Tommy Haugh is the best player in the SEC (Photo by Chris Spears) When CBS rolled out its latest attempt to nail the brackets for a 2026 NCAA Tournament that is still nearly four weeks from the opening tip, three of the four top seeds were Arizona (West), Duke (East) and UConn (South). Florida has already played those three, Arizona in Las Vegas back in November, Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium back in December and UConn at Madison Square Garden, also in November.   In losing by six to Arizona, the Gators had a chance to tie the game with 43 seconds remaining but Boogie Fland missed a three. With 15 seconds to go, Xaivian Lee missed a three that would have cut the margin to 91-90. Florida lost the game by six (93-87) in a game that was essentially a home game for Arizona, which will probably be ranked second or third when the latest Associated Press poll comes out a little after noon today.   The Gators lost by a single point (67-66) to Duke when Isaiah Evans hit a three with 19.7 seconds remaining. The Gators came from 15 points down to take the lead at 66-64 on a Boogie Fland three with 34.9 seconds to go but Evans retaliated 15 seconds later. The Gators had a chance for a game-winning shot, but Fland turned the ball over with 2.5 seconds left. That is a game the Gators could have and should have won. Duke rarely loses a home game and can anyone remember a game the Blue Devils lost when Roger Ayers was on the whistle. The Blue Devils will probably be No. 1 when the new AP poll comes out today.   At Madison Square Garden, which UConn people call Storrs II, the Gators lost by four (77-73). The Gators had a chance to tie the game after forcing a UConn turnover with 9.4 seconds to go, but Fland was called for a 5-second violation trying to inbounds the ball. UConn was ranked No. 5 at the time and that’s where the Huskies probably will be ranked today.   So, three games played on the road against opponents that were top five then and will be top five today and the difference was 11 points.   Now, Saturday, Duke beat then No.1-ranked Michigan, which CBS has as the other No. 1 seed in its bracketology, and 4 th -ranked Arizona went on the road to beat No. 2 Houston. UConn bounced back from an upset loss to beat Villanova in Philadelphia.   Florida, meanwhile, won its seventh straight game and its sixth straight road game – fourth straight by at least 19 points – to maintain a 2-game lead over a 3-team pack in the Southeastern Conference race. The Gators are 21-6 overall, 12-2 in SEC play. When they lost to UConn, UF was 5-4.   Since No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Houston, No. 6 Iowa State, No. 8 Kansas and No. 10 Illinois all lost on Saturday and earlier in the week both No. 7 Purdue and No. 9 Nebraska bit the bullet one time, the Gators should move into the top ten for the first time since week four. The Gators are top five in both the kenpom.com and barttorvik.com analytical rankings. They are No. 9 in the NCAA NET Rankings and when the NCAA came out with its Early Bracket Preview on Saturday, the Gators were No. 9, which means the first team on the No. 3 line of the top 16 seeds for the tournament. Since there was so much Saturday turmoil, Florida probably will move up to the No. 2 line next week. There is also a very good chance the Gators jump to a No. 2 when Joe Lunardi (ESPN) comes out with his new brackets on Tuesday.   Florida is a legitimate national championship contender. The Gators are a top four defensive team and they’re the best rebounding team in the nation. Todd Golden has an exceptional 8-man rotation of the best collection of bigs in the country and perhaps the nation’s fastest backcourt when transitioning from defense to offense. The Gators have the best player in the SEC in Tommy Haugh (17.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game), the nation's top rebounder in Rueben Chinyelu (11.77 per game) and one of the more versatile bigs in Alex Condon (14 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists).   The missing link has been 3-point shooting but the last four games the Gators seem to have busted out of their season-long slump. Florida is 36-95 from three in the last four games, hitting 10 twice and 11-22 in Saturday’s win at Ole Miss. Haugh has been consistent all season long (33.7 percent, at least one three in 22 straight) and Urban Klavzar (40.1 percent including 19 of his last 37) is one of the best long range shooters in the country. Lee is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter who has hit 9-23 (39.1 percent) in the last four games. Fland shot 34 percent last year at Arkansas so Saturday’s 3-6 effort at Ole Miss is a good sign that he’s ready to have some breakout games.   If you binge-watched basketball all day Saturday starting with the Gators then Michigan, Duke, Houston, Arizona and Iowa State on Saturday, do any of you believe the Gators aren’t as good or better than any of those teams? The Gators can say for sure they’re more than 15 points better than they were earlier in the year when they faced Arizona, Duke and UConn. Can Arizona, Duke and UConn say the same thing, especially if they played the Gators on a true neutral court?   Tuesday’s SEC games Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) at Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11 SEC)   Wednesday’s SEC games No. 12 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) at Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) at No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) at No. 25 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC)   Saturday’s SEC games No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 12 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) at Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) No. 25 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) at Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC) at Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) Oklahoma (12-14, 3-11 SEC) at LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC)   NCAA NET Rankings (top 25 plus SEC): 1. Michigan; 2. Duke; 3. Arizona; 4. Illinois; 5. Gonzaga; 6. Purdue; 7. FLORIDA; 8. Houston; 9. Iowa State; 10. UConn; 11. Nebraska; 12. Michigan State; 13. Louisville; 14. Texas Tech; 15. Vanderbilt; 16. Virginia; 17. Tennessee; 18. Kansas; 19. Arkansas; 20. BYU; 21. Alabama; 22. Saint Louis; 23. St. John’s; 24. Utah State; 25. Iowa (SEC: 29. Kentucky; 32. Auburn; 33. Georgia; 39. Texas; 42. Texas A&M; 60. Missouri; 67. LSU; 70. Oklahoma; 91. Ole Miss; 96. Mississippi State; 105. South Carolina)   SEC teams in CBS bracketology East: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (Other SEC: Vanderbilt 5; 11. Missouri)   South: 1. UConn; 2. Iowa State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 6. Kentucky; 9. Auburn)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Houston; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Virginia (Other SEC: 5. Arkansas; 9. Georgia)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Purdue; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 9. Texas; 10. Texas A&M)   Top 25 teams plus SEC kenpom.com analytics: 1. Michigan 25-2; 2. Duke 25-2; 3. Arizona 25-2; 4. Illinois 22-6; 5. FLORIDA 21-6; 6. Houston 23-4; 7. Purdue 22-5; 8. Iowa State 23-4; 9. Gonzaga 27-2; 10. Michigan State; 11. UConn 25-3; 12. Nebraska 23-4; 13. Vanderbilt 21-6; 14. Tennessee 20-7; 15. Louisville 20-7; 16. Texas Tech 20-7; 17. Arkansas 20-7; 18. Virginia 24-3; 19. Kansas 20-7; 20. Alabama 20-7; 21. BYU 20-7; 22. St. John’s 22-5; 23. Utah State 23-4; 24. Saint Louis 25-2; 25. North Carolina State 19-8 (SEC: 31. Kentucky 17-10; 32. Texas 17-10; 34. Auburn 15-12; 38. Georgia 19-8; 52. Missouri 18-9; 53. LSU 14-13; 82. Ole Miss 11-16; 90. Mississippi 13-14; 92. South Carolina 12-15   Top 25 teams plus SEC barttorvik.com analytics: 1. Michigan 25-2; 2. Arizona 25-2; 3. Duke 25-2; 4. Houston 23-4; 5. FLORIDA 21-6; 6. Illinois 22-6; 7. Purdue 22-5; 8. Iowa State 23-4; 9. UConn 25-3; 10. Texas Tech 20-7; 11. Nebraska 23-4; 12. Vanderbilt 21-6; 13. Tennessee 20-7; 14. Louisville 20-7; 15. Michigan State 22-5; 16. Kansas 20-7; 17. Gonzaga 27-2; 18. Virginia 24-3; 19. St. John’s 22-5; 20. Alabama 20-7; 21. Arkansas 20-7; 22. Saint Louis 25-2; 23. North Carolina State 19-8; 24. Utah State 23-4; 25. BYU 20-7 (SEC: 34. Texas A&M 19-8; 37. Auburn 15-12; 39. Kentucky 17-10; 41. Georgia 19-8; 42. Texas 17-10; 47. Missouri 18-9; 56. Oklahoma 13-14; 63. LSU 14-13; 81. Mississippi State 13-14; 84. Ole Miss 11-16; 98. South Carolina 12-15   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC): The Tigers can play with nearly every team in the league for 35 minutes. Unfortunately, the games are 40 minutes.   15. South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC): Shock of all shocks. The Gamecocks scored 97 in a game to beat Mississippi State. Three of the next four are very losable. Buzzards are circling the South Carolina basketball complex. Coaching change is in the works.   14. Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC): The Rebels will have to win their last four games and two in the SEC Tournament to avoid the first losing season in Chris Beard’s career.   13. Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11 SEC): The Lloyd Noble Center will become a thing of the past with the approval of the Rock Creek Entertainment District where a new basketball arena will be built. Will Porter Moser still be the head coach when the new palace opens?   12. Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC): Mathematically speaking, the Bulldogs could still post a winning record. Given the schedule, it might take a miracle of feeding the 5,000 proportions for that to happen.   11. Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC): The next three games are all winnable. If Auburn finishes 9-9 in SEC play there is no doubt the Tigers will be in the NCAA Tournament.   10. Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC): Mark Pope is blaming the zebras for the Wildcats loss to Auburn. He should instead be looking at the blown layup and two missed stickbacks that would have sealed the win. He has a $22 million roster that often plays like a bunch of amateurs.   9. Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC): Missouri is on the NCAA bubble. Win two of the last four and the Tigers will be locks for the NCAA.   8. Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC): Georgia beat Kentucky in Lexington and Texas at home last week. Can they stay hot the last two weeks of the regular season?   7. Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC): The loss to Georgia was a serious setback. It will be difficult to regain the momentum with Florida, A&M and Arkansas the next three games.   6. Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC): Bucky Ball got a huge win Saturday night. One win in the last four games and the Aggies will have a winning record in SEC play. That’s an accomplishment for the shortest and least talented team in the league.     5. Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC): The good news is Duke Miles is back. The bad news is he played like someone who has been away for a month in the loss to Tennessee.   4. Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC): The next two games (at Missouri, home Alabama) will determine if the Vols get the double bye for the SEC Tournament.   3. Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC): Circle next Saturday’s roadie to Tennessee. That game will likely determine if the Crimson Tide gets the double bye for the SEC Tournament.   2. Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC): Only the road trip to Florida looks daunting for the Razorbacks, who toughed out a win with Missouri Saturday. If Darius Acuff Jr. heats up, Arkansas can play with anyone.   1. FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC): Oh my, the Gators are starting to shoot the ball well from the outside. Dangerous doesn’t even begin to describe Florida.

The most important period in Florida history may rest on the success of Sumrall to get this spring off to a roaring start. By Loren P. Meadows, Football Analyst, GatorBaitMedia.com , Host of the Lowdown with Loren Meadows Out the gate strong-Coach Jon Sumrall (Chris Spears photo) For the past three seasons beginning with Napier’s first week, we set out to grab 6-7 reasons the Florida Gators would win the corresponding number of games the following season. Unfortunately, from offensive coordinator, to the transfer portal to the head coach were those reasons which all seemed viable at the time. So the last four seasons can be easily deemed a failure in the eyes of most Gators. While Sumrall smiles and continues to glad-hand around Gainesville there is work to be done, more goodwill to accrue and if he and the staff are not careful, more mistakes could be made.  Sumrall has accumulated a solid group of talented coaches and personnel that has fans excited about the coming spring and the fall to follow. Quarterback battles, roster spots devoid of promises, totally open competition, and a bravado that many say has them ready to run through a brick wall. With respect, all that is fine and dandy and the two month sample size has been solid. Here lies the problem, you assemble in the winter to prepare in the spring to show and prove in the fall. It is the fall that has been an issue for a school that Bear Bryant once called a “sleeping giant.” So I am going to withhold my judgment and give my opinion based on where this program has been and where I think it is headed, simply because we can all get excited in talking season, however it is those 12 Saturdays in the fall that have to be the focus. No matter how much you see Jon Sumrall and his family about town if it doesn’t go well, Second Rate Sumrall has the same ring as Sun Belt Billy. However, for the theme of this article I am going to vow to remain positive while in wait- and-see mode — offering three simple suggestions to the head coach. For right now, the key is winning the public relations side in the offseason, and is poising to bring that same energy to a program desperate for consistency. I It’s simple: Stay sociable, make it look like football and remember none of it matters if you can’t win eight consistently. Here’s how you can accomplish all three. 1.     Positive public relations off the field - : When Sumrall made his second appearance to the media after his official announcement he went to every single media member and introduced himself. WIN. He has been spotted at several basketball games, gymnastics meets and even was seen at KSP Friday night for softball, WIN. While at these events he shook hands, posed for pictures, sitting among the fans like a regular, even going back for seconds to make a hot dog. WIN. But there’s an extra step. Bring that same energy to your football team, a couple open practices so folks can see the fire. Allow the media more than 15 minutes of stretching and routes on air. Most that watch may or may not know what they are truly looking at and in the spring . Who cares? Miami has allowed the media to see entire practices and last I checked they were a blocked punt and a great fourth down call away from the natty. There really is no downside to it. 2.     Eliminate the fluff: Everyone loves great athletes that are good people, and 99.9 percent of them are. We don’t need to be reminded that a young man comes from a great family after five picks. We need to know why he threw the picks and what will be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Deflecting to off-the-field areas to explain on-field problems will not and shouldn’t be tolerated. I have long thought that coaches get way too much credit when kids are well behaved and too much blame when they don’t. They have mothers and fathers that help with that. A lack of arrests or a 3.7 team GPA is not an elixir for a 5-7 season in the era of NIL in the most fertile recruiting ground in the country. 3.    Clean up the football and clean it up now : You play with 11, not 10, and certainly not 12. High school teams have fewer talented players that know when and where to be when it is there time to be on the field. Sumrall and company need to take the time this spring to clean up the on-field operation. Make special teams special again, bring the savagery back to the defense, maximize the efficiency of reps, and allow both Buster Faulkner and Brad White to develop units that consistently produce on a weekly basis. The last staff had a Monday-Friday problem, a lack of tolerance early will be just what the doctor ordered for a roster that has underachieved in the past. So there it is — nothing major, just a subtle nudge to a coach who upon our first meeting was quite impressive and whom I am cautiously optimistic about. Will these three things bring sure success? Who knows? What we do know is they will be a welcome change from the previous set up and they have proven to work for others. The good news is spring ball is 10 days away. The Sumrall Era has begun.

Urban Klavzar steps back before launching a 3-pointer (Photo courtesy of UAA) On Florida’s first possession of the game, the Ole Miss Rebels surrounded Rueben Chinyelu with four players. The result, a turnover.    The Rebels were determined to neutralize Chinyelu, the nation’s leading rebounder and the Southeastern Conference leader in double-doubles. The strategy was effective, just one teensy problem. In paying so much attention to Chinyelu, Ole Miss left open the perimeter, which seemed like a good idea at the moment when considering the Gators came into the game shooting a rather dismal 29.4 percent from the 3-point line.    Not every brilliantly conceived idea turns out to be a stroke of genius as Ole Miss discovered. Left open to fire away from three, the Gators launched 22 times and found the bottom of the net on half of them. Urban Klavzar, who you expect to hit his share of threes, went 4-5. Klavzar has made at least one 3-pointer in 17 consecutive games. Tommy Haugh, who has now made a three in 22 straight games, went 2-6 with a couple of gravity-defying rim-outs.    The shockers were Boogie Fland and Alex Condon. Coming into the game, Fland was all of 17-95 shooting the 3-ball. As bad as that sounds, the percentage – 17.89 – sounds even worse. Condon came into the game 6-46 from three, having missed every three he’s taken since the Vandy game. Ole Miss left him wide open with 15:02 left in the half. He resisted the urge to pass to a teammate, launched and drained it.   So, when Fland went 3-6 from three and Condon 1-2, it was a sure sign that it was a bad day at the office for Ole Miss. Any time Condon makes a three it’s a real bonus. When Fland is making shots, the Gators become that much more complete of a team.   “We know he’s [Fland] a much better shooter than his percentages to this point of the season,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the Gators (21-6, 12-2 SEC) put a 94-75 stomping on Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC) Oxford for their seventh consecutive win, their sixth straight road win.    The Gators are also a much better 3-point shooting team than the percentages if you take into account the numbers in the last four games. Florida is shooting a most respectable 37.89 percent with 10 threes in wins over Georgia and Kentucky to go with Saturday’s 11, the most the Gators have made in an SEC game this season.    Golden has been issuing subtle warnings for a couple of months now, suggesting that if the Gators ever start shooting 30 percent or better from the 3-point line they would be a very dangerous team. Well, that time has arrived and Florida is indeed very dangerous.     The way the Gators shot the ball – 57.1 percent overall, 50 percent from three and 87 percent from the foul line – they didn’t need one of those beastly performances from Chinyelu, whose stat line read three points, six rebounds and two assists. The double-downs and triple-teaming of Chinyelu opened up the paint area for Condon, who finished with 24 points, four rebounds, six assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Condon only turned the ball over once.   “I thought he [Condon] would play incredibly poised, did a really good job of slowing down in the paint and not being in a hurry and did a really good job on his touch shots around the rim today, putting the ball in,” Golden said. “Obviously, he hit a three early, which got him going a little bit. And just, again, handled double teams, handled any kind of coverage they threw at us and really did a good job playing fast, but not in a hurry.”   When Condo wasn’t making the Rebels pay, Tommy Haugh was doing his part to shred the Ole Miss defense. His two made threes contributed to a 20-point, 9-rebound effort that he supplemented with four assists, two blocked shots and a steal. It was the 11 th  time this season Haugh has scored 20 or more points. With his next point, Haugh will become the 59 th  player in Florida’s 1,000-point club.    Klavzar’s four threes were part of a 15-point effort. In SEC play, Klavzar has made 35 of his 80 3-pointers (43.75 percent). In the seven games since Florida’s last loss, Klavzar is hitting a scorching 51.35   percent of his threes (19-37).    Despite the shooting, this wasn’t one of Florida’s more memorable games. The Gators were sloppy with the basketball, turning it over 19 times which Ole Miss converted into 24 points. Although the overall numbers were good – Ole Miss shot 41 percent overall and just 2-16 (12.5 percent) from the 3-point line – it wasn’t vintage Florida defense. With Haugh drawing the primary assignment on Ole Miss leading scorer AJ Storr, the Gators held him to eight points on 3-10 shooting overall and just 0-2 on 3-pointers.    The Gators also did an exceptional job of running Travis Perry and Patton Pinkins off the 3-point line, to which Golden said, “W e did a good job on AJ Storr. We did a really good job on Pinkins and Perry, not allowing them to get 3-point shots up.”   As expected, the Gators won the rebounding battle (39-24). While it was a +15, which is equal to Florida’s nation-leading rebound per game margin, the Gators actually lost the scoring battle in the paint, 42-38.    Because it was Florida’s sixth consecutive road win, Golden couldn’t really complain too much. At this point of the season every win is a good one. Grinders and ugly wins count the same in the win column as those near flawless efforts. It wouldn’t be a normal day in the SEC if Golden didn’t find teaching points ahead of the next game (Wednesday night at Texas).   “ We did not do good enough job taking care of the ball,” Golden said. “I thought that was an area that we can really focus on before we get to Texas and gotta clean up. We allowed them I think to score 24 points off turnovers, and that’s just not a formula for success.”   It should be noted that five of Florida’s 19 turnovers came in garbage time when the Gators were playing with five reserves on the floor.   Once again, Golden got outstanding production from the four in his backcourt rotation. In addition to Klavzar’s 15 points, Golden got another 27 points from starters Xaivian Lee (11), Boogie Fland (11) and Isaiah Brown off the bench (5). The Gators had 26 assists in 32 made baskets  with Lee racking up 10. It was the first points-assists double-double by a Gator since Tyree Appleby did it against Ole Miss in 2022.   Prior to the game, the Gators were No. 9 when the NCAA released its early bracket preview. In the NCAA’s eyes, they are a No. 3 seed for the tournament, borderline No. 2. In the NCAA Net Rankings the Gators were No. 9 prior to the Ole Miss game.   The Gators maintained their 2-game lead in the Southeastern Conference standings. They have four games remaining, two at home (Arkansas and Mississippi State) and two on the road (Texas and Kentucky). Florida’s ability to win games on the road is why the Gators are leading the league and why they are almost a mortal lock to win the Southeastern Conference championship outright.   According to Golden, there is a very good reason why the Gators are so good away from the O-Dome since SEC play began.   “Our team has been very good in terms of mentally preparing on the road,” Golden said. “I think a big part of it is this group enjoys being around each other. There are obviously less distractions on the road in regards to having family around or people coming to visit, stuff like that. And I think at home, we’ve got a lot of stuff going on and it's hard to always focus completely, whereas on the road, we're pretty insulated. We keep it simple. We get here, we shoot, we go eat, we go to sleep, we wake up, and we get ready to play. And these guys have been ready since the Missouri game, in terms of competing on the road.”    ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) 69, No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) 65: The Vols outscored Vandy 5-0 in the final minute of the game to remain two games behind Florida in the SEC race. Tennessee was led by Ja’Kobi Gillespie with 17 points, and 13 by Nate Ament, whose contested jumper put the Vols ahead for good, 66-65. Vandy was led by Tyler Tanner with 16.   No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) 94, Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) 86: Arkansas stayed within two games of SEC leader Florida as Billy Richmond scored 21 and Darius Acuff Jr. 20 to lead the Razorbacks past Missouri. Mark Mitchell scored 26 to lead Missouri. No. 25 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) 90, LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC) 83: Like Tennessee and Arkansas, Alabama won to remain two games behind the Gators. Aden Holloway (17) and Amari Allen (16) led Alabama while Marquel Sutton scored 21 for LSU, which has lost its last four games. Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) 75, Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11 SEC) 71: Rylan Griffen made two free throws with eight seconds remaining as Texas A&M withstood a furious Oklahoma rally for its ninth SEC win of the season. The win ensures the Aggies will finish with no worse than a .500 record in SEC play. Rashaun Agee scored 17 to lead A&M while Dayton Forsythe led Oklahoma with 14.   Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) 91, Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) 80: The Bulldogs won their second straight game to even their SEC record at 7-7. Georgia had one of its best shooting games of the season, hitting 11-20 3-point shots with Kanon Catchings, Smurf Millender and Jeremiah Wilkinson hitting three apiece. Wilkinson led the scoring for Georgia with 19. Matas Voketaitis scored 22 to lead Texas. Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) 75, Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) 74: Elyiah Freeman’s tip in with 1.1 seconds remaining was the game-winner for Auburn, which broke a 5-game losing streak. Keyshawn Murphy, who grabbed 10 rebounds for Auburn, scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half. Otega Oweh led Kentucky with a career-high 29.   South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) 97, Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) 89:  South Carolina held Josh Hubbard to 4-20 shooting overall and just 2-12 from the 3-point line. Hubbard hit 10 threes and scored 46 points in his previous game. South Carolina hit 12-24 of its 3-point shots. Meechie Johnson and Mike Sharavjamts each scored 21 to lead the Gamecocks. Quincy Ballard scored 15 for Mississippi State.

Boogie Fland gets a defensive stop against Georgia (Photo by Chris Spears) The mathematics favor 12 th -ranked Florida, so much that everybody on the planet expects a blowout today (12 noon, ESPN) when the Gators (20-6-11-2 SEC) take on Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC) in Oxford. The Gators have won six straight games including their last five on the road and they have a 2-game cushion in the Southeastern Conference standings. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has lost eight straight games and is fighting to stay out of the SEC cellar.    Florida is a 13.5-point favorite and the way the Gators have been playing lately, most would be shocked if the final margin isn’t closer to 20. The Gators have won their last six by a 22-point per game margin. Only Kentucky (9-point UF win) was able to keep it closer than 10 points.   There is a 3-team pack chasing the Gators, who can inch closer to the SEC regular season title with a win over Ole Miss. If the Gators make it six straight road wins today, it narrows the chances Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC), Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC) or Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) can at least earn a tie for the championship. Today, Tennessee travels to Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC), Arkansas is home against Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC) and Alabama is on the road to LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC).   The Gators can’t count on either Tennessee, Arkansas or Alabama losing, so it’s imperative on the Gators playing at a very high level to maintain that 2-game edge.   "We talked about it yesterday,” Golden said Friday afternoon. “You're in a spot where you have five league games left, and you have a 2-game lead in the league, which is an incredible spot to be in, but we can't necessarily focus on that or worry about it. The reality is, at the same time, having that goal in front of us, we still have to approach and focus on our day-to-day, just getting better. We talked about our macro goal, but at the same time, on a micro level, yesterday, it was focusing on getting to know Ole Miss and the personnel, kind of getting our bodies back right.   “Today, I thought we had a really good practice. Thought we executed well, our physicality was there, thought we had a kind of a pop in our step. Just as good of a position as we're in today, if we don't take care of business tomorrow and play well, we're gonna be in a tough spot. So it's just taking one game at a time and trying to continue to keep ourselves in a really good position."   Despite their poor record in SEC play, Ole Miss hasn’t exactly been a pushover. The Rebels have been in most games until late, when a lack of quality depth and rebounding has taken a toll. The Rebels average just 34.4 rebounds per game. Florida leads the nation in rebounding (46.04 per game), offensive rebounds (16.42) and rebounding margin (14 per game). The Gators boast the SEC and nation’s leading rebounder in Rueben Chinyelu (11.8 points, 12.0 rebounds). Alex Condon (13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds) ranks third in the SEC in rebounding. Those kind of numbers point to Florida winning big, but Ole Miss can play very tough. Prior to their 8-game losing streak in SEC play, Ole Miss won three straight games in league play – over Missouri at home, at Georgia and at Mississippi State.   “I think they've just been one of those teams that's fallen a little short, like Oklahoma, in some matchups, where you look at them and you're like, 'Dang, you know, they got good players, just like everybody else in the league', and that's why they can go on the road and win at Georgia, even though it was earlier in conference play,” Golden said. “They can go on the road at Texas, have a chance to tie the game with a minute to go. They should have won at Texas A&M, so you when you kind of look at all the results, big-picture wise, like, their record's not great, but they're very capable team, and I think on their home floor, just like any team in the league, like, you got to do a really good job of playing well if you want to get out of there with a win."   In addition to dominating the backboards, the key for the Gators will be on the defensive end. The Gators are actually scoring more points this season than a year ago (86.1 per game this year; 84.8 last) despite a lack of consistent outside shooting (29.4 percent on 3-pointers). Despite the poor shooting percentage, the Gators have actually made more 3-pointers (192) than their opponents (178).   But it is the defense that is the calling card. Per the analytics at barttorvik.com , the Gators are the No. 3 team in the country in defensive efficiency. They’re No. 4 at kenpom.com . All five Florida starters can guard on the perimeter and all five are very good rebounders, which accounts for a lot of one-and-done offensive trips down the floor for opponents.   Since convincing the team that the secret to success this year would be rebounding and defense, Golden believes the Gators are “a more talented defensive team this year, and that's something that we got to continue to hang our hat on."   Golden has also had success getting the Gators to treat every opponent seriously, taking a true one-game-at-a-time approach rather than look ahead.   "It's been the mindset,” Golden said. “It will continue to be the mindset. It's the best way to approach every game. Not every single game can you really treat as a national championship, but it's just mentality and consistency in approach. And trying to do all the things you can put yourself in position be successful and letting the chips fall where they may. But I do think, especially later in the year, the mental part of it's really important and staying fresh and staying focused and making sure that you don't take any of these opportunities for granted. We only got five league games left, two at home, and the postseason will be here before you know it."   Anticipated starting lineups No. 12 FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2): (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)   Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC): Malik Dia (6-9, 250, SR); James Scott (6-10, 225, JR); Travis Perry (6-5, 185, SR); Patton Pinkins (6-5, 200, FR); Ilias Kamardine (6-1, 185, FR)   Saturday’s games No. 12 FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC) Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC) Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC) No. 25 Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC) Texas (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC) Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC) Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC) at Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC) Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC) at South Carolina (11-15, 2-11 SEC)   SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) bracketology Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Texas Tech; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 6. Kentucky; 10. Georgia)   South: 1. Houston; 2. Illinois; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Nebraska (Other SEC teams: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas A&M)   East: 1. Duke; 2. UConn; 3. Kansas; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 9. Texas; 11. Missouri)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Purdue; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Alabama (Other SEC: 10. Auburn)   SEC in CBS bracketology Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Gonzaga; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Missouri)   South: 1. Houston; 2. Purdue; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Virginia (SEC: 5. Tennessee; 10. Georgia)   East: 1. Duke; 2. Illinois; 3. Kansas; 4. Alabama (SEC: 9. Texas; 10. Texas A&M)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. UConn; 3. Nebraska; 4. Michigan State (SEC: 7. Kentucky)

Xaivian Lee was SEC Co-Player of the Week (Photo by Chris Spears) The very last thing Todd Golden wants is for the now 12 th -ranked Gators (19-6, 10-2 SEC) to bask in the glow of a win over the Kentucky Wildcats. Any win over Kentucky is a good win and should be celebrated but not at the expense of whatever and whoever is next. In this case, it’s South Carolina (11-14, 2-10 SEC), a team the Gators whomped by 47 points back on January 28.   Things are certainly different now. When the Gators beat the Gamecocks in Columbia, they were coming off a most unexpected and disappointing home loss to Auburn. When the Gators face the Gamecocks Tuesday (7 p.m., SEC Network) at the O-Dome, they have a 5-game winning streak that has propelled them into sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference and deep into discussions about which teams have a legitimate shot at making the Final Four.   “We had been playing pretty well before the Auburn game when we probably thought we were a little better than we were and then you lose at home,” Golden said Monday afternoon. “Speaking for myself, you're worried you're a lot worse than you really think you are for the next 72 hours until you get to go play that game at South Carolina. So our response to that game made me feel a lot better, and that's what we expect from our guys.   “It gave us confidence that moving forward that you know if we can find a way to maintain that level we'll be in good shape and we pretty much did. You know, for the most part we had moments on Saturday [against Kentucky] where I didn't think we guarded the way we needed to etc., but you know we've been playing at a championship level for about a month now.”   Yes, the Gators have been playing at a championship level, so the last thing they want is a letdown against an SEC bottom feeder, especially with back-to-back road games ahead at Ole Miss and Texas. There is the matter of remaining in first place in the SEC – Florida has a 1-game lead on Arkansas, a 2-game lead on Vanderbilt, Alabama and Tennessee – as well positioning for NCAA Tournament seeding. With six games to go, a combination of four Florida wins and at least one loss to Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Tennessee will ensure the Gators win at least a piece of the SEC regular season championship. Five Florida wins and one Arkansas loss and the Gators win the SEC outright for the first time since 2014.   As for the NCAA Tournament, nearly every bracketologist has Florida on the No. 3 line. If the Gators get to 24 or 25 regular season wins, plus sweep three games in the SEC Tournament in Nashville, it’s entirely possible Florida will be a No. 2 seed. When the Gators won the SEC Tournament a year ago, they were awarded a No. 1 seed and were the fourth overall seed for the NCAA.   That is why it’s important for the Gators to show up in a big way against South Carolina. The Gators have won their last five games by a combined 118 points, which is impressive, but Golden knows this is not a time to be tapping the brakes or easing off the gas.   “Like I would love, you know, in some of these games where we've gotten up in the last eight minutes to play our younger guys and allow them to play through mistakes and develop and do those things,” Golden said. “But winning by 12 is not nearly as valuable as winning by 30 … but the reality is the best, the better seed we have in March, the better chance we have to go deeper in the tournament.   “So we can't sacrifice any of those gains at this point … we'll try to get, take advantage of those times to get younger guys some minutes and stuff like that, but  you really just get to play all 40 minutes … I think we would be in good shape to get there if we say a top four seed so that is what talking about, what are we motivated to play for.”     XAIVIAN LEE SEC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK In leading the Gators to wins over Georgia and Kentucky, Xaivian Lee was selected SEC Co-Player of the Week along with Texas’ Dailyn Swain. Lee had 18 points, three rebounds, seven assists, three steals and no turnovers in the win over Georgia. Against Kentucky, Lee scored 22 with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Lee went 7-16 from the 3-point line in the two games.   For the season, Lee is averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Since the Auburn game, Lee has 24 assists and only four turnovers.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Michigan 24-1; 2. Houston 23-2; 3. Duke 23-2; 4. Arizona 23-2; 5. UConn 24-2; 6. Iowa State 22-3; 7. Purdue 21-4; 8. Kansas 19-6; 9. Nebraska 22-3; 10. Illinois 21-5; 11. Gonzaga 25-2; 12. FLORIDA 19-6; 13. Texas Tech 19-6; 14. Virginia 22-3; 15. Michigan State 20-5; 16. North Carolina 20-5; 17. St. John’s 20-5; 18. Saint Louis 24-1; 19. Vanderbilt 21-4; 20. Arkansas 19-6; 21. Louisville 19-6; 22. Miami (OH) 25-0; 23. BYU 19-6; 24. Wisconsin 18-7; 25. Alabama 18-7   Coaches top 25: 1. Michigan 24-1; 2. Houston 23-2; 3. Duke 23-2; 4. Arizona 23-2; 5. UConn 24-2; 6. Iowa State 22-3; 7. Purdue 21-4; 8. Gonzaga 25-2; 9. Nebraska 22-3; 10. Illinois 21-5; 11. FLORIDA 19-6; 12. Kansas 19-6; 13. Texas Tech 19-6; 14. Virginia 22-3; 15. Michigan State 20-5; 16. St. John’s 20-5; 17. Arkansas 19-6; 18. Vanderbilt 21-4; 19. Saint Louis 24-1; 20. North Carolina 20-5; 21. Louisville 19-6; 22. BYU 19-6; 23. Miami (OH) 25-0; 24. Clemson 20-6; 25. Wisconsin 18-7   Tuesday’s SEC games South Carolina (11-14, 2-10 SEC) at No. 14 FLORIDA (19-6, 10-2 SEC) Georgia (17-8, 5-7 SEC) at No. 25 Kentucky (17-8, 8-4 SEC) LSU (14-11, 2-10 SEC) at Texas (16-9, 7-5 SEC)   Wednesday’s SEC games No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-4, 8-4 SEC) at Missouri (17-8, 7-5 SEC) No. 21 Arkansas (19-6, 9-3 SEC) at Alabama (18-7, 8-4 SEC) Oklahoma (13-12, 3-9 SEC) at Tennessee (18-7, 8-4 SEC) Ole Miss (11-14, 3-9 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-8, 7-5 SEC) Auburn (14-11, 5-7 SEC) at Mississippi State (12-13, 4-8 SEC)   SEC teams in CBS Sports bracketology Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. Iowa State; 3. Texas Tech; 4. Alabama (Other SEC: 6. Kentucky; 9. Texas; 10. Georgia   South: 1. Houston; 2. Purdue; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Virginia (Other SEC: 11. Missouri)   East: 1. Duke; 2. Nebraska; 3. Kansas; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 6. Tennessee)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. UConn; 3. Illinois; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 11. Texas A&M)   SEC teams in NCAA NET Rankings with Quad 1 record: 9. FLORIDA 8-5; 13. Vanderbilt 7-3; 18. Arkansas 6-6; 21. Alabama 5-6; 22. Tennessee 4-7; 28. Kentucky 5-7; 32. Auburn 4-10; 37. Texas 5-6; 39. Georgia 4-6; 43. Texas A&M 3-6; 66. Missouri 3-4; 67. LSU 1-8; 68. Oklahoma 2-8; 92. Ole Miss 1-10; 94. Mississippi State 2-9; 112. South Carolina 1-8   Kenpom.com top 25: 1. Michigan 24-1; 2. Duke 23-2; 3. Arizona 23-2; 4. Houston 23-3 ; 5. FLORIDA 19-6; 6. Illinois 21-5; 7. Iowa State 23-3; 8. Purdue 21-4; 9. UConn 24-2; 10. Gonzaga 25-2; 11. Nebraska 22-3; 12. Vanderbilt 21-4; 13. Michigan State 20-5; 14. Louisville 19-6; 15. Kansas 19-6; 16. Texas Tech 19-6; 17. Arkansas 19-6; 18. Alabama 18-7; 19. Tennessee 18-7; 20. Virginia 22-3; 21. St. John’s 20-5; 22. BYU 19-6; 23. Saint Louis 24-1; 24. Utah State 22-3; 25. Iowa 18-7. Other SEC: 27. Kentucky 17-8; 29. Texas 16-9; 33. Auburn 14-11; 35. Texas A&M 17-8; 43. Georgia 17-8; 53. Oklahoma 13-12; 54. Missouri 17-8; 55. LSU 14-11; 81. Ole Miss 11-14; 86. Mississippi State 12-13; 96. South Carolina 11-14   Barttorvik.com top 25: 1. Michigan 24-1; 2. Houston 23-3; 3. Arizona 23-2; 4. FLORIDA 19-6; 5. Duke 24-2; 6. Illinois 21-5; 6. Duke 23-2; 7. Purdue 21-4; 8. Iowa State 23-3; 9. UConn 24-2; 10. Vanderbilt 21-4; 11. Texas Tech 19-6; 12. Nebraska 22-3; 13. Kansas 19-6; 14. Louisville 19-6; 15. Gonzaga 25-2; 16. Tennessee 18-7; 17. Michigan State 20-5; 18. Virginia 22-3; 19. Alabama 18-7; 20. Arkansas 19-6; 21. St. John’s 20-5; 22. Saint Louis 24-1; 23. Wisconsin 18-7; 24. Indiana 17-9; 25. North Carolina 20-5. Other SEC: 32. Texas A&M 17-8; 34. Auburn 14-11; 40. Kentucky 17-8; 41. Texas 16-9; 46. Georgia 17-8; 49. Missouri 17-8; 51. Oklahoma 13-12; 67. LSU 14-11; 83. Mississippi State 12-13; 87. Ole Miss 11-14; 103. South Carolina 11-14     FEELING THE BURN … Jerome Tang, Kansas State: Tang became the first casualty in what promises to be an active season in which as many as 20 coaches will be dismissed, creating a carousel of changes. Following a loss to Cincinnati Saturday, Tang let loose with a rant about his players that instantly went viral. It wasn’t the first time he’s done it, but it was his last. K-State fired him with cause. Tang has an $18.67 million buyout. He will lawyer up so expect a settlement for millions less than the buyout number.

Rueben Chinyelu in the locker room after the Gators won the 2025 national championship (Photo by Chris Spears) At the NBA 3-point contest in 1988, Larry Bird arrived in the locker room, surveyed his opponents and asked, “Which one of you guys is playing for second?” Out on the floor, Bird never even took his Boston Celtics warmup jacket off and won, beating Dale Ellis in the final round. He hoisted his index finger to signal No. 1 before his final shot even dropped through the net.   Thirty-eight years later, if Todd Golden wanted to, he could ask that same question of the pack of teams that trail Florida (20-6, 11-2) by two or three games in the Southeastern Conference standings. With five games remaining in the regular season, the magic number for the Gators is 14. Three Florida wins will get the Gators to 14. For Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee to get to 14, they will have to go 5-0 the rest of the way. Theoretically, that’s possible. Realistically speaking, there is probably a greater chance that you could get a 747 off the ground using nothing more than an owner’s manual than there is for Florida to not win the SEC.     So the question of the day is which one of those guys (Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee) is playing for second?   Winning the SEC is nice and that’s the immediate goal. Florida hasn’t won the SEC since 2014, which was a Final Four year. Beyond the regular season there is the SEC Tournament in Nashville, a 3-day affair, and then the 3-weekend, 6-game grind that is the NCAA Tournament. A maximum 14 games remain in this basketball season.   So once again the magic number is 14.   Golden is so into the analytics of the game that he is well aware of the numbers. Fourteen SEC wins and the Gators are regular season champs. A maximum of 14 games remain in this basketball season. If the Gators were to go 14-0, they will not only win the SEC and the SEC Tournament, but they will repeat as national champs.   It’s a worthy and achievable goal, but Golden knows that for the Gators to hoist the national championship trophy for the second straight year they have to take it one game at a time, starting Saturday at Ole Miss.   After whomping South Carolina Wednesday night, Golden said, “ I don’t care if it’s Alabama. I don’t care if it’s Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, like, we’re treating that game like the national championship.”   It worked a year ago. In case you’ve forgotten, the Gators were No. 1 in the nation only after they beat Houston in the championship game. Prior to that it was a one-game-at-a-time approach that advanced the cause.   That’s the same approach the Gators will need to be the last team standing 14 games from now.   Wednesday’s scores Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC) 81, No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC) 80: Missouri held off a furious Vanderbilt rally for a win that will give its NCAA chances a huge boost. Vandy trailed 66-45 with 8:43 to go but outscored Mizzou 35-14 the rest of the way. Tyler Nickel’s three with 1.8 seconds remaining got Vandy within a point. Tyler Tanner got a steal on the inbounds pass at midcourt but his Hail Mary heave rattled around the rim and popped out as the horn sounded. The difference in the game was at the foul line where Missouri was 25-32. Vanderbilt got to the line only 18 times. T.O. Barrett and Trent Pierce each had 16 for Missouri. Tanner 27 for Vandy.   No. 25 Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) 117, No. 20 Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC) 115, 2 OT: Houston Mallette’s three from the corner with 51 seconds to go in the second overtime was the difference maker as Alabama survived a 49-point outburst by the Razorbacks’ Darius Acuff Jr. Four Arkansas players fouled out, forcing John Calipari to use two players in overtime who had been on the floor a combined 35 minutes all season. Alabama got to the foul line 34 times while Arkansas had only 19 free throws. Labaron Philon Jr. had 35 points and seven assists for Alabama while Aiden Sherrill contributed 26 points and 13 rebounds. Acuff, who sent the game into overtime with a clutch three, had a chance for the game-winning shot at the end of both overtimes. Both Alabama and Arkansas are in the pack with four SEC losses, two games behind Florida with five to go.   Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC) 89, Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC) 66: Tennessee remained in the pack tied for second in the SEC with a relatively easy win over Oklahoma. Oklahoma had no answers for Tennessee freshman Nate Ament, who finished the game with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 16 points and eight assists for the Vols. Nijel Pack, who hit 4-5 on his 3-pointers, scored 20 to lead the Sooners.   Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC) 80, Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC) 77: The Aggies came from 13 points down in the second half, holding Ole Miss scoreless the last three minutes of the game to break a 4-game losing streak. Rashaun Agee led the Aggies with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Ole Miss was led by AJ Storr, who scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half. Malik Dia, who scored 20 points, left the game with an ankle injury in the second half and didn’t return to the game. The Rebels have lost eight straight.   Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC) 91, Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC) 85:  Josh Hubbard scored 35 points in the first half, 46 for the game as Mississippi State delivered a crushing blow to Auburn’s NCAA hopes. Hubbard, who nailed 10-16 from the 3-point line, had more points at the half than the entire Auburn team. It was the fifth straight loss for Auburn, which was led by Keyshawn Hall, back from suspension. Hall scored 29 and pulled down 10 rebounds.   Saturday’s games No. 12 FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC) Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC) Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC) No. 25 Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC) Texas (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC) Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC) Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC) at Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC) Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC) at South Carolina (11-15, 2-11 SEC)   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. South Carolina (11-15, 2-11 SEC): The only question remaining for South Carolina is will Lamont Paris be given one more year to right the ship or will he walk the plank?   15. Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC): The Rebels had Texas A&M on the ropes, but figured out a way to blow the game. They’ve lost eight straight games.   14. LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC): The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Matt McMahon’s hopes of one more year hinge on money, as in can LSU afford to fire him in light of paying $54 million to fire football coach Brian Kelly and paying Lane Kiffin $13 million a year to replace him.   13. Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC): Oklahoma’s modest 2-game win streak was ended by Tennessee in a rout. Buzzards are circling over Porter Moser’s office.   12. Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC): Josh Hubbard has scored 30 or more three straight games. The Bulldogs are at .500 for the season. They’ve got a shot at a winning record.   11. Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC): The Tigers are playing themselves out of NCAA contention. Five straight losses will do that to you.   10. Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC): Mizzou’s chances of getting off the NCAA bubble and squarely in the tournament field improved significantly with the win over Vanderbilt. The Tigers need to win three of their last five.   9. Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC): The Aggies are the shortest and least talented team in the SEC. Other than Florida, they are also the toughest team to prepare for.   8. Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC): The Bulldogs got a much needed win over Kentucky at Rupp. They need three wins in the last five to finish 9-9 in the SEC.   7. Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC): The Big Blue Nation is calling for a conclave and three puffs of smoke that will signal a new Pope is on the way.   6. Texas (16-9, 8-5 SEC): The Longhorns have won five in a row and have a legitimate shot at 12 SEC wins.   5. Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC): The Commodores are a good team without Duke Miles. With him, they can beat any team in the SEC except Florida.   4. Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC): The Vols have won seven of their last eight and they have a schedule that is conducive to a 4-1 finish.   3. Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC): The Razorbacks need to get healthy but even with a depleted roster Darius Acuff Jr. is good enough to keep them in games.   2. Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC): Bama could win the last five games. The Crimson Tide can’t play a lick of defense, but they can score and run people into the ground.   1. FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2 SEC): The Gator Boyz are hot. Again. A 5-0 finish would surprise no one but 4-1 is more realistic.

Alex Condon scores his 100th point as a Gator (Photo by Chris Spears) When he grades the film of 12 th -ranked Florida’s 78-66 win over South Carolina, Todd Golden will have no problem whatsoever filling up a legal pad with items that must be corrected. Pretty, it wasn’t but grind it out wins count just the same as the aesthetically pleasing wins that send the fan base into frothing at the mouth frenzies.   The outcome was never in doubt Tuesday night. Almost from the opening tip, the only question was would the Gators cover the 23.5-point spread. They didn’t but the final margin was irrelevant. This is that point of the season when you take a win any way you can get it, especially those that help maintain first place in the Southeastern Conference.   “Hell yes, man, that’s how I feel,” Golden said after the Gators improved to 20-6 overall, 11-2 in SEC play. “Every win’s a great win. It’s the SEC. No nights off and every time we’re playing a team after the new year that is any worse than, like, the 75th, 80th-best team in America. So, anytime you’re going to win, or you can win, that’s a huge step in the right direction. And I tell these guys all the time, like, when we’re preparing for games, I don’t care if it’s Alabama. I don’t care if it’s Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina … like, we’re treating that game like the national championship. We want to win regardless of who our opponent is. And these guys allow us to push them that way, and it’s why we’ve been successful the way we have.”   There were segments of this game in which the Gators looked the part of a team capable of a deep run at tournament time in March. In the first 4-1/2 minutes, the Gators torched South Carolina for a 10-3 start, so basically it was all over then. South Carolina never recovered from that opening strafing. Isaiah Brown came off the bench to score five in a row over 33 seconds that made it 18-10. Rueben Chinyelu had his 16 th double-double of the season by halftime (11 points, 13 rebounds). From 39-29, the Gators expanded the lead to 17 (58-41) on a three by Tommy Haugh with 11:42 to go. There was a 10-2 surge over a 2-1/2 minute stretch that belonged to Haugh (3-pointer, assist Alex Condon), Condon (layup and free throw, fast break dunk on an Xaivier Lee pass) and a mini-hook by Chinyelu (another Lee assist). That made it a 22-point game (73-51).   Rueben Chinyelu clears out space for a rebound (Photo by Chris Spears) When the Gators got it going like that, South Carolina was helpless to stop them. But there were also surges by the Gamecocks that weren’t so much defensive lapses by the Gators as much as it seemed boredom set in. The Gators got sloppy with the ball, turning it over 14 times altogether, nine in the second half. They missed 10 layups and bunnies. If not for Haugh nailing 3-5 from the 3-point line, Florida would have shot 2-14.   Amid all that inconsistency, the defense showed up, turning this into another day at the office at that end of the floor. The Gators were intimidating the way they closed out on shooters. South Carolina managed only 62 points on 37.9 percent shooting overall (22-58) and 21.1 percent (4-19) from the 3-point line. The Gators outrebounded the Gamecocks 47-30 and held them to two fast break points. The Gamecocks ran a deliberately slow-paced offense. About the only thing that succeeded in doing was to keep the game from going at the breakneck pace Florida prefers. It certainly didn’t result in easy shots in the paint or open looks from the 3-point line.   As has been the case throughout Florida’s relentless march to first place in the SEC, the defense had a smothering effect that has become the team’s calling card. In 13 SEC games, the Gators have held opponents to 97-312 (31 percent) from the 3-point line and just 71.76 points per game. The Gators have outrebounded 13 SEC opponents by 160, an average of 12.3 rebounds per game.   “I think our guys have done a really good job of understanding that we have incredible defensive talent, physicality, and when we pour into that, it makes the rest of the game easier, and I thought we did really good job of that tonight,” Golden said. “We held them under 40 (percent) from the field, 21 (percent) from three. Fouled a little bit late in the second half that we’ll live with that the way the game was going, and we’ve turned ourselves into a pretty good defensive team, and we got to continue that if we want to reach the goals that we’re striving for.”   Even on a night when the Gators should have won by a much larger margin, it was still a 14-point win. Nine of Florida’s 11 SEC wins have been by 14 or more points. So even though this wasn’t a peak performance, the Gators were easily the dominant team.   Maybe it wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it was a very good win that created more separation from the pack that’s chasing the Gators for the SEC regular season title.   “I feel like there’s an expectation right now with our program that if we’re not up by 15 at halftime, if we don’t win by 25, that something isn’t going right, but we’re in the best league in America,” Golden said. “I still feel like being up 10 at halftime, up 22 with three minutes to go, we played pretty dang well. We didn’t play our best, but even when we’re not at our best, I think we’re really good.”   Game notes: Condon (20 points, 10 rebounds) reached 1,000 points for his Florida career … Chinyelu (15 points, 17 rebounds in just 24 minutes) earned his 16 th -double-double of the season, which leads the SEC and ranks top five nationally … Haugh (10 points) has hit a three in 21 consecutive games … Micah Handlogten (5 points, 9 rebounds) was within one of being Florida’s third player with 10 or more rebounds.   ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC) 86, Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC) 78: Georgia never trailed in the second half and led by as many as 12 before beating Kentucky at Rupp for just the fifth time in school history. Blue Cain with 20 and Jeremiah Wilkinson with 19 led Georgia, which made 14 threes. Otega Oweh scored 28 to lead Kentucky.   Texas (17-9, 8-5 SEC) 88, LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC) 85: Texas blew most of a 17-point lead before squeaking by LSU. Dailyn Swain had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead Texas, which got another double-double from Matas Voiketaitis, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Texas has now won five straight games. Max Mackinnon came off the bench to lead LSU with 27 points, 21 of which came in the second half. LSU has lost seven of its last eight games.   Wednesday’s games No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-4, 8-4 SEC) at Missouri (17-8, 7-5 SEC) No. 21 Arkansas (19-6, 9-3 SEC) at Alabama (18-7, 8-4 SEC) Oklahoma (13-12, 3-9 SEC) at Tennessee (18-7, 8-4 SEC) Ole Miss (11-14, 3-9 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-8, 7-5 SEC) Auburn (14-11, 5-7 SEC) at Mississippi State (12-13, 4-8 SEC)   WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC 16. South Carolina (11-15, 2-11 SEC): Lamont Paris is such a nice guy. Unfortunately, he may not be gainfully employed after another three or so weeks.   15. Ole Miss (11-14, 3-9 SEC): This shapes up to be a bad week for the Rebels who are at A&M tonight and home Saturday against Florida. Chris Beard is on the verge of his first losing season as a head coach.   14. LSU (14-12, 2-10 SEC): The Tigers have lost seven of their last eight and the natives are growing increasingly restless. If they can find a way to win two of their last five they will be assured of a non-losing season. That is at least something for Matt McMahon to hang his hat on.   13. Mississippi State (12-13, 4-8 SEC): The Bulldogs can salvage a non-losing season if they can find a way to win four of the last six, starting tonight with Auburn at The Hump.   12. Oklahoma (13-12, 3-9 SEC): The Sooners, who have won their last two, might salvage Porter Moser’s job if they can somehow cobble four wins together. It’s highly unlikely but not impossible.   11. Missouri (17-8, 7-5 SEC): The Tigers are 3-4 in Quad 1 games. They need three or four more to get off the NCAA bubble.   10. Auburn (14-11, 5-7 SEC): Keyshawn Hall has served his time in Steven Pearl’s jailhouse. He returns tonight at Mississippi State and needs a big game to get back in the graces of the coach and teammates.   9. Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC): Did the win over Kentucky right the Georgia ship? Having lost five of their previous six games, the Bulldogs desperately needed that win and need to follow it up Saturday by taking down Texas in Athens.   8. Texas A&M (17-8, 8-4 SEC): The Aggies have been trending toward the NCAA bubble. Three wins in the last six would keep them somewhere in the 8-10 range for NCAA Tournament purposes. They should get a win tonight at home against Ole Miss.   7. Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC): It’s time to face up to the fact that Kentucky is just not that good. Sure, injuries have played a part, but UK spent $22 million to build a roster and for that much cash outlay they should be able to win in spite of.   6. Texas (17-9, 8-5 SEC): The Longhorns have won five in a row to move off the bubble, but they can’t afford letdowns starting Saturday in Athens.   5. Tennessee (18-7, 8-4 SEC): The Vols have won six of the last seven. They can play their way into a second or third seed at the SEC Tournament which would also give them a shot at a No. 4 or No. 5 NCAA seed.   4. Alabama (18-7, 8-4 SEC): It’s still the same old same old for Bama. When they’re making shots they can play with the best. When they aren’t, they’re capable of going down in flames to even an average team.   3. Vanderbilt (21-4, 8-4 SEC): Vandy is so much better with a healthy Duke Miles. It would be a big boost to the Commodores hopes to get the SEC Tournament double-bye if he were to return tonight at Mizzou.   2. Arkansas (19-6, 9-3 SEC): The Razorbacks have to beat Alabama tonight to stay within a game of Florida.   1. FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2 SEC): The Gators are closing in on their first SEC championship since 2014 and are on everybody’s No. 3 line in NCAA bracketology.

Todd Golden has the Gators in the SEC driver's seat (Photo by Chris Spears) With six games remaining in the regular season, Florida is in the driver’s seat for its first Southeastern Conference championship since 2014. The SEC awards its conference championship to the team that wins the regular season. For NCAA Tournament purposes, the winner of the SEC Tournament gets the automatic berth. The Gators have a 1-game lead over Arkansas and a 2-game lead over Vanderbilt, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, all of whom have four SEC losses. Arkansas could basically eliminate Alabama tonight but if Bama wins, Arkansas will join the pack two games behind the Gators. 1. FLORIDA 19-6, 10-2 SEC: South Carolina; at Ole Miss; at Texas; Arkansas; Mississippi State; at Kentucky Gators should be 12-2 after this weekend. Win two of the last four and it secures at least a piece of the title.   2. Arkansas 19-6, 9-3 SEC: at Alabama; Missouri; Texas A&M; at FLORIDA; Texas; at Missouri The Hogs have the challenge of playing at Alabama, at Florida and at Missouri. To match Florida they’ll have to go 5-1 the rest of the way, which is unlikely.   3. Vanderbilt 21-4, 8-4 SEC: at Missouri; Tennessee; Georgia; at Kentucky; at Ole Miss; at Tennessee Four roadies in the last six. A 10-8 or 11-7 is about as good as it will get for the Commodores.   3. Alabama 18-7, 8-4 SEC: Arkansas; at LSU; Mississippi State; at Tennessee; at Georgia; Auburn Alabama has to go 6-0 the rest of the way for a piece of the title, but that’s only if Florida loses two more games.   3. Tennessee 18-7, 8-4 SEC: Oklahoma; at Vanderbilt; at Missouri; Alabama; at South Carolina; Vanderbilt Circle the game with Alabama. Either the Vols or Tide will be eliminated.   3. Kentucky 17-8, 8-4 SEC: Georgia; at Auburn; at South Carolina; Vanderbilt; at Texas A&M; FLORIDA The Wildcats have to go 6-0 and hope the Gators have one other loss when they arrive for Senior Day at Rupp.   7. Missouri 17-8, 7-5 SEC: Vanderbilt; at Arkansas; Tennessee; at Mississippi State; at Oklahoma; Arkansas The Tigers are shooting for the double bye. That’s a longshot. They need four SEC wins to make sure they make the NCAA.   7. Texas A&M 17-8, 7-5 SEC: Ole Miss; at Oklahoma; at Arkansas; Texas; Kentucky; at LSU The Aggies are a longshot for the double bye but they’ll make the NCAA with two more wins.   7. Texas 16-9, 7-5 SEC: LSU; at Georgia; FLORIDA; at Texas A&M; at Arkansas; Oklahoma The Longhorns are playing very well right now. Getting to 11 or 12 SEC wins is a possibility, which will get them solidly into the NCAA.   10. Georgia 17-8, 5-7 SEC: at Kentucky; Texas; at Vanderbilt; South Carolina; Alabama; at Mississippi State The Poodles need three wins, otherwise they’re a favorite to host a first round game in the NIT.   10. Auburn 14-11, 5-7 SEC: at Mississippi State; Kentucky; at Oklahoma; Ole Miss; LSU; at Alabama There are four wins on that schedule. Given the toughness of Auburn’s non-conference schedule, 9-9 in the SEC makes them an NCAA lock.   12. Mississippi State 12-13, 4-8 SEC: Auburn, at South Carolina; at Alabama; Missouri; at FLORIDA; Georgia The Bulldogs need four wins to ensure they won’t have a losing record. Chris Jans is being mentioned as a potential successor at Kansas State.   13. Oklahoma 12-13, 3-9 SEC: at Tennessee; Texas A&M; Auburn; at LSU; Missouri; at Texas The only way the Sooners get into the NCAA is to win the SEC Tournament. Right now their goal is to save Porter Moser’s job.   13. Ole Miss 11-14, 3-9 SEC: at Texas A&M; FLORIDA; LSU; at Auburn; Vanderbilt; South Carolina A lot of folks think Chris Beard is looking for a new place to coach. He’s making $5 million. Good luck finding a job that will pay that much.   15. LSU 14-11, 2-10 SEC: at Texas; Alabama; at Ole Miss; Oklahoma; at Auburn; Texas A&M Matt McMahon’s seat is scorching hot. If he can find three wins in the last six games he can make the NIT and that may save his job.   16. South Carolina 11-14, 2-10 SEC: at FLORIDA; Mississippi State; Kentucky; at Georgia; Tennessee; at Ole Miss The clock is ticking on the Lamont Paris era at South Carolina. The faithful see the women’s program winning championships and ask why is it the men will suffer through their third losing season in the last four.