundation for a culture overhaul came to a head Tuesday morning when the Gators finally hit the grass at the Sanders Practice Fields. As the sun broke over the nearby Swamp, the sounds of cleats, whistles and full-throttle energy signaled one clear message: The Sumrall Era is on. Early Takeaways: New Era, Familiar Standard If the word of the day was “urgency,” strength coach Rusty Whitt got the memo — and maybe a little extra heat. Whitt joked that Sumrall “ripped” him for not getting players off the field fast enough between drill rotations.  “He’s pushing me, he’s pushing everyone to get things done,” Whitt said. Believe it. The tempo is higher, the tone sharper, and the accountability immediate. This feels different — not flashy, but firm. Jadan Baugh hits grass running, (Chris Spears photo) Injury Report: Managing the Myles, Protecting the Future As for personnel, Sumrall didn’t sugarcoat it: A handful of Gators will miss or be limited throughout camp. Chief among them is linebacker Myles Graham, the team’s leading tackler from 2025 (76 total), who’s on the mend from minor shoulder surgery. He won’t see 11-on-11 contact this spring, though he’s expected to be full go by summer. At wide receiver, Dallas Wilson — sidelined since a November foot injury against Georgia — experienced a “flare-up” during last week’s Gauntlet workout and will sit for precautionary reasons.  “If there were a game this week, he’d play,” Sumrall said. Other limited players include corner Dijon Johnson (ACL), offensive tackle Fletcher Westphal (wrist), and defensive linemen Kam James (shoulder), Kendall Guervil (knee), and Jalen Wiggins (hip).  Several others, including CJ Bronaugh and Chancellor Campbell, remain out following surgeries that date back to last season. The Quarterback Question Asked whether he plans to name a starting quarterback before camp ends, Sumrall reverted to coach-speak with a dose of plain truth: “I don’t really have a timeline. I don’t decide who starts — they do, by how they practice.” Make no mistake: competition will define this spring. Sumrall preaches “iron sharpens iron,” and that philosophy has already taken root. Scene Setter: The Sound of Football Again By 9 a.m., the place started popping and was alive. Assistant coaches lost their voices before breakfast and pads cracked like thunderclaps down the line.  Chris Spears’ sideline report summed it up perfectly: “You can feel it already — pads popping, cleats digging, coaches barking. It’s football season in Gainesville.” For now, the focus isn’t on depth charts, splash plays or viral quotes. It’s about finding the right habits. The standard, as the new head man puts it, “hasn’t changed — just the guy enforcing it.” The Jon Sumrall era has begun. No slogans, no shortcuts. Just football.

Todd Golden can get his 100th win as Florida's coach tonight (Photo by Chris Spears) Fifth-ranked Florida (23-6, 14-2 SEC) earned a slice of the Southeastern Conference pie back on Saturday when the Gators treated the 11,076 jammed into the O-Dome to a barbecue of championship proportions. Tonight they have a chance to put an exclamation point on that Southeastern Conference championship in their final home game of the season against Mississippi State (8 p.m., SEC Network).   A win tonight and it’s not just a slice it’s the entire SEC pie since it will mathematically end any chance Alabama (four SEC losses) can claim a share of the title, but it’s also a chance to give Todd Golden his 100 th win as Florida’s basketball coach. Not even Billy Donovan got to 100 wins as quickly as Golden who is 99-39 in his fourth year with as many as 11 games to go this year with the SEC and NCAA tournaments looming. Donovan was 88-49 after four full seasons. He got his 100 th win 16 games into the 2000-2001 season.   It will also be Senior Night at the O-Dome, a chance for the Gator Nation to shower some love on Xaivian Lee and Micah Handlogten, although Handlogten might get to have a second Senior Night. The 7-1 center who comes off the bench has appealed for another season since a fractured leg prevented him from playing in the 2024 post season and kept him sidelined for the first 24 games of Florida’s 2025 NCAA championship.   So, there will be plenty to celebrate with a win over the slumping Bulldogs (13-15, 5-11 SEC), who have gone down in flames three straight games by a combined 47 points. The Gators may have an opportunity to score 100 or more points for the second consecutive game against a Mississippi State defense that has allowed 84 or more in nine of its losses.   The Gators have won nine consecutive games, rising to fifth in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, raising expectations that they will be a No. 2 seed when the NCAA announces its field of 68 teams a week from Sunday. If the Gators win tonight and Saturday at Kentucky to close out the regular season, then go on a 3-game run to win the SEC Tournament they could make a strong case for a No. 1 seed. Currently, Florida is the No. 4 team in the NCAA NET rankings. The Gators are 10-5 in Quad 1 games and 6-1 in Quad 2. Since Mississippi State ranks outside the top 100 teams in the NET rankings, a win tonight would be a Quad 3.   In the all important analytical rankings, the Gators are No. 4 at both kenpom.com and barttorvik.com . At kenpom.com , the Gators are the No. 11 team in the country in offensive efficiency and No. 4 in defensive efficiency. The Gators are No. 4 in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency in the barttorvik.com analytics.   It all adds up to a Florida team that has become one of the teams the network experts consider a legitimate threat to win a second straight NCAA championship. In eight of their last nine games, the Gators have scored at least 84 points. The Gators have scored 90 or more in nine of their SEC wins and 14 times overall this season. The Gators are No. 2 in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 71.4 points per game. For their entire 29 games, the Gators are scoring at an 87.1 per game clip, so the average winning margin is 15.7 points, best in the SEC and 9 th nationally.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 5 FLORIDA (23-6, 14-2 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, JR)   Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11 SEC): Achor Achor (6-9, 230, SR); Quincy Ballard (7-0, 260, SR); Shawn Jones Jr. (6-6, 205, SR); Jayden Epps (6-2, 190, SR); Josh Hubbard (6-0, 190, JR)   Associated Press top 25: 1. Duke 27-2; 2. Arizona 27-2; 3. Michigan 27-2; 4. UConn 27-3; 5. FLORIDA 23-6; 6. Iowa State 24-5; 7. Houston 24-5; 8. Michigan State 24-5; 9. Nebraska 25-4; 10. Texas Tech 22-7; 11. Illinois 22-7; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. Virginia 25-4; 14. Kansas 21-8; 15. Purdue 22-7; 16. Alabama 22-7; 17. North Carolina 23-6; 18. St. John’s 23-6; 19. Miami (OH) 29-0; 20. Arkansas 21-8; 21. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 22. Miami (FL) 23-6; 23. Tennessee 20-9; 24. Vanderbilt 22-7; 25. Saint Louis 26-3   Coaches top 25: 1. Duke 27-2; 2. Arizona 27-2; 3. Michigan 27-2; 4. UConn 27-3; 5. FLORIDA 23-6; 6. Houston 24-5; 7. Iowa State 24-5; 8. Michigan State 24-5; 9. Nebraska 25-4; 10. Texas Tech 22-7; 11. Illinois 22-7; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. Virginia 25-4; 14. Purdue 22-7; 15. Kansas 21-8; 16. Alabama 22-7; 17. St. John’s 23-6; 18. North Carolina 23-6; 19. Arkansas 21-8; 20. Miami (OH) 29-0; 21. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 22. Vanderbilt 22-7; 23. Miami (FL) 23-6; 24. Saint Louis 26-3; 25. Tennessee 20-9   NCAA NET Rankings top 25 plus SEC: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan; 3. Arizona; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Illinois; 6. Gonzaga; 7. Houston. 8. UConn; 9. Purdue; 10. Iowa State; 11. Michigan State; 12. Nebraska; 13. Texas Tech; 14. Virginia; 15. Kansas; 16. Alabama; 17. Louisville; 18. Vanderbilt; 19. Arkansas; 20. Tennessee; 21. Saint Mary’s; 22. St. John’s; 23. BYU; 24. Saint Louis; 25. North Carolina (SEC: 27. Kentucky; 31. Georgia; 37. Texas; 38. Auburn; 43. Texas A&M; 53. Missouri; 62. Oklahoma; 70. LSU; 91. Ole Miss; 104. Mississippi State; 108. South Carolina SEC in Joe Lunardi (ESPN) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Iowa State; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Tennessee)   South: 1. UConn; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Purdue; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Georgia; 11. Texas A&M)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 10. Texas)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 6. Kentucky; 9. Missouri)     Top 25 plus SEC in kenpom.com analytics: 1. Duke 28-2; 2. Michigan 27-2; 3. Arizona 28-2; 4. FLORIDA 23-6; 5. Illinois 22-7; 6. Houston 24-5; 7. Purdue 22-7; 8. Michigan State 24-5; 9. Iowa State 24-6; 10. UConn 27-3; 11. Nebraska 25-4; 13. Texas Tech 22-7; 14. Alabama 22-7; 15. Vanderbilt 22-7; 16. Kansas 21-8; 17. Virginia 25-4; 18. Tennessee 20-9; 19. Louisville 20-9; 20. Arkansas 21-8; 22. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 23. BYU 20-9; 24. Iowa 20-9; 25. Kentucky 19-10; (SEC: 29. Texas 18-11; 32. Georgia 20-9; 38. Texas A&M 10-10; 40. Auburn 15-14; 47. Missouri 20-9; 50. Oklahoma 15-14; 58. LSU 15-14; 79. Ole Miss 12-17; 94. South Carolina 12-17; 96. Mississippi State 13-16   Top 25 plus SEC in barttorvik.com analytics: 1. Duke 28-2; 2. Michigan 27-2; 3. Arizona 28-2; 4. FLORIDA 23-6; 5. Houston 24-5; 6. Illinois 22-7; 7. Purdue 22-7; 8. UConn 27-3; 9. Texas Tech 22-7; 10. Iowa State 24-6; 11. Michigan State 24-5; 12. Nebraska 25-4; 13. Kansas 21-8; 14. Gonzaga 28-3; 15. Tennessee 20-9; 16. Vanderbilt 22-7; 17. Alabama 22-7; 18. Virginia 25-4; 19. Louisville 20-9; 20. St. John’s 23-6; 21. Arkansas 21-8; 22. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 23. Wisconsin 20-9; 24. North Carolina 23-6; 25. Iowa 20-9 (SEC: 30. Kentucky 19-10; 35. Texas A&M 19-10; 38. Texas 18-11; 38. Georgia 20-9; 44. Missouri 20-9; 45. Auburn 15-14; 50. Oklahoma 15-14; 73. LSU 15-14; 81. Ole Miss 12-17; 99. Mississippi State 13-16; 103. South Carolina 12-17   Today’s SEC games Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11 SEC) at No. 5 FLORIDA (23-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 16 Alabama (22-7, 12-4 SEC) at Georgia (20-9, 8-8 SEC) No. 23 Tennessee (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at South Carolina (12-17, 3-13 SEC) No. 24 Vanderbilt (22-7, 9-7 SEC) at Ole Miss (12-17, 4-12 SEC) Missouri (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at Oklahoma (15-14, 5-11 SEC)  Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-10, 9-7 SEC) LSU (15-14, 3-13 SEC) at Auburn (15-14, 6-10 SEC)   Wednesday’s SEC game Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (21-8, 11-5 SEC)   SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. Iowa State; 4. Kansas (SEC: 6. Kentucky; 9. Missouri)   South: 1. UConn; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Purdue; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 9. Georgia)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Michigan State; 3. Alabama; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 11. Texas A&M)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Texas)

Another thunder dunk from Isaiah Brown (Photo by Chris Spears) “The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.” – Confucius   There is nothing beautiful about an uncut, unpolished diamond, yet in the hands of a master what looks like an ugly rock can be transformed into a thing of beauty worth thousands of dollars. Back on December 10 when the Gators were 5-4, having just lost to UConn 77-73 at Madison Square Garden, Florida was that uncut, unpolished stone that had no luster and in the eyes of the so-called experts of college basketball, very little value.   Florida’s loss to UConn was its third against a highly ranked opponent. All three of those games were winnable, but at crunch time it seemed the Gators found creative ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. December 10 found Florida at a crossroads. Would the Gators shatter like an unpolished diamond in the hands of a nervous, unskilled lapidary, or would Todd Golden carefully cut and polish away, carefully studying each cut under a 10X microscope for blemishes and inclusions?   Twenty games later, we know the answer to those questions. Each game since the UConn loss has been like the process that includes cleaving, bruting and polishing. At 23-6 overall and 14-2 in SEC play, Golden doesn’t have a finished product on his hands, but the potential is there for the Gators to be that brilliant, flawless diamond. Think of each of the possible 11 games that could take Florida to a second straight national championship as another cut in a once-ugly stone that is transforming before our eyes into something truly beautiful.   The early season adversities have shaped the Gators into that team no one will want to play in a couple of weeks when the NCAA announces its field of 68 teams that will compete for the national championship. They have caught the eye of bracket gurus such as Joe Lunardi, who have moved the Gators up to their No. 2 line. Lunardi sees a path to a No. 1 seed for the Gators who have won nine games in a row and 18 of their last 20.   If you were to ask John Calipari, the Hall of Fame Arkansas coach whose team suffered the biggest beatdown of an 854-win career at the hands of the Gators Saturday night at the O-Dome, it goes beyond the size and strength of the nation’s best front line. Cal says the Gators are connected.   Todd Golden won’t disagree with that assessment. Those early season losses that would have caused lesser teams to crumble and fall apart have forged a stand in our way at your own peril mentality.   “The credit that this team deserves more than anything is staying together, believing in each other when guys weren't playing at their best, not pointing fingers,” Golden said Saturday night. “Our staff did a great job of keeping our guys aligned and on the same page. Even when we were 5-4, we thought we had a chance to have a special season if we just improved incrementally over the rest of the year and we've done that. I think we're playing as good as anybody in America right now."   The incremental improvements are best seen in the four perimeter guys – Boogie Fland, Xaivian Lee, Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown – who have weathered the storms early on to become one of the best units in the country. Seen as a liability when the Gators were losing, these four guys have bonded and become a team strength.   Because of the ball handling skills of Fland and Lee, the Gators can’t be pressed. They may be the fastest pair of guards in the country when it comes to transitioning from defense to offense. Early on when they couldn’t make shots, they were turning the ball over in critical situations (see the losses to Duke and UConn), but that has changed. Turnovers are a rarity for them and now they’re making shots. Golden’s contention that sooner or later these guys would start making the shots in games that he sees them make in practice is starting to show.   There is nothing wrong with their defense as Arkansas sharpshooters Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas found out Saturday. Acuff needed 19 shots from the field and six free throws to score his 17 points. Thomas, who scored 10, lives on the 3-point line. He only had two attempts. Missed them both.   While Fland and Lee continue to evolve into one of the nation’s best backcourt pairings, Klavzar and Brown off the bench have ensured that there is no letdown at either end of the court when they come off the bench. Klavzar is best known for his 3-point shooting – 40.9 percent for the season, 23 of his last 47 – but as he showed in hounding both Acuff and Thomas, there isn’t much in the way of a defensive letdown when he comes off the bench.   Brown can’t be left alone beyond the arc (38.5 percent for the season), but it is his thunder dunks that put the fear of God in opponents. He had a coast-to-coast jam against Arkansas that had the effect of a stiletto to the heart of the Razorbacks. In the first half, the Gators were +21 points when Brown was in the game. They were +19 for the game. What those numbers tell you is that the Gators expanded their lead when Brown was in the game so there was absolutely no dropoff.     Give Golden credit for sticking with Fland and Lee even when they were struggling and with bringing Klavzar and Golden along to the point that this is a solid and still very underrated unit. They are no longer a liability but have become a strength of the team.   The stone that the Gators were back on December 10 has been sawed, cleaved, cut and polished. What the Gators are now is a tribute to hard work and Golden’s patience in allowing his guys to develop while learning to play with and off each other.   What the Gators could become are national champions. If that happens they will sparkle like that flawless diamond that was polished by friction and adversity. WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. South Carolina (12-17, 3-13 SEC): A third losing season in the last four years is guaranteed so there is speculation Lamont Paris will be fired. If canned prior to April 1, it will cost $10 million. On or after April 1, the cost will be $7.5 million. He shouldn’t be investing in a major home renovation.   15. LSU (15-14, 3-13 SEC): Win one of this week’s games (at Auburn, Texas A&M) and the Tigers can’t do worse than .500 for the season. That won’t get the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament, which is rumored to be what Matt McMahon needs to be gainfully employed next year. He has an $8 million buyout.   14. Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11 SEC): It will take two wins this week (at Florida, Georgia) and two in the SEC Tournament to ensure at least a .500 season. Chris Jans has a contract that runs through 2030 and a $7 million buyout. He’s probably safe for at least one more year, but nobody in Starkville would mind if he seeks employment elsewhere.   13. Ole Miss (12-17, 4-12 SEC): Chris Beard isn’t going anywhere. At least that’s what he’s saying. Ole Miss isn’t going to fire him. He makes $6 million a year and he’s under contract until 2031.   12. Auburn (15-14, 6-10 SEC): Auburn needs two wins this week (LSU, at Alabama) and two in the SEC Tournament to have a legitimate shot at the NCAA Tournament. Nobody is happy, but Steven Pearl isn’t going anywhere.   11. Oklahoma (15-14, 5-11 SEC): Should the Sooners win one of their two games this week, they’re guaranteed no worse than break even. Beat Missouri and (at) Texas, plus get a win in the SEC Tournament and they probably get an NIT bid. If Joe Castiglione were still the athletic director, Porter Moser would probably get one more year. New AD Roger Denny has no allegiances, so Moser could be a goner if the Sooners don’t secure a winning record.   10. Texas A&M (19-10, 9-7 SEC): The Aggies will make the NCAA Tournament even though they’ve lost six of their last eight games. To avoid a play-in game, they need to get to 20 regular season wins and then win one at the SEC Tournament.       9. Georgia (20-9, 8-8 SEC): Mike White has produced a third straight 20-win season, which has only been done two other times in school history. Mike is well on his way toward having a statue erected outside Stegman Coliseum. The Bulldogs are a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. This week’s game are No. 17 Alabama and a roadie to Mississippi State.   8. Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC): The Longhorns are assured of a break even season in SEC play, which is a good thing since they’re very capable of losing both games this week (at Arkansas and Oklahoma at home). A .500 record in SEC play will get them into the NCAA Tournament but probably something like a No. 10 or No. 11 seed.   7. Missouri (20-9, 10-6 SEC): The Tigers have won six of their last eight games. They’re ensured of a winning record in the SEC and they will make the NCAA Tournament. Get to 23 wins and they probably make it to the No. 8 line.   6. Vanderbilt (22-7, 9-7 SEC): Since starting out 16-0, the Commodores are 6-7 with four of the losses by a combined 10 points. Duke Miles is healthy again which helps, but the lack of size has been killing Vandy.   5. Tennessee (20-9, 10-6 SEC): The Vols have a nasty habit of blowing big leads and then losing a white knuckle. It happened against Alabama. An equal concern is the health of freshman Nate Ament who hurt his knee in the loss to Bama. The Vols can beat South Carolina without him, but Vandy? They need two wins to get the double-bye at the SEC Tournament.   4. Kentucky (19-10, 9-7 SEC): Hope springs eternal in Lexington after winning two straight. Hope might nosedive this week since the Wildcats have to go to Aggieland and then finish the season at Rupp against the Gators. They’re in the NCAA Tournament, but they need to get to 22 wins if they want anything better than the No. 6 line.   3. Arkansas (21-8, 11-5 SEC): Injuries have taken their toll on the Razorbacks, who will be trying to rebound from a monumental blowout loss at Florida. They are home against Texas and on the road at Missouri this week. They need to win at least one to ensure the double-bye at the SEC Tournament.   2. Alabama (22-7, 12-4 SEC): Alabama is on an 8-game tear that has the Tide flirting with a No. 4 NCAA seed. They could win a share of the SEC title if the Gators do the unthinkable and go 0-2 this week.   1. FLORIDA (23-6, 14-2 SEC): The Gators can clinch the outright SEC championship if they beat Mississippi State Tuesday night.     IF THE SEC TOURNAMENT WERE HELD TODAY Wednesday, March 11 1. No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 16 South Carolina 2. No. 12 Mississippi State vs. No. 13 Oklahoma3. No. 10 Georgia vs. No. 15 Ole Miss 4. No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 14 LSU   Thursday, March 12 5. No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. Game 1 winner 6. No. 5 Kentucky vs. Game 2 winner 7. No. 7 Texas vs. Game 3 winner 8. No. 6 Tennessee vs. Game 4 winner   Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals) 9. No. 1 FLORIDA vs. Game 5 winner 10. No. 4 Missouri vs. Game 6 winner 11. No. 2 Alabama vs. Game 7 winner 12. No. 3 Arkansas vs. Game 8 winner   Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals) 13. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner 14. Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner   Sunday, March 15 (Championship game)

Tommy Haugh cuts down the SEC championship net (Photo by Bobby D'Alessio) The Florida Gators have successfully created a dilemma of major proportions for the people on the selection committee who will determine the top four seeds for the NCAA Tournament in two weeks. Do they go strictly by record? It seems almost inevitable that Duke, Michigan, Arizona and UConn will finish with fewer losses than the Gators, who currently stand 23-6, and head-to-head, Duke, Arizona and UConn all own wins over Florida, albeit by a combined 11 points, all nearly three months ago.   But, are any of those teams playing better than Florida right now? Which one of those teams would be favored to take down the Gators after watching how the 7 th -ranked Gators nuked 20 th -ranked Arkansas 111-77 at the O-Dome Saturday night.   Asked that question post game, Arkansas coach John Calipari, who’s been at it long enough to win a national championship while the head coach at Kentucky and accumulate 854 wins in four stops on a Hall of Fame career, responded, “They're playing well. They are, and the biggest thing is they're kind of connected, which makes it even tougher. They're big. They're connected and they play physical. They're not afraid to throw you around. That's how they play.”   The Gators did throw the Razorbacks around like rag dolls. It got so bad in the second half that all Calipari could think about was “I wish it would have gone faster.” Instead, it must have seen an eternity as he had to agonize seconds feeling like minutes as they ticked off the clock and minutes seeming like hours.   While delivering a punishing blow to any hopes the Razorbacks (21-8, 11-5 SEC) had of winning the Southeastern Conference, the Gators – 14-2 in SEC play – clinched their eighth league championship in school history, the first for Todd Golden, who already has the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament scalps of last season hanging from his belt. Florida can claim the title outright Tuesday night when the Gators play Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11 SEC) in their final home game of the year.   “We want to win on Tuesday night on our home floor to get the lone championship and as I just told the team, we're playing for a lot still,” Golden said. “We got a lot to still accomplish. This can't be the best thing that happened to us this year. Not only are we playing to be lone champs on Tuesday, but I told the guys, we're playing to become the best seed possible.   “Because of the way we played in the month of February (8-0), we've opened up a lot of opportunities for ourselves down the stretch and if we take care of business and play really well, there's not a seed out there that is unattainable for us. Obviously, there's other teams competing for it, but we have a lot that's under our control down the stretch here.”    Yes, there is a lot under control of the Gators, who have potentially 11 more games – the final two regular season (Mississippi State and at Kentucky), three at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, and six in the NCAA Tournament where the Gators will be trying to become the second Florida team to win back-to-back national championships. A 16-2 or even 15-3 regular season record in SEC play combined with a 3-game run through the league at the SEC Tournament would make a compelling case for Florida to nudge one of those teams with fewer losses off one of the four No. 1 seeds.   Considering where the Gators were back on December 9, that Florida is even being thought of as a possible No. 1 and a serious national championship contender is a remarkable accomplishment. Lest we forget, the Gators were 5-4 after losing a white knuckler to UConn at Madison Square Garden on December 9.   We can’t also forget that less than a month later, Florida was 9-5 overall having lost the first SEC game of the season on the road at Missouri. Since then, the Gators are 14-1 and right now, there isn’t a team in the country playing better than Florida, currently on a 9-game streak in which the wins are by a combined 208 points. Only Kentucky, a 92-83 loser in a game that wasn’t as close as the score might seem to indicate, has come closer than 13 points during this exercise in which Florida has turned the Southeastern Conference into its own personal playground.   One of those nine wins, it must be noted, was by 23 points over Alabama, the only team standing that has a mathematical shot at tying the Gators for the SEC championship. Bama (22-7, 12-4 SEC) hasn’t lost since the Gators put a 100-77 stomping on the Crimson Tide but any SEC championship illusions will be ground up in the garbage disposal if the Gators win one of their last two.   In many ways, Florida’s obliteration of Arkansas was what Yogi Berra would have called “déjà vu all over again” because it seemed so much like an instant replay the Alabama game. An Urban Klavjar three with 12:49 left in the first half gave the Gators the lead for good at 18-16 and that was like chum on the water for sharks the way it created a feeding frenzy that sent the O-Dome crowd of 11,076 into an apoplectic state that nearly blew the lid off the 46-year-old arena. Arkansas never got closer than seven again.   As the Gators raced out to a 53-34 lead at the half, it wasn’t just the usual suspects doing the damage. Klavzar (8) and Isaiah Brown (10) accounted for 18 of the 53 points in a half that Golden’s entire 8-man rotation took turns inflicting pain and suffering into the Razorbacks. It was bad for Arkansas but it got even worse after the intermission. While the Gators were dunking and bombing their way to a lead that kept on expanding, they were on defensive lockdown against an Arkansas team that came into the game killing it offensively.   In terms of defensive efficiency, Florida is the fourth best team in the country per the kenpom.com analytics, which prompted Calipari to point out, “And we're one of the top three offensive teams in the country, so what you saw today was a really good defensive team taking care of a really good offensive team.”   In the paint, the Gators were at their intimidating best, blocking five shots while altering at least 20 more. On the perimeter, where Arkansas pinned its hopes that freshman bombers Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas could heat up and make enough threes to keep the Razorbacks in the game, the Gators were smothering. It was rare that either Acuff or Thomas found enough of a crease in the Florida defense that they could launch a three. The two (Acuff 1-3, Thomas 0-2) combined to go 1-5. Acuff is a 42.9 percent 3-point shooter, Thomas 40.3. Minus their ability to hit threes, the Arkansas offense stalled. As a team, the Razorbacks were just 4-13 on their threes, not what anyone expected from a team that makes 37.9 percent of its threes to lead the SEC.   Taking Acuff and Thomas out of the Arkansas offensive equation was all part of the Florida defensive game plan.   “ That was a big part of our scout,” Golden said. “I think Jonathan Safir, who had the scout tonight, did a great job by identifying the ways that they could beat us and ways that if we could guard them, that it would be hard for them, and that was a big part of it.  Not letting Acuff … has obviously been phenomenal, he's a great player, but we did a really good job on limiting his opportunities from three.   “And then X (Xaivian Lee), along with Urb (Klavzar) and Boog (Boogie Fland) did a great job on Thomas. You know, he's been a great scorer. He’s been coming on lately providing some 3-point shooting for them, and limiting those guys to one make between them was a big reason why we won the way we did."   With their bombers unable to do much more than taxi down the runway – Acuff took 19 shots from the field and six from the foul line for his 17 points; Thomas needed 13 shots (0-2 from three) to score 10 – Without Acuff and Thomas making shots, Arkansas lacked the firepower to stay with the Gators, who saw seven of the 8-man rotation score in double figures. Tommy Haugh led the Gators with 22 points, while Alex Condon had 17, Fland and Klavjar 14 each, Lee 13, Chinyelu 12 and Isaiah Brown 11.   Florida dominated the rebounding 51-31 led by Chinyelu who grabbed 16. The Gators  outscored the Hogs in the paint 56-44, and got 33 points off the bench. It was overwhelming for an Arkansas team that was thought to be Final Four capable prior to its close encounter with the Gators at the O-Dome.   The Hogs left the O-Dome needing to regroup, maybe not a toss the script and start all over again regroup, but one in which roles are redefined and a team re-energized. The Gators, on the other hand, left the O-Dome with a night to celebrate, a Sunday to recuperate and a Monday to ready for the next rung on the ladder that could take the Gators to a second straight national title.   “ As I continue in my career, you just realize that every year is different and every team is different,” Golden said. “And we were incredibly fortunate to return some really impactful players off a national championship team, but it took us a little bit to get comfortable and to find our way. And the credit that this team deserves more than anything is staying together, believing in each other when guys weren't playing at their best, not pointing fingers.   “Our staff did a great job of keeping our guys aligned and on the same page. Even when we were 5-4, we thought we had a chance to have a special season if we just improved incrementally over the rest of the year and we've done that. I think we're playing as good as anybody in America right now."   ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC No. 17 Alabama (22-7, 12-4 SEC) 71, No. 22 Tennessee (20-9, 10-6 SEC) 69:  Labaro Philon Jr.’s jump shot with 22.8 seconds remaining lifted Alabama past Tennessee in Knoxville. Tennessee’s stud freshman Nate Ament left the game with a knee injury with 7:42 remaining in the first half. The Vols blew a double digit lead in the game’s final minutes. Latrell Wrightsell scored 25 points to lead the scoring for Alabama, which has won eight straight games since losing to Florida. Tennessee’s leading scorer was Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who scored 26.    Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 SEC) 91, No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-7, 9-7 SEC) 79:  Collin Chandler hit 6-8 from the 3-point line while scoring 23 points to lead Kentucky to a blowout win over Vanderbilt. At one point in the game, Vandy was 4-24 from the 3-point line. Besides Chandler, Otega Oweh scored 23 and Denzel Aberdeen 15 for UK. Tyler Tanner led Vanderbilt with 19.    Missouri (20-9, 10-6 SEC) 88, Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11 SEC) 64:  Five Missouri players scored in double figures led by Mark Mitchell’s 17 as the Tigers solidified their chances to make the NCAA Tournament. Missouri hit 51 percent from the field overall and 40 percent from the 3-point line. Josh Hubbard scored 16 for Mississippi State.    Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC) 76, Texas A&M (19-10, 9-7 SEC) 70:  Ahead by three with 5:18 remaining in the game, Texas got a 3-pointer from Cameron Heide and kept its distance from the Aggies, who have lost six of their last eight games. Tramon Mark scored 23 points to lead Texas while Rashaun Agee had 22 for A&M.   Georgia (20-9, 8-8 SEC) 87, South Carolina (12-17, 3-13 SEC) 68:  Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 18 points as five Bulldogs scored in double figures, evening the SEC record at 8-8. Meechie Johnson scored 20 for South Carolina, which hit just 6-24 from the 3-point line.    Oklahoma (15-14, 5-11 SEC) 83, LSU (15-14, 3-13 SEC) 67:  Nijel Pack hit five 3-points and scored 21 points as Oklahoma moved a game ahead of .500 with a blowout win over LSU. Xzayvier Brown added 20 for the Sooners. LSU, which made only 6-23 from the 3-point line, was led by Max Mackinnon, who scored 17.   Ole Miss (12-17, 4-12 SEC) 85, Auburn (15-14, 6-10 SEC) 79:  Auburn’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament probably hinge on winning both games next week and then one or two at the SEC Tournament after falling to Ole Miss. The Rebels got 26 points each from AJ Storr and Patton Pinkins. The game was won at the foul line where the Rebels hit 13-17 while Auburn was 19-27. Auburn’s scoring leader was Tahaad Petiford, who scored 24.   Tuesday’s SEC games Mississippi State (13-16, 5-11 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (23-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (22-7, 12-4 SEC) at Georgia (20-9, 8-8 SEC) No. 22 Tennessee (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at South Carolina (12-17, 3-13 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-7, 9-7 SEC) at Ole Miss (12-17, 4-12 SEC) Missouri (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at Oklahoma (15-14, 5-11 SEC)  Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-10, 9-7 SEC) LSU (15-14, 3-13 SEC) at Auburn (15-14, 6-10 SEC)   Wednesday’s SEC game Texas (18-11, 9-7 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (21-8, 11-5 SEC)   Top 25 plus SEC in kenpom.com rankings: 1. Duke 27-2; 2. Michigan 27-2; 3. Arizona 27-2; 4. FLORIDA 23-6; 5. Illinois 22-7; 6. Houston 24-5; 7. Purdue 22-6; 8. Iowa State 24-5; 9. UConn 27-3; 10. Michigan State 23-5; 11. Nebraska 25-4; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. Texas Tech 22-7; 14. Alabama 22-7; 15. Vanderbilt 22-7; 16. Kansas 21-8; 17. Virginia 25-4; 18. Tennessee 20-9; 19. Louisville 20-9; 20. Arkansas 21-8; 22. Saint Mary ‘s 27-4; 23. BYU 20-9; 24. Iowa 20-9; Kentucky 19-10 (SEC: 29. Texas 18-11; 33. Georgia 20-9; 37. Texas A&M 19-10; 39. Auburn 15-14; 47. Missouri 20-9; 50. Oklahoma 15-14; 58. LSU 15-14; 79. Ole Miss 12-17; 95. South Carolina 12-17; 96. Mississippi State 13-16;   Top 25 plus SEC in barttorvik.com rankings: 1. Michigan 27-2; 2. Duke 27-2; 3. FLORIDA 23-6; 4. Arizona 27-2; 5. Houston 24-5; 6. Illinois 22-7; 7. Purdue 22-6; 8. UConn 27-3; 9. Iowa State 24-5; 10. Texas Tech 22-7; 11. Michigan State 23-5; 12. Nebraska 25-4; 13. Kansas 21-8; 14. Tennessee 20-9; 15. Gonzaga 28-3; 16. Vanderbilt 22-7; 17. Alabama 22-7; 18. Virginia 25-4; 19. Louisville 20-9; 20. St. John’s 23-6; 21. Arkansas 21-8; 22. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 23. Wisconsin 20-9; 24. Iowa 20-9; 25. North Carolina 23-6 (SEC: 32. Kentucky 19-10; 34. Texas A&M 19-10; 38. Georgia 20-9; 39. Texas 18-11; 44. Missouri 20-9; 45. Auburn 15-14; 50. Oklahoma 15-14; 73. LSU 15-14; 80. Ole Miss 12-17; 99. Mississippi State 13-16; 102. South Carolina 12-17

Florida returned to Denton, Texas for a quad meet at Texas Women’s University with Fisk University and Arizona State. On the last trip to TWU Florida scored a very high 198.175 in 2023. Led by Trinity Thomas on the Floor and Sloan Blakely on the Vault, both scoring a 9.975.

Boogie Fland (0) has become one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation (Photo by Chris Spears) The last team that came to the O-Dome hoping to turn a game with the Florida Gators into a track meet was Alabama back on February 1. Bama did what Bama does that game, which is to bomb away from 3-point range and try to beat the Gators down the court for layups. Nice strategy except it didn’t work because Florida destroyed the Crimson Tide in the paint, 72-26, and sent them packing to the tune of 100-77, something like 15-16 points below their scoring average.     Arkansas, whom the 7 th -ranked Gators (22-6, 13-2 SEC) play tonight at the O-Dome (8:30 p.m., ESPN), has a similar philosophy and it works for 90.6 points per game. John Calipari has three  bombers – Darius Acuff Jr. (22.2 points, 6.1 assists per game), Meleek Thomas (15.2 points) and Billy Richmond III (10.9 points) – who specialize in getting out on the break and lighting it up, making the Razorbacks (21-7, 11-4 SEC) one of the more difficult teams in the country to defend. Opponents score nearly 80 a game on Arkansas but are usually left gasping for air trying to keep up with the pace.   What most opponents don’t anticipate is a Florida team that can adapt to any pace, light up the scoreboard and play smothering defense. The Gators score plenty (86.2 per game) but it’s what they do defensively that sets them apart. Both the kenpom.com and barttorvik.com analytics rate Florida the No. 4 defensive team in the country. During the recent surge that has seen Florida win eight straight games to take command of the Southeastern Conference, the Gators have allowed opponents to hit just 54-185 from the 3-point line, a rather dismal 29.1 percent.   If the Gators hold Arkansas to 29.1 percent – the Razorbacks typically hit 37.5 percent of their threes – it probably means there will be a championship celebration at the O-Dome. Beat Arkansas and the Gators clinch their first SEC championship since 2014 no matter what happens in the last two games. But, as long as the Gators get to 15 SEC wins, they’ll be league champs.   The Gators have the ability to overpower opponents in the paint no matter which end of the floor they’re on. Florida has what is widely recognized as the best 4-man front court rotation in the nation in starters Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Tommy Haugh with Micah Handlogten coming off the bench. They combine to score 46.6 points and grab 31.1 rebounds per game while providing menacing protection around the rim.   Those four contributed eight of Florida’s 11 blocked shots back on Wednesday when the Gators scored a road win over Texas. Florida is the nation’s leader in rebounding, offensive rebounding and rebounding margin (+14 per game).   It is the perimeter rotation of starting guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee along with Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown that has stepped it up in the last eight games. Florida’s perimeter guys are no longer considered a potential liability due to inconsistency, but now they’re another strength of this team. Defensively, they have played well all season, but particularly during the current winning streak. Offensively, they’re starting to make shots from the perimeter. Lee is 11-26 in his last five games. Fland is 5-9 in his last two. Klavzar is on a 21-42 run during the winning streak while Brown is hitting a season-long 35.1 percent.   The improvement of the guard play is why both CBS and Joe Lunardi have moved the Gators up to the No. 2 line in the brackets projecting the NCAA Tournament field. Not bad for a team that started the season 5-4. Seth Greenberg of ESPN’s College Game Day, which is at the O-Dome today, believes the Gators are capable of moving up to the No. 1 line.   “I think if they win the SEC that means they’re probably winning out, they’re probably a No. 1 seed,” Greenberg said Friday. “Don’t want to put any pressure on the head coach, right? Coaching agility and dealing with starting 5-4 and getting to where they are today, that is the essence of coaching. It really is. Because when you're 5-4, it can be suffocating. He must, I don't know, he has something in him that enables him to just deal with it and pour it to his team. And that's hard to do when you're losing, especially when the expectation is so crazy.”   The expectation tonight will be a Florida win and an SEC championship.   Game notes: Since winning their first SEC championship in 1989, the Gators have won more league titles (7) than any team other than Kentucky (13). Since 2000, the Gators have won more national championships (3) than any team in the SEC. That’s as many championships as Duke and North Carolina have won … In winning the last two games on the road, Florida held Ole Miss and Texas to a combined 7-29 from the 3-point line … All five Florida starters are scoring double figures (Haugh 16.9, Condon 14.3, Fland 11.5, Lee 11.4, Chinyelu 11.3. Klavzar averages 10 off the bench. For the season he’s hitting 40.1 percent from three … Chinyelu is a semifinalist for national defensive player of the year.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC):  Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Boogie Fland 6-3, 185, SO); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR)   No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC): Trevon Brazile (6-10, 230, SR); Nick Pringle (6-10, 230, SR); Billy Richmond III (6-6, 205, SO); Meleek Thomas (6-5, 185, FR); Darius Acuff Jr. (6-3, 190, FR)   Saturday’s games No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC) at Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC) Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC) South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) at Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC) at Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC)    IF THE SEC TOURNAMENT WERE HELD TODAY Seedings 1-16: 1. FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC); 2. Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC); 3. Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC); 4. Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC); 5. Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC); 6. Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC); 7. Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC); 8. Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC); 9. Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC); 10. Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC); 11. Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC); 12. Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC); 13. Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC); 14. LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC); 15. Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC); 16. South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC)   First round matchups (March 11) 1. No. 9 Texas vs. No. 16 South Carolina; 2. No. 12 Mississippi State vs. No. 13 Oklahoma; 3. No. 10 Georgia vs. No. 15 Ole Miss; 4. No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 14 LSU   Second round matchups (March 12) 5. No. 8 Texas A&M vs. Game 1 winner; 6. No. 5 Missouri vs. Game 2 winner; 7. No. 7 Kentucky vs. Game 3. Winner; 8. No. 6 Vanderbilt vs. Game 4 winner   Quarterfinals (March 13) 9. No. 1 Florida vs. Game 5 winner; 10. No. 4 Tennessee vs. Game 6 winner; 11. No. 2 Alabama vs. Game 7 winner; 12. No. 3 Arkansas vs. Game 8 winner   Semifinals (March 14) 13. Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10; 14. Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12   Championship Game (March 15)   SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Texas A&M)   South: 1. UConn; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Houston; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Georgia; 10. Missouri; 11. Auburn)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky)   SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Michigan State; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Georgia)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Purdue; 3. Houston; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Kansas; 4. Nebraska (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 9. Missouri; 10. Texas)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Virginia; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 10. Auburn)

Alex Condon dunks on Alabama (UAA Photo) Give Chris Beard and Sean Miller credit. Faced with a Florida (22-6, 13-2 SEC) basketball team whose momentum is snowballing, the Ole Miss (Beard) and Texas (Miller) coaches have reverted to the Al McGuire cut the head off the snake defensive philosophy. Determined to prevent Rueben Chinyelu from dominating them on the inside, they have successfully neutralized Florida’s big guy, who came into the Ole Miss game as the nation’s leading rebounder with 16 double-doubles.   You could add Chinyelu’s totals for both games and you wouldn’t have a double-double – three points and six rebounds against Ole Miss and five and four against Texas. The strategy was definitely effective, but should be filed under the category it seemed like a really good idea at the moment.   There was just one teensy little problem. In gambling to take out Chinyelu they left the perimeter wide open and it created opportunities for Alex Condon to take over the game in the paint. In the last two games, the Gators are 19-40 from the 3-point line while Condon has gone off for 47 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, five blocked shots and a steal.   Since early season, defenses have sagged to clog up the middle while daring Florida to make shots on the perimeter. In Florida’s six losses, the Gators are a combined 40-153 from the 3-point line. That’s 26.1 percent. In the losses to Arizona, Duke and UConn the Gators shot 19-80 on threes while creating the impression that Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland couldn’t find the ocean if they were on a boat 100 miles off the continental shelf.   For the season, Lee is shooting just 27.8 percent on his threes, but in the last five games he is 11-26 (42.3 percent). Against Ole Miss and Texas he was 3-6. Fland is 21.2 percent for the year, but he has nailed 5-9 in the wins over Ole Miss and Texas.   Picking up the slack for Lee and Fland have been Tommy Haugh, who had a three in 22 straight games prior to Texas when the streak ended in large part because of foul troubles that disrupted his productivity, and Urban Klavzar, who has become Florida’s mad bomber. Klavzar is making 40.1 percent of his threes for the season, but more impressive an even 50 percent (21-42) in Florida’s eight wins since the loss to Auburn. Additionally, when left open, Isaiah Brown (35.1 percent) has shown he can nail a three.   As for Condon, the low point of the season was Auburn when he scored one more point than a dead man. In the eight games since, his stat line reads 122 points (15.25), 57 rebounds (7.1), 34 assists (4.25), five steals and 13 blocked shots. He has even nailed a three in each of the last two wins, but his lethal weapon has been a little push shot from eight feet on in. Since the Auburn game, Condon is 49-76 overall from the field (64.4 percent).   More than adequately, these guys have proven that Florida is far more than a one-man gang. There is such a fine line between winning and losing but as Lee and Fland re-discover their outside shots and Condon goes beast mode, the Gators are taking on the look of the nation’s most complete team. There are still three Southeastern Conference games remaining – Arkansas and Mississippi State at home, Kentucky at Rupp – but the 7 th -ranked Gators need only to win Saturday and they will clinch the SEC regular season championship.   It’s probably a little too early to start calling the Gators a great team, but shots are falling and the inside game is still dominant even when Chinyelu is neutralized. This team seems ready to take that next step that will take them from very, very good to great. SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Texas A&M)   South: 1. UConn; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Houston; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Georgia; 10. Missouri; 11. Auburn)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky)   SEC in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Purdue; 3. Michigan State; 4. Alabama (SEC: 10. Georgia)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Purdue; 3. Houston; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Kansas; 4. Nebraska (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 9. Missouri; 10. Texas)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Virginia; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 10. Auburn) Top 25 plus SEC in NCAA NET rankings: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan; 3. Arizona; 4. Illinois; 5. Gonzaga; 6. FLORIDA; 7. Purdue; 8. Iowa State; 9. UConn; 10. Houston; 11. Nebraska; 12. Michigan State; 13. Virginia; 14. Kansas; 15. Texas Tech; 16. Louisville; 17. Vanderbilt; 18. Arkansas; 19. Alabama; 20. Tennessee; 21. BYU; 22. Saint Mary’s; 23. St. John’s; 24. Saint Louis; 25. Utah State (SEC: 29. Kentucky; 33. Georgia; 35. Auburn; 40. Texas; 42. Texas A&M; 58. Missouri; 65. LSU; 67. Oklahoma; 93. Ole Miss; 96. Mississippi State; 108. South Carolina   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC): Lamont Paris is under contract through 2030 so there is a reasonable possibility that the powers that be at South Carolina will give him another year. That might not settle well with the check-writing portion of the faithful.   15. Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC): Some very informed people think Chris Beard is seriously considering moving on but he’s making $5 million a year. Who’s going to pay him that much especially after such a rotten season?   14. Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC): Chris Jans is another coach whose name is popping up as entertaining the idea of a lateral move. The schedule says three more losses so he might be thinking he’s hit the ceiling at MSU.   13. LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC): A case can be made to fire Matt McMahon, but with one win in the last three he ensures no worse than a .500 season, which might be considered remarkable when taking into account all the injuries.   12. Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC): The Sooners are every bit as capable of going 0-3 down the final stretch as they are going 3-0. Nobody knows which team will show up. The question is will the AD give Porter Moser another year or is he a goner?   11. Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC): Steven Pearl needs to win two of the last three and then one or maybe two at the SEC Tournament to get the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament. The next two are Ole Miss and LSU, both at home.   10. Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC): The guess is that Mizzou makes the NCAA Tournament if it gets to 20 wins overall and 10 in SEC play.   9.  Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC): The Longhorns really need two more wins in the regular season and at least one at the SEC Tournament to feel comfortable about their NCAA Tournament chances.   8. Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC): Two of the last three (South Carolina, at Mississippi State) are quite winnable. Georgia is almost certain to get in if it gets to 20 wins, but a break even SEC record (9-9) would make the tournament selection committee feel a lot better.   7. Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC): Mark Pope has a $22 million roster that hasn’t played like it’s paid. The Wildcats are a lock for the tournament because they will assure the NCAA of at least one sellout. Fans aren’t happy with The Pope of the Bluegrass, but he’s going to get one more year.   6. Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC): The lack of size and overall talent is catching up with the Aggies. That full court press isn’t nearly as effective now as it was earlier in the year but it’s good enough that the Aggies are an NCAA lock. 5. Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC): Duke Miles is back from an injury and with him in the lineup, the Commodores are a much different team. If the Commodores figure out a way  beat Kentucky and Tennessee on the road in their last three games, they might make the No. 4 line when the NCAA selects.   4. Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC): The Vols have a chance to derail Alabama Saturday night in Knoxville. If Rick Barnes can muster up three wins to close out the season Tennessee could get the double bye for the SEC Tournament.   3. Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC): Alabama can’t play a lick of defense, but the Tide is outscoring people. Saturday’s game at Tennessee is critical for both SEC Tournament and NCAA seeding.   2. Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC): If the Razorbacks go 3-0 the rest of the way they’ll win the SEC title. Win two out of three and they could be a No. 4 in the NCAA Tournament.   1.FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC): The big bad Gators are scorching hot these days. Remember all that talk about guard issues? Forget that. The nation’s best front court now has guards making shots. The rest of the country should be very, very afraid.   Saturday’s SEC games No. 20 Arkansas (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (22-6, 13-2 SEC) No. 17 Alabama (21-7, 11-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-8, 10-5 SEC) No. 25 Vanderbilt (22-6, 9-6 SEC) at Kentucky (18-10, 9-6 SEC) Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-9, 9-6 SEC) Missouri (19-9, 9-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10 SEC) South Carolina (12-16, 3-12 SEC) at Georgia (19-9, 7-8 SEC) Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12 SEC) at Auburn (15-13, 6-9 SEC) Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC)