From early struggles to SEC dominance, Florida's basketball team stages a stunning comeback, re-entering national championship contention.
Early in the season, Florida didn't appear to be an NCAA Tournament team, much less a contender to defend its 2025 national championship.
UF suffered losses to Arizona, TCU, Duke, and UConn. If the Gators hadn't beaten Florida State by two points, the program would have had a losing record after losing to the Huskies.
Florida lost its SEC opener to Missouri 76-74 before going on a run. With an 84-77 win over Kentucky on Saturday, the Gators finished the regular season with a 25-6 record and a 16-2 record in the conference, the best in the SEC.
The Gators are ranked No. 4 before the SEC Tournament and could earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello argued Florida made changes to re-enter the national championship conversation.
"The biggest change since then has come on the perimeter, as Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee have figured out how to coexist in the backcourt while Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown have added some pop off the bench," he wrote.
"The Gators have taken care of the ball better and have shot markedly better from 3."
Forward Thomas Haugh leads UF with 17.2 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Center Rueben Chinyelu has been a big help on the glass, averaging 11.7 rebounds per game.
Borzello thinks this group is now near the top of title contenders before the NCAA Tournament.
"Their defense also has improved from a year ago, particularly when it comes to protecting the rim and controlling the glass," he wrote.
"It all means that, much like last season, Florida has surged into the top tier of title contenders during the final stretch."
Florida has pretty much run through its SEC schedule. Alabama finished tied with Arkansas for the second-best record in the conference.
The Gators beat the Crimson Tide 100-77 at home on Feb. 1. UF beat the Razorbacks 111-77 on Feb. 28.
There is no question that No. 1 Duke is the scariest team headed into the tournament. But Florida could make a surprise or two against the Blue Devils if they continue to play at a high level.