Florida Men’s Basketball Falls to No. 5 In AP Poll

After an upset 88-83 loss to unranked Georgia Tuesday, the Florida men’s basketball team dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 in the Associated Press poll.

The Gators ( 25-2, 12-4) have not lost back-to-back games this season. They bounced back nicely Saturday in a 89-70 blowout of now No. 22 Texas A&M.

Despite the loss to Georgia being quadrant 1, a good week from No. 4 Tennessee propelled the Vols past the Gators. Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to complete the comeback against No. 7 Alabama. Even though Tennessee is above Florida in the AP Poll, Florida sits in second place in the SEC rankings.

Houston took over Florida’s No. 3 spot. The Cougars are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak, cementing itself as the leader of the Big 12.

SEC Tournament Heating Up

• Texas A&M dropped 10 spots in the poll from No. 12 to No. 22. A&M’s loss to Florida was its fourth in a row, and the team has to face a recently unstoppable No.1 Auburn team at home Tuesday.
• Missouri is now the 5 seed in the SEC tournament after falling to Vanderbilt 97-93. They only dropped one spot from No. 14 to No. 15.
• Vanderbilt is still unranked after upsetting A&M away and Missouri at home this week.
• Kentucky has the same 8-8 record as Vanderbilt, but is ranked No. 19 after losing to Auburn at home.
• Mississippi State moved from No. 24 to No. 25 after a win against LSU and a blowout 111-73 loss to Alabama. The Bulldogs are also 8-8 in the SEC.

Even with the loss to Georgia, Florida (Tip-off Wednesday at Alabama is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and 103.7-FM) is in a good position to earn a double bye in the SEC tournament. They would need to win against either Alabama or Mississippi to secure a top-4 seed.

Walter Clayton Jr. has been announced as a top 5 finalist for the Bob Cousy award. Despite going 3-for-13 from the field against A&M, the star point guard has been incredibly impactful through his passing and aggression at the rim.

Bracketology

The fate of the Gators seeding in March Madness rests in their hands. If Florida beats Alabama in Tuscaloosa, it will strengthen the team’s case for a 1 seed. Right now, there are six teams that have a legitimate case for a 1 seed (Florida, Auburn, Duke, Tennessee, Houston and Alabama). With Auburn and Duke almost locking up two of those spots, Florida will need to have a strong finish in the regular season and SEC tournament to secure the top seed.