Florida basketball might just be finding its championship form at the right time - again.
After a season filled with highs and lows, the Gators delivered a statement win that turned heads across the college basketball landscape: a 95-48 dismantling of South Carolina on the road. That 47-point rout wasn’t just another win - it marked the largest SEC road victory in program history and tied Florida’s all-time high for margin of victory in a conference game. And yes, it sent a message.
The timing couldn’t be better. With March creeping closer, Florida’s dominant performance didn’t just boost morale - it boosted their resume.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi took notice in his latest bracketology update, bumping the Gators up to a No. 3 seed and moving them from the Midwest Region to the East. That shift sets up a first-round matchup in Tampa against 14-seeded Winthrop - a favorable draw geographically and on paper.
But it’s not just about one win. Florida has been quietly stacking impressive performances.
Over their last seven games, they’ve won six, averaging 91.8 points per game and outscoring opponents by an average of 20.8. That’s not just winning - that’s dominating.
It’s the kind of run that mirrors what we saw late last season, when the Gators caught fire and rode that wave all the way to a national title.
A year ago, this very weekend, that same championship squad was coming off a humbling 44-point showing in a nationally televised loss at Tennessee. At that point, no one was penciling Florida in as a title contender. But they responded - just like this year’s team seems to be doing now.
The next big test? Alabama.
The Crimson Tide come to Gainesville this Sunday in a nationally televised showdown (1 p.m. ET, ABC), and it’s the kind of measuring-stick game that could either solidify Florida’s rise or expose lingering flaws.
If the Gators handle business against one of the SEC’s top teams, it’ll be hard to ignore the possibility that they’re peaking at just the right time - again.
Around the Bracket: Top Seeds Hold Firm
While Florida’s surge is one of the big stories in the latest bracketology update, the top of the bracket remains steady. Arizona continues to hold the No. 1 overall seed and anchors the West Region. Michigan stays atop the Midwest, UConn leads the South, and Duke holds steady as the No. 1 seed in the East.
SEC Making Noise
The SEC continues to flex its depth, holding steady with 10 teams projected in the field - tied for second-most among all conferences. The Big Ten leads with 11, while the ACC trails with eight and the Big 12 sits at seven.
Florida now leads the SEC pack as the highest-seeded team at No. 3 in the East. Right behind them are the Vanderbilt Commodores, still holding strong as a No. 4 seed, now slotted into the Midwest. Alabama and Arkansas both land as 5-seeds - Bama in the South, Arkansas in the East - while Tennessee checks in as a 6-seed in the Midwest.
Auburn, who handed Florida its most recent loss, is sitting as a 7-seed in the West. Kentucky and Texas A&M both land on the 8-line (East and Midwest, respectively), while Georgia grabs a 9-seed in the South.
Texas rounds out the SEC’s projected bids as an 11-seed in the South, clinging to one of the final spots in the field. Missouri, meanwhile, is just on the outside looking in, listed among the “next four out.”
So, what does it all mean? For Florida, it means the defending champs are heating up - and just in time.
If they keep this momentum going, especially with a win over Alabama, they won’t just be a dangerous team in March. They’ll be a team no one wants to see on their side of the bracket.