UF’s run to the 2017 Elite Eight has ramped up expectations entering coach Mike White’s third season.
The Gators checked in at No. 7 in the USA Today coaches’ poll. One of the 32 coaches voting cast a first-place vote for the Gators, who joined No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Michigan and No. 5 Arizona as the only teams to receive one.
The Gators were unranked in the coaches’ poll the past two seasons. But after ending up in the 2016 NIT following White’s first season, the Gators made the most of their return to the NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence.