To be frank: The Florida Gators men’s basketball team would not make the 2022 NCAA Tournament if selection of the field were done today.
At 19-12 in all games and 9-9 in SEC play, the Gators have treaded water fairly well since a terrible loss to Texas Southern in non-conference competition, but have just one great win — over Auburn in late February — and a couple of iffy losses in SEC play (at Ole Miss and Texas A&M) to their name. A failure to break through against any of the league’s top six teams other than Auburn — Florida is 1-7 in seven games against those Tigers, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, and Tennessee, all of which are NCAA Tournament locks at this point — is most of why the Gators are on the outside looking in at the field of 68 according to most bracket brains.