Bracketology 2023: Texas, Indiana and Saint Mary’s among week’s biggest winners

Florida Gators

In the midst of a brutal 4-game stretch that includes three games against top-5 opponents, the Gators took on Tennessee and Kentucky this week. Against the Wildcats this weekend, Florida put up a good fight on the road but fell 72-67, despite Oscar Tshiebwe being limited to just four points total in the game.

That was a Quad 1 road loss so it doesn’t hurt Florida’s resume but the lack of big wins has been what hurt them. Although they don’t have a Quad 3 or 4 defeat (thanks to Florida Atlantic having a big season), they’re 3-9 combined against Quad 1 and 2 opponents. That’s a record just about every bubble team can beat, which is why they’re currently out in most projections.

The good news is that the Gators have a signature victory on its resume, beating Tennessee, 67-54. Colin Castleton, who also had 25 points against Kentucky, led all scorers in the Vols matchup with 20 points and nine rebounds in the game. Beating the co-SEC favorites carries a lot of weight and the metrics for the Gators are good, as long as they don’t get a bad loss going forward.

Florida has another major opportunity coming up, taking on Alabama on the road this week. Beat them and they could vault all the way into the field of 68.