If one was hoping Florida Basketball would provide an epic choke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, one was quickly disappointed. Despite talks from Norfolk State about being "angry," they were 28.5 point underdogs ahead of facing the Gators; Todd Golden and crew marched into Raleigh and quickly eliminated any hope the Spartans had of being March Madness heroes.
During the halftime segment of the game, it was Auburn alum Charles Barkley who put his head over his heart to let America know the Gators are the favorites to win it all in San Antonio.
Florida Basketball: The Round Mound Of Rebound
Florida was up by 28 points just 13 minutes into the game. Norfolk State made a run prior to halftime, but that did little to waiver the belief in the Gators.
When discussing Florida, the Auburn alum Barkley stated the following:
"You can't bet with your heart like a dummy...Florida is the best team I've seen play all year."
Considering Auburn is also a number-one seed in the tournament, this is high praise coming from the man who is never afraid to speak his mind.
Auburn struggled with Alabama A&M early before pulling away in the second half to an eventual easy win over the Hornets. Florida meanwhile shot out to a 30-point lead before letting Norfolk State hang around.
Florida hopes to prove Barkley right, as on Sunday, they will face the winner of UConn versus Oklahoma for the right to play in the Sweet 16.