How will Florida, FSU, UCF fare in NCAA tournament?

3 Florida teams still alive for March Madness

Three teams from Florida made the NCAA tournament, with Florida, Florida State and Central Florida getting their names called during the selection show.

 Here's a breakdown of the draw for each team, with the happiness meter of the draw being on a scale of 1-10 (10 being happiest).

Central Florida
Region:
East (No. 9 seed)
First round opponent: VCU
Draw happiness meter: 6
Breakdown: The Golden Knights are obviously thrilled to make the NCAA tournament, but probably were hoping not to have title favorite Duke waiting on the other side should they beat VCU. But there's nothing UCF can do about it now but to just try and beat VCU and let it all fly against Duke. 

Florida
Region:
West (No. 10 seed)
First round opponent: Nevada
Draw happiness meter: 9
Breakdown: All things considered, despite a wildly inconsistent season, this as good of a draw as the Gators could hope for. Nevada is a good but beatable opponent. If the Gators prevail, they will get the worst No. 2 seed in the field in Michigan, which has had offensive struggles this year. 

Florida State
Region:
West (No. 4 seed)
First round opponent: Vermont
Draw happiness meter: 10
Breakdown: For the second straight year, the Seminoles are in the West region, and they likely couldn't be happier. Gonzaga is the worst of the No. 1 seeds in the tournament, so the Seminoles have to feel they would have a good chance should a regional semifinal matchup take place. Vermont is a dangerous No. 13 seed, but the potential second-round opponent, Marquette, enters the tournament struggling. 
 


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.