2021 NCAA Tournament bracket: Florida basketball enters as No. 7 seed in March Madness

Basketball

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Image Credit: Courtney Culbreath / UAA

Despite losing three of their last four games to close out the season, the Florida Gators are headed to the 2021 NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed in the South Region. Florida (14-9) will open play Friday against the No. 10 seed Virginia Tech Hokies (15-6) in first-round action.

The Gators will tip off at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the first game of the first round of March Madness at 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday. Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will be on the call. The winner will move on to face the victor between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 15 Oral Roberts.

The No. 7 seed is higher than most anticipated for Florida given its struggles throughout the season and particularly down the stretch. Perhaps some credit was given to the Gators for all of the adversity they have overcome, though that is not supposed to be taken into account by the selection committee. Most bracketologists had UF projected as a low No. 8 or No. 9 seed in the event.

Florida is 44-18 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with seven straight Round of 32 appearances (2011-14, 2017-19) as the Gators did not make the field in 2015-16 and the event was not played in 2020. Head coach Mike White is the first in program history to earn tournament berths in four of his first five seasons.

Florida is 4-5 all-time against Virginia Tech on the hardwood. The teams first met in 1961 and have not played since 1991.