Sunshine state college roundball update
Florida (19-5) : lost to Tenn, beat Georgia
Stewart Mandel's first bracket projection is out and the Gators are in the NCAA tournament as an 11 seed. In a contrast of styles Mandel has the Gators matched up against defensive-minded Pitt team, which almost guarantees a first round exit for Florida. The Gators have the 14th best offense in the country (according to the Pomeroy Ratings), but only the 79th ranked defense.
Up Next: LSU (Wed, 8:00), @ Vandy (Sat, 3:00)
Miami (16-7) : lost to FSU, beat Virginia Tech
The Canes desperately need some ACC wins to have any shot at the NCAA tournament. They have a better RPI than Florida (42 to 44) but are just 3-6 in conference. The NCAA Selection Committee denied an invite to FSU last season largely because of the Noles losing record in conference.
Up Next: @ Georgia Tech (Sun, 1:00)
South Florida (10-14) : lost to Georgetown, DePaul
The Bulls are riding a 10 game losing streak, the third longest in school history. (For those who are wondering 17 games is the program record). UConn and the Tanzanian Devil Hasheem Thabeet come to Tampa this Sunday for what should be a good game assuming you enjoy 20 point blowouts.
Up Next: 'Cuse (Wed, 7:00), UConn (Sun, 12:00)
Florida State (14-10) : lost to UNC, beat Miami
Where's Al Thornton when you need him? Bad news for FSU, 3rd leading scorer Isaiah Swann is out for the season with an ACL tear. At least the 'Noles football team have the 8th best recruiting class, (which FSU will do their best to squander en route to a 8-5 record in three years).
Up Next: Wake Forest (Thur, 9:00), @ Maryland (Sat, 3:00)
Mid-major Spotlight:
CENTRAL FLORIDA (12-11), beat Marshall, lost to Memphis
There's no shame in losing to Memphis, after all no team has done so all season. I don't think Memphis is the favorite to win the championship, that honor goes to Kansas. Beating up on teams like UCF all season won't prepare Memphis for the tournament. (Although the Tigers deserve credit for scheduling one of the toughest non-conference schedules this season.)
Up Next: @ Rice (Sat, 3:00)