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Saturday evening, the top-seeded Florida Gators will take on the third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders in the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 in San Francisco to decide who represents the West Region in the Final Four next week.
The Orange and Blue have won nine straight games and 15 of its last 16, including three-straight to earn the SEC Tournament title. Todd Golden's team needed a comeback effort to overcome the two-time defending champions, the UConn Huskies, in the second round; they made it past the Norfolk State Spartans and Maryland Terrapins in the first round and Sweet 16, respectively, to reach this point.
The Red Raiders made it past the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, Drake Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks, respectively, to set up this March Madness matchup. Their last loss came in the Big 12 Tournament Seminfinals, where the Arizona Wildcats outlasted them
Historically, the Gators have won two of the three meetings dating back to 1960. However, Tech won the last time they faced off — which happened to also be in the NCAA Tournament, but earlier in the second round of the 2018 Big Dance.
Below is a look at the Gators Wire staff's predictions for the upcoming game between Florida and Texas Tech.
"All eyes should be on the frontcourt battle when Florida and Texas Tech match up on Saturday. JT Toppin is one of the best bigs in the country, and he's averaging 18-and-9 this year. There's also Darrion Williams to consider, who can get hot from the midrange in a hurry. Normally, I'd trust Florida's four-man rotation of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Micah Handlogten, but Condon might be limited after reaggravating an ankle injury in the first half of the Sweet 16 win against Maryland.
"Haugh can replace the scoring and rebounding that Condon does, and the other two are strong post presences on defense. The problem is that all three tend to get into foul trouble, which could force Condon to play more than his ankle will allow. For those reasons, winning the foul battle early is a must for the Gators.
"The other win condition here is out-playing the Raiders in the frontcourt. Texas Tech hasn't had its third-best scorer and top 3-point shooter, Chance McMillian, since March 13. While McMillian is technically day-to-day, I like Florida's odds with its Big 3 guard rotation of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard. If McMillian doesn't play, they really only have to contain freshman guard Christian Anderson to win the 3-point battle. A loud game from Clayton feels like the smart pick here.
"I suppose it's going to come down to which team's All-American shows up more on Saturday — Clayton for Florida or Toppin for Texas Tech." — David Rosenberg
Prediction: Florida 85, Texas Tech 76
"Florida enters the Elite Eight as one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a nine-game win streak and coming off a dominant second-half performance over Maryland. The Gators cleaned up their turnovers, crashed the boards, and showed off their depth—six players scored in double figures, and the bench outscored Maryland’s 29-3.
"Texas Tech pulled off an impressive comeback against Arkansas, but they spent most of the game trailing and needed overtime to survive. That kind of emotional, high-energy win can be tough to follow up—especially against a deep, disciplined Florida team that’s firing on all cylinders.
"The Gators have more scoring options, better control in late-game situations, and momentum. If they take care of the ball early, they should control the pace and pull away late." — Aidan Gallardo
Prediction: Florida 78, Texas Tech 68
"Florida looked a bit better against Maryland than they did against UConn, but there lies the possibility that Alex Condon will not be 100% for this game after dealing with an ankle injury on Thursday night. The Gators cannot afford to take their feet off the pedal with a Final Four appearance at stake and must keep the intensity level — particularly in the frontcourt — at a high level.
"Of course, Clayton has to be his usual other-worldly self as well — and there is no reason to expect any less — and Golden's gang must find a way to slow down Toppin. The status of Tech's McMillian will also play an important part in Saturday evening's results.
"Long story short: It will be a white-knuckle game for both schools' fans, but ultimately, the Orange and Blue will once again prevail." — Adam Dubbin
Prediction: Florida 82, Texas Tech 79
Florida and Texas Tech will face off on Saturday, March 29, at 6:09 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Kevin Harlan will be on the call for the TBS/truTV broadcast, with Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy as analysts. Lauren Shahdi will serve as the sideline reporter.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Predictions for Florida Gators vs Texas Tech Red Raiders in Elite 8
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The Orange and Blue have won nine straight games and 15 of its last 16, including three-straight to earn the SEC Tournament title. Todd Golden's team needed a comeback effort to overcome the two-time defending champions, the UConn Huskies, in the second round; they made it past the Norfolk State Spartans and Maryland Terrapins in the first round and Sweet 16, respectively, to reach this point.
The Red Raiders made it past the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, Drake Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks, respectively, to set up this March Madness matchup. Their last loss came in the Big 12 Tournament Seminfinals, where the Arizona Wildcats outlasted them
Historically, the Gators have won two of the three meetings dating back to 1960. However, Tech won the last time they faced off — which happened to also be in the NCAA Tournament, but earlier in the second round of the 2018 Big Dance.
Below is a look at the Gators Wire staff's predictions for the upcoming game between Florida and Texas Tech.
'All eyes should be on the frontcourt battle'
"All eyes should be on the frontcourt battle when Florida and Texas Tech match up on Saturday. JT Toppin is one of the best bigs in the country, and he's averaging 18-and-9 this year. There's also Darrion Williams to consider, who can get hot from the midrange in a hurry. Normally, I'd trust Florida's four-man rotation of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Micah Handlogten, but Condon might be limited after reaggravating an ankle injury in the first half of the Sweet 16 win against Maryland.
"Haugh can replace the scoring and rebounding that Condon does, and the other two are strong post presences on defense. The problem is that all three tend to get into foul trouble, which could force Condon to play more than his ankle will allow. For those reasons, winning the foul battle early is a must for the Gators.
"The other win condition here is out-playing the Raiders in the frontcourt. Texas Tech hasn't had its third-best scorer and top 3-point shooter, Chance McMillian, since March 13. While McMillian is technically day-to-day, I like Florida's odds with its Big 3 guard rotation of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard. If McMillian doesn't play, they really only have to contain freshman guard Christian Anderson to win the 3-point battle. A loud game from Clayton feels like the smart pick here.
"I suppose it's going to come down to which team's All-American shows up more on Saturday — Clayton for Florida or Toppin for Texas Tech." — David Rosenberg
Prediction: Florida 85, Texas Tech 76
'Florida (is) one of the hottest teams in the country'
"Florida enters the Elite Eight as one of the hottest teams in the country, riding a nine-game win streak and coming off a dominant second-half performance over Maryland. The Gators cleaned up their turnovers, crashed the boards, and showed off their depth—six players scored in double figures, and the bench outscored Maryland’s 29-3.
"Texas Tech pulled off an impressive comeback against Arkansas, but they spent most of the game trailing and needed overtime to survive. That kind of emotional, high-energy win can be tough to follow up—especially against a deep, disciplined Florida team that’s firing on all cylinders.
"The Gators have more scoring options, better control in late-game situations, and momentum. If they take care of the ball early, they should control the pace and pull away late." — Aidan Gallardo
Prediction: Florida 78, Texas Tech 68
'It will be a white-knuckle game'
"Florida looked a bit better against Maryland than they did against UConn, but there lies the possibility that Alex Condon will not be 100% for this game after dealing with an ankle injury on Thursday night. The Gators cannot afford to take their feet off the pedal with a Final Four appearance at stake and must keep the intensity level — particularly in the frontcourt — at a high level.
"Of course, Clayton has to be his usual other-worldly self as well — and there is no reason to expect any less — and Golden's gang must find a way to slow down Toppin. The status of Tech's McMillian will also play an important part in Saturday evening's results.
"Long story short: It will be a white-knuckle game for both schools' fans, but ultimately, the Orange and Blue will once again prevail." — Adam Dubbin
Prediction: Florida 82, Texas Tech 79
How to watch Florida-Texas Tech in Elite 8
Florida and Texas Tech will face off on Saturday, March 29, at 6:09 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Kevin Harlan will be on the call for the TBS/truTV broadcast, with Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy as analysts. Lauren Shahdi will serve as the sideline reporter.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Predictions for Florida Gators vs Texas Tech Red Raiders in Elite 8
Continue reading...
