Sun Feb 16 02:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Gators Projected as No. 1 Seed, Face Gamecocks Despite Injuries

**GAINESVILLE, Fla.** – The University of Florida Gators men’s basketball team enters tonight’s game against the South Carolina Gamecocks as a projected No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The projection, released Saturday by the NCAA Tournament Committee, places the 21-3 Gators among the top four teams in the nation.

Head Coach Todd Golden expressed confidence in the team’s ranking, citing their recent road victory over top-ranked Auburn as evidence of their potential. “I have no doubt that we’re firmly a top-four team in America right now,” Golden stated. The win over Auburn capped off a three-game winning streak against ranked opponents – a first in program history.

However, Florida will face South Carolina shorthanded. Forwards Alex Condon and Sam Alexis are sidelined with ankle injuries, and guard Alijah Martin is questionable due to a hip injury. The Gators received a boost Friday with the announcement that 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten will return to the court after an 11-month recovery from a fractured leg.

South Carolina, winless in SEC play this season, presents a unique challenge. The Gamecocks pushed Florida to the wire in their previous meeting, losing by a narrow margin. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at the Exactech Arena, airing on the SEC Network.

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