Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports
The first game of the third round of the SEC tournament will be between the No. 1 seeded Florida Gators and the No. 9 seeded LSU Tigers. The Gators beat the Tigers by 22 the first time they played.
LSU is coming off of a very impressive victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. The win over the Bulldogs put them in the discussion for the NIT, but the Tigers must win the SEC tournament if they want to make it to the NCAA tournament. LSU is a good team that will do big things in the SEC next year. This year, the Tigers are the type of team that could’ve been surprising in the SEC tournament, but, unluckily for them, they have the No. 1 seeded Gators in the next round.
Related: SEC Tournament Preview Round 3: No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
Florida is coming off a regular season winning performance in the SEC, but has had trouble with mid-level SEC teams all season long. The Gators have every opportunity to win the SEC tournament and every opportunity to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament. Florida will win this game as long as they stop Johnny O’Bryant III.
LSU will be easily overpowered in this game. It will be nearly impossible for anyone to beat the Gators when Florida is fully rested. Patric Young, Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy are one of the most consistent trios in the country. Expect the Tigers to compete early, but Florida should win this game by a fairly large margin to advance to the semi-finals of the SEC tournament. The Gators are on a mission to the NCAA tournament finals and would love to capture an SEC tournament trophy on the way there.
