No. 12 Florida trying like title contender as soon as once more after blowout win

[ad_1] The Florida Gators are peaking on the proper time.

On Saturday, the defending nationwide champions cruised to a 94-75 highway win on the Ole Miss Rebels (11-16, 3-11 in SEC), Florida's seventh straight and twelfth in its final 13 video games.

Junior ahead Alex Condon led the crew with 24 factors on 9-of-13 taking pictures, whereas senior guard Xaivian Lee posted his first double-double of the season, ending with 11 factors and 10 assists.

Florida Gators as soon as once more appear like nationwide title contenders after one other dominant win Whereas blowing out Ole Miss is not an announcement by itself, taken throughout the context of the Gators' current climb, it means one thing extra. Florida has been blowing out opponents, averaging 89.9 factors and successful by 21.6 factors per sport throughout its seven-game win streak.

It is also discovered a semblance of a three-point shot. Getting into Saturday, Florida (21-6, 12-2 in SEC) ranked No. 355 (out of 365 Division I packages) in three-point subject purpose share (29.4 p.c). The Gators made 50 p.c of their threes (11-of-22) in opposition to the Rebels and have drained at the least 10 in three of their final 4 video games.

In line with KenPom, Florida is likely one of the high defensive groups within the nation, rating fourth in adjusted defensive effectivity. It has excellent size, with three of its high gamers measuring 6-foot-9 or taller, permitting the crew to chase opponents off the three-point line and forestall straightforward appears from contained in the arc.

If the Gators can persistently generate offense from the perimeter, they will be arduous to beat in March and early April, giving them a great opportunity of repeating as nationwide champions, even in probably the hardest facet of the bracket.

The choice committee revealed its present high 16 general groups within the subject on Saturday, and Florida ranked ninth as a 3-seed and was positioned within the Midwest alongside final 12 months's nationwide runner-up, the Houston Cougars (23-3, 11-2 in Large 12) and the projected No. 1 general seed Michigan Wolverines (25-1, 15-1 in Large Ten).