The Florida Gators are moving on up in the latest men’s college basketball bracketologies following a torrid two-game stretch that put the home loss to the Auburn Tigers firmly in the rearview mirror.
After blowing out the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road in program-record-setting fashion, followed by a home thumping of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the USA TODAY Sports bracketology update promoted the Orange and Blue from the No. 4 seed in the East Region to the No. 3 in the Midwest. There, they are lined up with the 14th-seeded East Tennessee State Buccaneers in the opening round held in Tampa.
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“Defending national champion Florida and runner-up Houston are climbing in USA TODAY Sports’ latest men’s basketball bracketology update,” the authors begin.
“After a sluggish start that included nonconference losses to Arizona, TCU, Duke and Connecticut, the Gators have moved to a No. 3 seed and within a half-game of first place in the SEC,” they continue.
“Florida has lost just twice in nearly two months and now has a combined 10 Quad 1 and 2 wins. On Sunday, the Gators shot 51.3% from the field and had a plus-16 turnover margin in a 100-77 win against Alabama.”
Top seeds in USAT’s 2026 bracketology
There were no changes among the four top-seeded schools in this update, as the Arizona Wildcats remained perched atop the West, the Michigan Wolverines continued to rule the Midwest, the UConn Huskies maintained the No. 1 spot in the South, and the Duke Blue Devils hung tough at the top of the East.
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SEC schools in USAT’s 2026 bracketology
The Southeastern Conference still has 10 teams in the latest bracketology, just one school short of the Big Ten’s 11, and two more than the ACC and Big 12, whose seven apiece rounds out the Power Four conferences.
Florida is now in sole possession of the SEC’s headline spot with the No. 3 seed in the Midwest, while the Vanderbilt Commodores are still a No. 4 seed in the South. They are followed by the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 5, West), Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 6, East), Alabama (No. 6, South), Auburn (No. 7, ), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 7, ), Texas A&M Aggies (No. 7, ), Georgia Bulldogs (No. 9, East) and Texas Longhorns (No. 10, East).
The Missouri Tigers are the final team among the first four out for the second-straight update.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida basketball moves up in USA TODAY Sports bracketology
