Why Florida basketball can reach Final Four in our 2024 March Madness bracket predictions

Florida basketball proved during the course of the 2023-24 season it can win or lose to any team in the country.

The Florida Gators (24-11) beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena, lost to Vanderbilt at Memorial Gym and started 1-3 in SEC play before finding their footing in mid-January. Parity has reigned throughout college basketball, which should make the 2024 NCAA Tournament fascinating. March Madness will truly be mad.

As a 7-seed in the South Region, Florida enters NCAA Tournament play on Friday at Gainbridge Field House in Indianapolis, Ind., (4:30 p.m. TBS) with a challenging path. The Gators, who played four games in four days in the SEC Tournament, will get more rest to prepare for a more winded team, as UF will face the winner of Wednesday's 10-seed game between Boise State and Colorado in Dayton, Ohio. But a potential matchup with 2-seed Marquette, a dynamic offensive team coached by former UF assistant Shaka Smart, awaits in a Round of 32 game.

Frontcourt blow:What Micah Handlogten injury means to Florida basketball 2024 March Madness hopes

Start time set:Game time set for Florida vs. Boise State/Colorado in 2024 NCAA Tournament opener

If the Gators continue to advance, they could meet No. 1 seed Houston, a suffocating defensive team led by veteran coach Kelvin Sampson, in the Elite Eight.

UF's 24 wins entering the NCAA Tournament are its most since 2016-17, when the Gators made an Elite Eight run behind point guard Chris Chiozza and forward Devin Robinson. But Florida basketball suffered a blow to its frontcourt on Sunday when starting 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten went down with a broken leg in the SEC Tournament finals against Auburn, ending his season.

 "It's like, a new season now," Florida starting forward Tyrese Samuel said. "Nothing matters from before pretty much. Just kind of going into practice, finding new tactics and ways just to complement each other without Micah.

"Yeah, just go out there and play hard. I feel like when we play hard, rebound, play in transition, I feel like we're one of the best teams in America."

Here are reasons why Florida will and won't make the Final Four in Glendale, Ariz. in three weeks:

Why Florida basketball will make the Final Four?

The Gators are a high-powered offensive team that has scored 100 or more points in four games this season. UF's dynamic guards, led by All-SEC senior point guard Zyon Pullin and All-SEC junior combo guard Walter Clayton, are a nightmare to defend off the bounce. Pullin is exceptional with his decision making and taking care of the basketball, as his 3.9-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second in the country.

Even without Handlogten, Florida has a rugged frontcourt rotation, led by the 6-10 Samuel, who has posted 11 double-doubles this season. Freshman forward Alex Condon also is emerging as a post scorer and dogged rebounder, while leading the Gators in blocked shots. Florida ranks second in the SEC and 20th nationally in rebounding margin (plus-6.7). Teams that can hold opponents to one shot and generate second-chance points tend to make deep runs in March. Todd Golden, in his second year as Florida coach, has shown a knack for pulling off close games, as the Gators have gone 7-6 this season in games decided by five points or less.

Why Florida basketball won't make the Final Four?

The Gators have lost six games this season when leading at halftime and have let other double-digit leads slip away in the second half. At times, Florida can have problems adjusting to changing defenses, such as matchup or 1-3-1 zone defenses, which South Carolina coach Lamont Paris employed in the second half of a 82-76 comeback win over the Gators on March 2. Defensively, Florida has gotten better guarding the 3-point line but is prone to breaking down against quicker guards off the dribble. Overall, UF's defense entered Sunday's SEC Tournament Finals allowing 78.3 points per game. Florida's big men can get into foul trouble at times. UF's free-throw shooting (71.1 percent) is up and down. For the most part, the Gators take care of the ball well, but have issues sometimes executing under-the-basket in bounds plays against pressure. That proved costly in the 79-78 loss at Vanderbilt on March 9, when guard Tyrin Lawrence stole an inbounds pass and scored a go-ahead basket with 12 seconds remaining that lifted the Commodores to the win.