4. Florida (25-6)
You could argue that there was enormous pressure and heightened expectations on this Florida team entering the season. The defending champions got off to a very underwhelming start and were 5-4 nearing the midway point of December, but everything we’ve seen this then has been the opposite. Todd Golden’s squad has really found their footing en route to an SEC title and game after game of impressive results.
Their latest decisive win came on Tuesday, as the Gators soared 108-74 over Mississippi State in their final home game. Alex Condon was fantastic with 26 points and 7 rebounds while Xaivian Lee added 19 points and 6 assists. Florida thrived even without Thomas Haugh earlier in the week, but they were glad to have him Saturday in an exciting 84-77 win at Kentucky. The Gators finished a season sweep over the Wildcats, getting 20 points and 9 rebounds from Haugh as the top contributor.
Firmly one of the nation’s hottest teams, Florida rides an 11-game winning streak into the postseason. They’re clearly the favorite in the SEC Tournament and have put themselves in pretty solid shape to snag a top-seed in March Madness if they’re successful in Nashville. The Gators have really turned things on as the season has progressed and it’s hard to find a better starting five than this unit.