Following an eventful week for Florida Basketball, ESPN's lead bracketologist Joe Lunardi has updated his bracketology projections. You can view the full 68-team bracket here.
Potential No. 1 Seed?
Florida ranks as the fifth overall seed, marking their position as a two-seed in Lunardi's updated projections. Following an impressive road win against South Carolina, the Gators followed their performance with a blowout victory over Georgia, capping off an extremely productive week. Both victories are currently quadrant two victories, however, both the Gamecocks and Bulldogs are within fifteen NET ranking spots of moving their respective contests against Florida into quadrant one victories, which could go a long way come Selection Sunday.
Florida is joined on the two-seed line by Tennessee (6), Marquette (7), and Purdue (8). The Gators have an advantage over the Volunteers in a prior head-to-head matchup, in which the Gators won by 30.
Florida will travel to Knoxville this Saturday for a game likely to have many seeding implications. A win for the Gators may be enough of a push to claim the final one-seed spot. A loss would likely result in a small skid down the two-seed line, which would almost certainly include the Volunteers overtaking Florida's current position.
A look at the path
In Lunardi's bracket, the Gators would face the fifteenth-seeded Spartans of Norfolk State, representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's automatic bid, in their opening-round matchup. The winner of the opening round would then advance and play the winner of seventh-seeded St. John's and tenth-seeded Pittsburgh, both of whom have struggled to muster wins against elite opponents.
Florida's path would begin in Raleigh, North Carolina, which would be a trip of almost eight hours by car for most Florida fans. Fans of St. Johns and Pittsburgh would also have to endure car trips of roughly eight hours in order to watch their respective teams. It would be a short trip for fans of Norfolk State, who would need just under three hours of travel.
The one-seed within this region would be the Blue Devils of Duke, leading the East Region (Newark). The NCAA Tournament is structured in order for one and two seeds to meet in the Regional Final- if their seasons hadn't ended by then.