10. Florida (4-1)
The expectations for a team always skyrocket coming off a national title but with the talent accumulated in Gainesville that was for a good reason. Todd Golden’s crew lost on opening night in a tough battle against Arizona but has been spending these first few weeks of the season clawing back from that early blemish.
Another solid step came back on Sunday, as the Gators won 82-68 over in-state rival Miami. Alex Condon had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Thomas Haugh added 17 points, and the frontcourt carried the load in Jacksonville. Friday brought far less excitement, as Florida coasted to an 80-45 win against Merrimack. The Gators’ fourth win in a row came thanks to Condon, with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and a fantastic night from Rueben Chinyelu, who had 14 points and 21 rebounds.
You’ll notice in discussing those recent games that we pointed out brilliant work from the returning forwards from the national title team. The issue in Florida is the new pieces not living up to the early expectations, as both Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee have underwhelmed and the long-range shooting has been cold at times. Next on the agenda is a trip to San Diego for the Rady Children’s Invitational, starting off against a TCU team that the Gators hope to make a statement against.