In 2017, second-year head coach Mike White took Florida to the Elite Eight on the strength of the nation’s fifth-best defense. The Gators had length, size, experience, and were well balanced on both ends of the court. Last season, they took a step back. Defensive big man John Egbunu was injured and didn’t play and White was constantly pleading with his team to play with effort and passion. The end result was another NCAA Tournament berth but a decline in production across the board. This season sets up well for a bounceback. White is one of the top young coaches in the country and welcomes back a core group of players talented enough to win multiple games come March.

In terms of departures, Florida lost point guard Chris Chiozza, Egor Koulechov, and Egbunu. Chiozza finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in assists but top 30 recruit Andrew Nembhard offers more potential. Freshmen point guards are always a tricky proposition, but Nembhard comes highly regarded and sophomore Mike Okauru is a capable backup. Koulechov knocked down 70 3-pointers but was a big liability on the defensive end of the floor. The rest of the rotation returns — the core of which all upperclassmen — as well as the addition four-star signees Noah Locke and Keyontae Johnson. As we’ve seen with Villanova and virtually every team that has cut down the nets, guard play is of the utmost importance. Despite the loss of Chiozza, the Gators are loaded in the back court with versatile players who can shoot and defend multiple positions. Another key will be the health of 6-11 Gorjok Gak who has spent much of his career limited due to injury. He’s reportedly healthy and offers the type of rim protection the Gators were expecting to get from Egbunu prior to his own injury.

Florida’s schedule offers plenty of opportunity for postseason-type challenges. The Gators face in-state rival Florida State, West Virginia, Michigan State, and Butler during non-conference play. They also draw Kentucky and Tennessee twice and face Auburn on the road in SEC play. I’m a big believer in White who has formed a team very similar to that of some of Billy Donovan’s great Gator squads. It’s all there: talent, veterans, top-level recruits, guard play, defensive pedigree. Compared to a lot of other teams at 50-1, Florida offers a lot more potential for a deep postseason run. If anything, look for the Gators to return back to a top-15 level and improve on last year’s 16-16-1 ATS record.

Andrew Lange has a tremendous long term track record with his college basketball totals. Over the last 10 seasons, he’s posted a documented record of 443-322 58%. You can check out all of his subscription options for the 2018-19 season.