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The Florida Gators take on Colorado this afternoon in round one of the NCAA Tournament in the South Region in Indianapolis.
March Madness has already seen upsets, and the 10th-seeded Buffaloes (25-10) look to make seven seed Florida (24-11) the fourth SEC team eliminated from the field.
The Gators and Buffaloes face off at 4:30 p.m. ET today on TBS. Coverage will also be on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.
Time to dance.
🆚 Colorado
@ 4:30 EST pic.twitter.com/18tx1yWHve— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 22, 2024
Each team made it to the championship game of their respective conference tournaments, but came up short of the trophy.
Play-In Game
Colorado is already one game deep into its tournament run. The Buffaloes survived in a play-in game with Boise State on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
The Buffs solidified the win after going on an 11-0 run in a back-and-forth game. Senior forward Tristan da Silva and junior guard KJ Simpson led Colorado with 20 and 19 points, respectively.
The Buffaloes shot 44% to outscore the Broncos 60-53.
COLORADO KEEPS DANCING 🕺
The Buffs advance to the first round with a 60-53 victory over Boise State 🦬 pic.twitter.com/ARu1gVvPhq
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2024
Key Injury
Florida center Micah Handlogten suffered a broken leg early in the SEC tourney final against Auburn. The 7-foot-1 sophomore will be missed on the court by the Gators, as Handlogten started in nearly every game this season.
After undergoing surgery in Nashville to repair the fracture, Handlogten is in Indianapolis to support Florida in tournament play.
🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/uovYWhkfOy
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 18, 2024
Senior guard Zyon Pullin went on to lead Florida with 15 points in the conference championship game. Without Handlogten, the Gators lost 86-67 in an emotional fight with the Tigers to conclude the SEC Tournament.
Tournament History
In its first tournament appearance in three years, Florida looks to uphold its success in round one. The Gators have not lost a round-one game since 2010.
Colorado is also playing in its first March Madness since 2021. Florida State defeated the Buffaloes that year in the second round.
The Gators and Buffaloes have never played in men’s basketball.
