College hoops analyst says Florida can be the best team in the country
By David Wasson
Published:
The seventh-ranked Florida Gators are definitely on a roll in recent weeks, having won 8 straight games and 13 of their last 14 dating back to Jan. 3. That includes a gritty 84-71 road victory over Texas on Wednesday night, which saw Florida score 48 second-half points to pull away for the win.
Success brings kudos as well as criticism. TNT college basketball analyst Dalen Cuff was definitely bullish on the Gators following Wednesday night’s game. How much?
“The best value was when they were 22-to-1 to win a championship a month ago. It has come down for a reason. I think this team is the best team in the country when they are playing at their best,” Cuff said. “They have the highest ceiling to me.”
According to Kalshi, Florida has the fourth-best chance to cut down the nets this season and repeat as champions. Only Michigan, Duke, and Arizona have a stronger likelihood than the Gators (9%).
Veteran coach-turned-broadcaster Jay Wright pushed back on Cuff’s claims – bringing up the success that Arizona, Duke, and Michigan have all had in the 2025-26 season.
“(Florida) lost to Duke by 1 on their floor. They lost to UConn in a tough game. They’ve been through the lumps in the non-league when they were playing a different way,” Cuff countered. “They were trying to play through their guards. They know exactly who they are now, have done it before with a team that has done it before, and have guards who are paying way, way better.
“They play in a league every night where the teams are really good. The only difference is in the SEC there aren’t national championship contenders they are playing. We will have to wait and see when we get to the Big Dance and they play teams on that level, because they have separated themselves in that league.”
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
