The Sweet 16 began Thursday with four SEC teams remaining for the first time since 1996, and Florida rival FSU still alive.
Earlier in the day, UF coach Mike White met with reporters to discuss his team’s second-round exit last weekend, the subsequent spate of transfers this week and what lies ahead following his fourth season in Gainesville.
A 20-16 squad that at one point seemed destined for the NIT instead reached the Big Dance for the third straight season while relying heavily on three first-year freshmen. A top-10 recruiting class will soon arrive.
Yet the Gators have a lot of ground to make up to contend in the increasingly competitive SEC or close the gap with Florida State, making its second straight Sweet 16 appearance and winners of five straight meetings in the schools’ annual series.