The Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers are set for a highly anticipated rematch on Saturday, this time with a trip to the national championship on the line.
Back on Feb. 8, Florida stunned Auburn at Neville Arena, 90-81, handing the Tigers their first home loss of the season. Now, with both teams meeting in the Final Four, the stage is set for another big-time showdown.
Like all college basketball fans, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas filled out his bracket pre-NCAA Tournament. While many let him hear it after picking all No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four, it turns out he made the right call.
When looking at his pick for the Florida-Auburn matchup, he went with the Gators because of how “deep, big and talented” they are.
“The last time all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four was 2008 … also in San Antonio,” Bilas said. “Though it is always unlikely, this could very well be the year that feat is duplicated, and we’ll see no upsets in the Elite Eight. In this matchup, however, Florida is just so deep, big and talented, and it’s on a roll. I’m going with the Gators.”
Both Florida and Auburn are fairly similar when it comes to the metrics. According to the KenPom rankings, the Gators rank second in offensive efficiency, while the Tigers are third. And as for defensive efficiency, Florida is 10th, while Auburn is eighth.