There was once a time when Florida meeting Florida Gulf Coast was arguably the most-hyped game of an NCAA Tournament round.
When the Gators and Eagles tip off in Sunrise on this Saturday (5 p.m., Sunshine Network or FS2 or Fox Sports Go), it pits a team deeply unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament against one that is going to have to fight hard for a spot.
Florida is the latter, and the book on the Gators so far this season is well-read, if not well-loved: Mike White has a bunch of young, quick, and long-armed defenders who have formed a formidable defense, but the lack of a clear go-to scorer is just the top of a list of offensive problems that have hamstrung Florida in the half court.