The stage is set for the opening round of the NCAA tournament. A thrilling next few days await the passionate college fans as the first-round matches will be underway soon. Amidst those 32 matches is the clash between 7th seed Florida and 10th seed Colorado. Both these teams feature in the South region and will lock horns on 22nd March.

Both these evenly matched sides have a more or less similar record heading into the competition. However, there are some noteworthy pointers that will be useful in determining who will enter the contest as favorites.

After their disappointing SEC Finals loss to Auburn, Florida will be looking to turn the tides in their favor once again. Having won 14 out of their 22 Conference games, the Gators have surprised everyone with their aggressive yet effective style of play. This is evident by the fact that they have been scoring an average of 85.1 points per game. Moreover, they make a strong case defensively as well by grabbing an average of 42.7 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, the absence of their charismatic center Micah Handlogten might hurt them as he will be out of action because of a broken leg.

On the other hand, Buffs are riding on the momentum of their recent First Four victory over the Boise State Broncos. Currently, they are scoring at an average of 78.7 points per game. However, they are a little behind Florida in terms of grabbing rebounds as they are currently managing a rebound rate of 37.4.

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In addition to this, both teams are fancying their chances on some standout players within their locker room.

The players who can have the spotlight in the NCAA matchup

Gators have Walter Clayton Jr. who happens to be their top performer so far. The junior guard scores an average of 17.1 points and has a field goal percentage of 42.6. Apart from him, Florida can also rely on the talent of Tyrese Samuel whose last 10 games produced an average of 16.7 points and 6.5 rebounds. At the same time, Colorado has Eddie Lampkin Jr. who can easily register 10.3 points and seven rebounds in every game. Additionally, KJ Simpson can also cause trouble for Florida’s defense as he scores 19.6 points per game and serves as the best 3-point shooter in the squad.

The Gators hold a slight edge over the Buffaloes in this contest. However, Colorado would try and capitalize on Micah Handlogten’s unavailability to gain the upper hand in this knockout. Come what may, fans are in for an exciting and thrilling opening-round matchup between these two well-balanced line-ups.

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Which team do you think will advance in this fiery NCAA clash?