Florida Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Gators

Overview and Season Projections

Even though Florida basketball has not been featured in many preseason top-25 posts this offseason, the team deserves to at least be in consideration. The SEC will be one of the deepest leagues in the nation this season and the Gators should be able to compete near the top. Kentucky, Tennessee, and Auburn seem to be in the top tier of the conference but Florida definitely belongs in the second tier with teams like LSU and Mississippi State.

Head coach Mike White has already proven that he can put together a strong season and it is reasonable to think that this team is even more talented than last year’s. And, Fawcett agreed with me on this when asked about his expectations for the Gators this season:

"“I think this team is more talented, more athletic, and way deeper than last year’s team that was one possession away from beating Texas Tech and making a Sweet Sixteen. Since last year’s squad was a Round of 32 team, I think this year’s roster is more like a Sweet Sixteen team or maybe even better. They’ll definitely challenge for the top of the monstrous SEC and I personally would have them in the top 3, though if they fell further down I wouldn’t be surprised due to the league being a meat grinder.”"

In my opinion, Florida should be in for a tremendous season. Even though there is not a dominant scorer on the roster, the Gators are extremely balanced and experienced, especially in the frontcourt. The key to this season will be Nembhard, though, as replacing Chiozza will be very difficult. If he lives up to the hype right away, Florida will be in great shape.

Projections: 5th in the SEC – No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.