Scheduling quirk and all, Florida Basketball takes on Georgia on the road
Florida Basketball is in prime position to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three season. Currently projected somewhere near an eight or nine seed, the Gators just need to avoid any potholes left in their schedule and they should be safe to make The Big Dance.
But as the Gators prepare to take on Georgia in one of those pothole games, a scheduling quirk from the SEC is working against the Gators.
Florida Basketball: Bye Bye Bye
During football season, it was noted that Florida had to play three teams coming off their bye (South Carolina, Georgia, and Arkansas). One could argue the loss to the Razorbacks was in part because they hadn't played the week before while the Gators got their brains beat in by the Bulldogs.
Fast forward to basketball season and it seams the offices of the SEC have a vendetta against the Gators.
As Florida Basketball Hour on X points out, the Gators are the only team in the SEC this season to have to play two games on the road against teams coming off their bye.
Interesting wrinkle in SEC Schedule this year with byes. Teams are 5-2 off byes (Vandy and Tennessee played each other off a bye).
— Florida Basketball Hour (@FloridaBBHour) February 16, 2024
Only 3 teams have multiple games with teams off byes.
Only Florida has 2 games on road vs. teams with byes.@HoopsSouthbound @theblakelovell
In theory, Florida should be able to overcome this against Georgia. The Gators had the Bulldogs dead to rights when they last played, only to try and choke the lead away late. Mike White and friends are 14-10 on the season and have lost their last five games.
But it is also possible a week off did them some good and they come out energized and focused. And given that Florida has also tried to blow games against Texas A&M and LSU, nothing should be taken as a guarantee when Florida tips off in Athens at 1 PM.