Gator Hoops: The Week Ahead (Feb 3rd)

Florida got itself back inside the bubble with two straight come-from behind wins, overcoming a combined 25 points worth of deficits to get those wins

That doesn’t mean the Gators are anything close to being a lock to make the tournament. And anything short of Colin Castleton returning – which seems unlikely – will mean that Mike White is going to have to live with a team that plays hard but is vertically challenged.

We all know how difficult it is in the SEC this year, but Florida actually saw its NET ranking drop after the win over Missouri. On the road. Oh, those funny computer rankings.

They can’t be bothered by that. They have to take the advice from “Finding Nemo” and just keep swimming, er, winning.

Tyree Appleby is on a roll with 39 points in his last two games and the Gators have turned into a good free throw shooting team (up to fifth in the league at 73.1 percent).

NET REPORT: Florida dropped to 49^th despite the win at Missouri and it may have had something to do with the way other teams on Florida’s schedule performed as much as anything. That’s the twist that comes with the NET Rankings.

The Gators won’t get much help with home wins in the next two games because Ole Miss is 104^th and Georgia is 218^th.

That also means losses in either of these games would be devastating to the Gators chances to be dancing in March

UP NEXT, OLE MISS: The Rebels come to Gainesville with a big win under their belts after beating LSU in Baton Rouge on Tuesday.

They also beat the Gators less than two weeks ago in Oxford.

Ole Miss is 12-10 and 3-6 in the league. The game is at 3:30 p.m. in the O-Dome UF knows what to expect having played scouted Ole Miss twice already – once before the game that was postponed and again before they played on Jan. 24.

That game was played with Jason Jitoboh, who is out for the season with an eye injury that required surgery.

Jarkel Joiner, who leads the team in scoring, did not play in the first game and is expected to still be out after undergoing a back procedure. DaeShun Ruffin at 12.6 and Matthew Murrell (10.4) lead the Rebels in scoring.

THEN, IT’S GEORGIA:  The Bulldogs are struggling mightily at 6-16 and 1-8 in the SEC.

The Bulldogs do have four players averaging in double figures led by Kario Oquendo at 12.9 a game.

Georgia is last in the SEC in rebounding, but second in free throw percentage.

The game is set for Wednesday at 6:30 in the O-Dome.

IN 2022: Ole Miss already put one on the Gators winning 70-54 by pulling away in a close game late. Murrell had 20 and Ruffin had 21. Jitoboh led Florida in that game with 12 points. The Gators were 4-of-29 from three against the Rebels.

This will be the first game against Georgia and the two teams will play again in Athens on Feb. 26.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s pretty simple. Florida needs to win both of these games before the schedule gets meaty again with games at Kentucky, at Texas A&M and at home vs. No. 1 Auburn and Arkansas.