A little over 100 days remain until the start of the college basketball season, and anticipation has continuously been building around the Florida Gators’ season.
Todd Golden’s ability to retain integral parts of his championship-winning roster has made the team one of the biggest storylines and contenders in the country. Following a disappointing upset loss to Iowa that ended their NCAA Tournament run, the Gators enter the upcoming campaign with redemption on their minds.
With much of their core returning, Florida is viewed as one of the favorites to win the SEC and is once again expected to be in the national championship conversation.
A look at Florida’s path through the conference came several weeks ago when the SEC released its matchups for the upcoming season. With significant roster movement taking place across the league, the conference is expected to feature several teams capable of making a deep postseason run once again.
As the season quickly approaches, here is a look at the SEC matchups that could have the biggest impact on Florida’s pursuit of another championship.
The Gators will see a Vanderbilt team at home that played them closely last season, splitting their two matchups. Vanderbilt is also returning a key contributor in Tyler Tanner, who had two 20-point games against the Gators. Florida had its largest loss margin against the Commodores in the SEC tournament, laying out the blueprint to beat the team in March Madness.
Texas was the Cinderella team from last year’s March Madness, making the Sweet 16 as an 11th seed. Florida will play Texas in a home-and-away series this season, which could potentially be used as a measuring stick for title implications. ESPN has ranked Texas’s transfer portal class No. 3 nationally and has also brought in former No. 1 player in the country Marcus Spears Jr., who reclassified from the 2027 class to 2026.
One of the most complete games from the Gators came against the Razorbacks at home; however, this season’s contest will be played at Arkansas. John Calipari has put together yet another talented young roster, signing four five-star freshmen and poaching Georgia’s leading scorer, Jeremiah Wilkinson, who averaged over 17 points per game, through the portal.
Florida handled Alabama seemingly easily at home last season; however, ‘Bama progressed further in the tournament, reaching the Sweet 16. Bama has been in quite a bit of drama, first off with Charles Bediako and eligibility concerns, then with Aden Holloway’s legal troubles. Holloway should be back performing for the program next season as the Gators travel to the Tide.
Tennessee was the last SEC team in the tournament after reaching the Elite Eight. The Volunteers reinforced the roster by signing eight transfers and replacing freshman Nate Ament, who was taken in this year’s NBA draft. Continuity will not be on their side as the Volunteers will only be returning two players from last year. This game will still be tough since the Gators have not won in Knoxville since 2014.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball’s biggest SEC matchups this upcoming season
Reporting by Michael Trim Jr, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michael Trim Jr, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
