Auburn, Gonzaga, Ohio State move up in latest top 25 power rankings

The outlook for the Gators next year is good, at least as long as recent news doesn’t affect this season. We won’t talk about recent events with Todd Golden, but this team has talent and can do major damage in the SEC in the coming months, especially with Walter Clayton Jr. and a few other players behind them. The big question is whether they will get enough out of their defense to make such a run after a tough performance in the NCAA Tournament last year.

Despite trailing at halftime, the Gators fought back in Jacksonville to secure a 98-83 win over South Florida in their season opener. Clayton had 29 points while Will Richard added 25 points and 6 rebounds in a solid performance. Their next game went just as well as the Gators beat Jacksonville 81-60 on Thursday night. Alex Condon had 23 points as Florida shot 53% from the floor.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about these Gators, and the coming weeks will tell us a lot. There are a few players missing this season, and this team will need more from new players like Alijah Martin, but there’s a chance this could be another special season, especially on offense. A winnable road test awaits him later this week against rival Florida State.