Selection Sunday may be hours away, but no.1 seed predictions are still up in the air; blame that on the toughest conference in the nation. While Auburn, Duke, and Houston have all but confirmed their seeding, with Bruce Pearl, still unfazed after the SEC Tourney exit, one last spot remains to be decided by the Finals tomorrow. Or is that right? Because someone has already made a declaration.

Florida came out on top. In what may be one of their better showings, the Gators pushed out Alabama in a crushing 104-82 victory, thanks to a strong second-half rally. For a minute there, Todd Golden’s squad looked like the best in the nation, making it to the top -2 in the toughest conference after defeating the best offensive team.

So during the post-game presser, Golden was asked whether the upcoming game against Tennessee can finally allow Florida to secure the No.1 seed for themselves. With an air of confidence, Golden replied, “I think we are. I think we secured a one seed today. That’s my opinion.” The coach believed this since the Gators had “beat Alabama twice, beat Auburn at Auburn, you know. I don’t really think it’s a debate regardless of the result tomorrow.” Woah!

Well, Florida was only the second team Bruce Pearl & Co. lost to 23 games into the season. The Gators would also snap their 14-game win streak, stunning Auburn 90-81 in their backyard. It was no different for once No.2 nationally-ranked Bama. In what seemed like a late-season slump, Golden’s team had delivered a second-consecutive loss for Nate Oats. Crimson Tide felt the sting once again in a game that kept onlookers on the edge of their seats.

Alabama entered the conference semifinals averaging 91.4 points per game this season, tops in the SEC. Florida was third behind Alabama and Kentucky with its 84.8 average. Until the first five minutes of the second half, Florida and Alabama matched each other almost point for point. Then, the Gators pulled out a memorable defense through turnovers, blocked shots, and getting out on the fast break. This allowed the squad to turn their 47-45 halftime advantage to an impressive 64-50! By the time the game was over, Golden’s team was leading by 22 points.

However, how sure can Golden be of his claim?

With such an impressive win, the Gators coach may be quite justified in declaring his team in the no.1 seed line. However, per Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm, Rick Barnes’ Tennessee is still a threat to Florida. If the volunteers end up cutting the net, Florida might not stand a chance in the top line, because the two teams have split the wins this season. But as Golden highlighted, defeating both Auburn and Alabama, the former that is a team with 16 quad wins, they are strong contenders to join Auburn, Duke, and Houston. Also thanks in part to the loss Michigan State incurred.

Well, we won’t know until the game on Sunday and eventually until Selection Committee’s revelation. As for Bruce Pearl, a loss to a lesser-ranked team is hardly quashing his confidence.

Bruce Pearl highlights optimism for Auburn’s NCAA run “historically one of the strongest resumes”

“I’m looking forward, not back,” said Bruce Pearl after his No. 3 team lost 70-65 to No. 8 Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals. That was the Tigers’ 3rd loss in the last four games– no longer a look of the team that held on to the top spot for 8 weeks. But that’s also the very indication of Auburn’s potential, and the HC isn’t reeling back. He’s confident about whatever’s to come with Selection Sunday.

“Our resume is historically one of the strongest resumes in history of college basketball,” said the coach after the loss to Tennessee. “Certainly, losing to Tennessee as a team rank fifth or sixth in the country is not necessarily should knock us off that spot.”

Sure, the Auburn Tigers may have faltered this time around. However, the squad still made the semi-finals, which speaks well for them. Furthermore, several of the losses have been close. The Tigers lost by 10 points or more in only 1 of their last 4 losses. On top of that, Auburn put out one of the college’s best season performances. The squad set a personal record with 8 conference wins. In light of this, the last thing Bruce Pearl wants, after the recent loss, is for his team to be counted out.