You couldn’t ask for a much tougher way to finish an SEC season, especially with so much on the line. Georgia will come into Gainesville needing a win badly to pad its NCAA resume. Then, UF goes to Kentucky, which hasn’t lost at home and wants payback. Then the other SEC leader, Alabama, comes to the O-Dome. Finally, at Vanderbilt and its quirky gym.
Two really interesting weeks. Not much to play for. Just …
• The conference championship. It comes with a trophy. And rings.
• The SEC East title.
• A bye on the first day of the SEC Tournament. As I pointed out in an earlier blog, teams getting byes are 18-6 the last six years.
• Seeding in the NCAA Tournament.
Hey, it beats the alternative of playing just to try to make the tournament (Florida the last three years) or playing out the string (everyone in the West besides Alabama).
They had the mock selection committee come up with a brackets last week — some of the best journalistic minds in college basketball — and they had Florida seeded third playing in Tampa. That seems to be the consensus, but so much could change.
If Florida lost three of its last four, it could drop out of Tampa and as low as a six seed depending on the tournament.
If the Gators split the last four and go 1-1 in the tournament, they’d probably be a four or a five. Not sure Tampa would still be in the mix.
What if the Gators win out and reach the final of the tournament in Atlanta? Is a two seed a possibility?
There are so many possibilities — 16 regional sites, the potential to be seeded anywhere from second (it’s a reach) to seventh. Maybe I should let it come to me rather than get a headache thinking about what could happen.
It’s not March yet, but you can see it from here. Buckle up.
It’s not going to happen, but if the Gators finished 28-5, how could they not get a #2 seed?
hey Pat, every time I start to doubt this team, Erving Walker does something incredible ! Lets hope Billy gets em jacked up for this “wild ride “. They are still hard to watch at times but are they really getting better or is the SEC that far down this year? My dog is scratching his left & right side equally the same so I must presume its a little of both.
This is the best time of the year for college basketball. The Gators need to shoot for a 3-1 finish and then have a good showing in Atlanta. Do that and I would expect a 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. We don’t have the most talented team in the league, but our kids play hard every night and our defense can be downright stifling at times. Billy has done a heckuva job with this group and I hope they can keep the momentum going.
Go Gators!
Hopefully they get Parsons back, go on a savage run and destroy everyone en route to another national championship.
Ill be happy with a 3-1 finish. It wouldnt be the end of the world if they lost one of the games…I think it would keep their heads focused for the NCAA tourney….which is one lose and your out.
You’re dreamin’, Brad–but it’s a good dream!
Meanwhile, our round-ball team seems to be scouting the road our football program will soon be traveling: exceeding expectations this year thanks to a strong defense coming into its own, with the promise of new talent on offense coming next year to give us balance and the chance at a Championship run shortly thereafter.
They need a healthy CP to be at their best.
@Dru2012 Sorry to burst your bubble, but we are in serious trouble next year. Unless Billy can get some more size for next year, we are looking at a top 5 backcourt and bottom 5 front court. How can we match up with anyone in the country when we have Young, Murphy, Larson and now Pitchford? Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts because I have no clue how this team can compete without any size.
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I like Brad dream and wish I can dream that way too right now. I only have nightmares right now and I am prttey sure I have develope an ulcer from our poor shot selection during some games. Right now if we went to the tournament I could see this team as Final Four material or losing in the second round. Its amazing how we are this deep in the season and I still do not have a good feel of who the team leader s on the court or what our identity is, are we a smash mouth team, run & gun, or a finess team. The last time I felt this way, we won back to back NC.
I think Ian H has hit the problem right on the center. I think we will end up with a battery of gnomes who will never reach heavenward to make the basketball Gator a team to reckon with. I don’t know what Billy is thinkin…
1/ loved ‘billyball’ when phrase first coined. doesn’t exist today. this is not a disrupting defense…it’s a wait and see defense. 2/this team cannot secure a lead against anyone 3/ tyus is a clumsy player that’s too often late decisionally 4/there’s no ‘in control’ dribble-driver walker is tumbling downhill, shoots from downhill 5/there is no pure shooter 6/ there seems no ‘instinct training’ for take-command backside scoring rebounds 7/donavan is superior headcoach assistants questionable……go gators, have excellent fighting spirit but certain techniques, both physical and mental are not ingrained….