Things are looking very good for the Florida basketball program following a trouncing of the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Tuesday night. Despite a setback on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats to open the Southeastern Conference schedule, the Gators are still among the best in the business so far.
With conference schedules now in full swing, the media has begun — or continued, in some cases — to offer its takes on the upcoming NCAA Tournament. That includes ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf, who recently put together the men’s college basketball tiers, in which they ranked 76 teams on their Big Dance chances separated into nine different categories.
The Orange and Blue found themselves among the second-highest tier reserved for the Final Four contenders.
“Florida’s 30-point victory over a previously undefeated No. 1 Tennessee squad on Tuesday was proof that their 14-1 start is no fluke,” they noted.
SEC schools in ESPN’s tournament tiers
The Auburn Tigers are one of three teams listed in the national championship favorites — the top tier — while Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M Aggies are mentioned among the Final Four contenders.
“Second-weekend threats” included the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners, followed by the “can win a tournament game” tier with the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ole Miss Rebels listed. The “dangerous bubble teams category” has the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs and Missouri Tigers.
The “check back in a month” tier — the last one to mention SEC schools — included Vanderbilt Commodores and LSU Tigers.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball among ESPN’s Final Four contenders
