Florida will return to the projected No. 1 seed-line in Jerry Palm’s NCAA Tournament Bracketology after beating No. 7 Alabama on Wednesday and then getting some help from Ole Miss. The Rebels toppled No. 4 Tennessee 78-76, knocking the Volunteers off the projected No. 1 seed-line entering the final weekend of the regular season.
The No. 5 Gators (26-4, 13-4 SEC) added another high-end victory to their 7-4 record in Quad 1 opportunities. Wins at No. 1 Auburn and a 30-point shellacking of then-No. 1 Tennessee in January are among the highlights of the Gators’ résumé. Wednesday’s road win at No. 7 Alabama belongs in a similar category.
Florida totaled 58 points in the second half, led by 27 in the game from Alex Condon and 22 from Walter Clayton Jr. UF is also a perfect 19-0 across Quads 2-4, giving it excellent credentials entering Saturday’s regular-season finale against Ole Miss.
Tennessee rose to a projected No. 1 seed in Bracketology following its win against Alabama on Saturday. But the Volunteers (24-6, 11-6) lost their grip on the spot while getting out-worked in the second half against the Rebels. Ole Miss (21-9, 10-7) used an 11-2 edge in offensive rebounds in the second half to spur itself back from an 8-point deficit.
Jaemyn Brakefield led the way for Ole Miss with all 19 of his points in the second half, including a go-ahead bucket on an offensive rebound with 7.5 seconds remaining.
