Florida basketball enters 2026 March Madness ready to defend the national title. Head coach Todd Golden and the Gators have a chance to repeat history on campus: Winning consecutive crowns for the first time since 2006 to 2007. But Florida's road is one of the hardest before facing the winner of Lehigh and Prairie View A&M.
Lucky for Florida, the Gators still earned a top seed. They'll be entering the South regional as one of the favorites to win it all.
Florida also gains the luxury of having an experienced roster for this upcoming run. Lead scorer Thomas Haugh, fellow big Alex Condon and even sophomore guard Isaiah Brown return to go back-to-back. Golden's previous championship coaching comes into play here as well.
But here's why Florida enters the '26 NCAA Tournament on upset alert watch.
Guard speed could doom Florida
This Gators team faced trouble containing speed against different backcourts.
High-functioning guard combinations handed Florida fits. Just look at how Vanderbilt beat the Gators off its guard play.
Even the winner of Lehigh/PVAMU will test the Southeastern Conference representative in the backcourt. The 16th seed that faces the champs won't hesitate to play fast against a taller foe.
But that's not the only noticeable flaw on the Gators' side.
Low 3-point shooting another Florida flaw
Golden built a team that punishes opponents down low. Florida aims to pound teams in the paint off its deep lineup of bigs.
But three-point shooting became a flaw off this philosophy. Golden's team only makes nearly 30% of their long range attempts.
The national champion winning head coach must avoid ignoring the three-ball. Future foes in this tournament will aim to eliminate the Gators' inside penetration and force them to trust their shots from behind the arc. But that only throws off Florida as again, the Gators became an inside team.
The 16th seed representative on Friday will aim to keep Florida from scoring in the paint. But Lehigh and PVAMU aren't the biggest threats to the Gators.
Teams that could trip Florida up
It starts with the round two opponent, regardless if Clemson or Iowa tangles with the champs.
The Hawkeyes present one of the better defenses in the South Regional. Iowa ranked near the top of the Big Ten in creating steals. The Hawkeyes will pick the pockets of Florida inside and snatch the basketball away to eliminate its inside game.
Clemson plays a similar “bully ball” style comparable to the Gators. The Tigers also are 19th nationally in defensive efficiency. Their backcourt, however, puts the Atlantic Coast Conference representative at a disadvantage as Clemson was inconsistent there.
Florida ought to hope it avoids a rematch with Vandy. The Commodores could be the Sweet 16 opponent if they advance. Yet even McNeese State presents a fierce defense that can rattle Florida.
Golden won immediately in Gainesville and has become beloved on campus. But this tournament becomes his toughest challenge yet with the Gators. The second round is where the upset alert alarm could sound off.
