It’s time for Joe Lunardi to update his Bracketology one more time, because Florida just claimed the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. It’s not a matter of if Auburn should still be the No. 1 overall seed. It’s why shouldn't it be Florida?
The Gators handed Auburn its first conference loss of the year, in the Jungle no less. They went on to be the second-best team in the conference entering the SEC Tournament, and they knocked off the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds in commanding fashion to cut down the nets in Nashville.
If Florida doesn’t leap-frog Auburn for the No. 1 overall seed, it would be a serious blow to the credibility of the selection committee. Florida has done everything it’s needed to in order to earn the No. 1 overall seed.
Bracketology: Don’t overcomplicate this, Florida is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament
Florida probably needed to win the SEC championship just to prove they deserve a No. 1 seed, even though they had arguably the best regular season in college basketball. Their only losses are to Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Georgia.
While they did lose to two teams they should have beat, they had some of the best wins of any team in the conference, including two wins over Tennessee, a win at Alabama and the win at Auburn. Yet, for a while, Lunardi had the Gators as a No. 2 seed.
Auburn has lost three of its last four games and didn’t even reach final of their the conference championship tournament. In what world should they be given a No. 1 seed over Florida, and even Tennessee? The Tigers lost to both of those teams and didn’t play well in the conference tournament, so they shouldn’t be rewarded for just playing well in the regular season.
Florida’s case for the No. 1 overall seed is clear as day. They made light work of the SEC and the SEC Tournament. They won every game in Nashville by at least nine points and they clobbered Alabama, which was being considered for a No. 1 seed too.
What Florida has done, including winning the conference tournament, is more than enough to deem them the No. 1 team entering the NCAA Tournament. They are the most dangerous team, although St. John’s might be the one no one wants to play.
But Florida is the most dominant right now, you can’t argue that. Only an Auburn-Florida championship game would have decided that. Unfortunately, Auburn didn’t take care of business. So Florida did what Auburn couldn’t do and won the whole dang thing, and it should be rewarded as the top team in the field of 68.