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After extended break, Florida Basketball looks to resume their march to March Madness

The Gators are 9-0 on the season and ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll

By Benjamin Henderson

Dec 4, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) makes a layup against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) makes a layup against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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When we last checked in on Florida Basketball, the Gators were coming off another double-digit win after beating Virginia 87-69. The win moved Florida to 9-0 on the season, and this week, they were ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll for the first time since 2019.

Florida hasn't played since December 4, and this Saturday will take back to the court with the goal of continuing their march for what has the potential to be a special season in Gainesville.

Florida Basketball: March forward

As we chronicled earlier this week, every team that has won the national title since 2004 was ranked in the top 12 of the week six AP Poll. Call it a coincidence if you want, but it also indicates that the true contenders announce themselves early in a season.

Coming in at number nine this week in the AP Poll, Florida is staking its claim as a true contender for the 2024/25 national title.

Florida's schedule to this point hasn't been a complete gauntlet, coming in at 74th in the country, but the Gators also haven't been challenged to this point. Even the more difficult games they have tried to schedule, such as Virginia or UNC, haven't held up as Florida probably envisioned they would heading into the year.

But Florida also hasn't been challenged through nine games. There have been a couple of moments here and there where an opponent has gone on a run to make things kind of close, but Florida has always found a late run to put games away.

With an average margin of 21.6 points per game, Florida has the 9th best margin in the country.

The Gators haven't played any Quad 1 games yet, but that is going to change with their next two games. Arizona State has a NET rating of 35, and UNC has a NET rating of 40. Both those games are on a neutral site, and the NCAA defines any win over a top 50 NET squad on a neutral site as a Quad 1 game.

Clear those games, and Florida should enter SEC play undefeated. Currently, 11 of Florida's 18 SEC games would count as a Quad 1 game. Of the other seven, six count as Quad 2, with the home game against South Carolina being the only Quad 3 game Florida would have in conference play.

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