Florida Gators Eyeing No. 1 Seed in NCAA Tournament

ESPN Analyst Seth Greenberg Believes Florida Should Be a Top Seed If They Win SEC

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Florida Gators men's basketball team is on a 12-game winning streak and has won 13 of their last 14 games after starting the season 5-4. ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg believes the Gators should be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they win the SEC regular season championship. Florida head coach Todd Golden also thinks his team could be in contention for a top seed if they finish the season strong.

Why it matters

The Gators' turnaround from a 5-4 start to being in position to win the SEC regular season title and potentially earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is a remarkable coaching accomplishment by Todd Golden in his second season. Earning a top seed would give Florida an easier path to the Final Four and potentially a national championship.

The details

The Florida Gators currently have a two-game lead in the SEC standings and need just one more win to clinch at least a share of the regular season title. If they win out, they would secure the outright SEC championship, their first since 2024. ESPN's Seth Greenberg believes that would be enough to vault the Gators to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, praising head coach Todd Golden's ability to guide the team through a difficult early-season stretch.

  • The Gators started the season with a 5-4 record.
  • Florida is currently on a 12-game winning streak and has won 13 of their last 14 games.
  • The Gators can clinch at least a share of the SEC regular season title with one more win.

The players

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team, who has guided the team to a remarkable turnaround after a 5-4 start to the season.

Seth Greenberg

An ESPN college basketball analyst who believes the Florida Gators should be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they win the SEC regular season championship.

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What they’re saying

“I think if they win the SEC that means they're probably winning out and I think they should be a No. 1 seed. Don't want to put any pressure on the head coach but coaching agility and dealing with starting 5-4 and getting to where they are today that is the essence of coaching.”

— Seth Greenberg, ESPN College Basketball Analyst (Gators Online)

“Can we still get to a 1 seed? We'll see. If we run the table, you never know. I think that would be an incredible situation to think about. But, again, our goals at the moment, do what we need to do, taking care of business day by day to win the league and then work to play to the highest seat possible for March.”

— Todd Golden, Florida Gators Head Coach (Gators Online)

What’s next

The Gators have two regular season games remaining before the SEC Tournament. If they win out, they would secure the outright SEC regular season championship and potentially earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

The Florida Gators' remarkable turnaround this season under head coach Todd Golden has put them in position to not only win the SEC regular season title, but also potentially earn a coveted No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This would be a testament to Golden's coaching ability and the team's resilience after a difficult start to the year.