NCAA Basketball: Alabama, Duke, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
16. Florida (6-0)
A lot can be learned in the first weeks of the season. With that being said, we’re still trying to understand the Gators and what we can realistically expect this season. A double-digit win at Florida State was nice, but Florida really hasn’t been challenged at any point yet this season. Challenges will undoubtedly come during SEC play, but are we going to figure out what to make of this team before then?
The Gators kept their head down and kept winning, prevailing 84-60 over Florida A&M to start this week. Will Richard had 20 points and 7 rebounds in a strong performance while Walter Clayton Jr. added 17 points. On Friday night, a new face led the attack in a 93-68 win against Southern Illinois, as transfer Alijah Martin scored 32 points, making 8 of 13 from outside the arc.
There is significant talent in this starting lineup and decent enough depth for Florida to win games in the SEC. This offense is doing efficient things, though it’s hard to call the long-range shooting fantastic outside of that Martin performance. Regardless, the Gators are passing the early tests, though a big exam approaches. They’ll head to the ESPN Events Invitational, starting off with Wake Forest before a major resume-building opportunity.