ORLANDO, Fla. – Don’t tell top-seeded Florida that its NCAA tournament opener should be a lopsided laugher.
The Gators don’t want to hear it after eking out back-to-back, grind-it-out games against Tennessee and Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference tournament.
So forget the 26-game winning streak. Disregard being 21½-point favorites against 16th-seeded Albany. Coach Billy Donovan has gotten in his players ears, and they listened.
Guard Scottie Wilbekin says, “Anything can happen. Anybody can beat anybody, so we’ve got to be on our toes.”
The Gators, the No. 1 seed in the South Region, open tournament play Thursday against the Great Danes, who beat Mount St. Mary’s 71-64 in the First Four on Tuesday.
No. 1 seeds are 116-0 in opening games since the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Leave a Reply