Gators fall in NET rankings after losing to UConn

After 10 games, the Florida Gators men’s basketball team ranks 80th overall on the NCAA NET rankings.

For those unfamiliar with the NET rankings, here’s a quick crash course: The NET rankings take into account game results, strength of schedule, location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency and the quality of wins and losses, according to the NCAA. It uses a quadrant system to determine the quality of a win or loss.

Beating a team ranked in the top 1-30 at home is a Quadrant 1 win, but the range expands to the top 50 teams when playing at a neutral site (think the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament) and to the top 75 when on the road. Quadrant 1 wins are big but losses aren’t as punishing as one might think. It’s the Quadrant 3 (Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240) and Quadrant 4 (Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353) losses that are most important when it comes to bad losses.

Florida is currently 0-4 against Quadrant 1 teams (No. 2 UConn, No. 9 West Virginia, No. 11 Florida Atlantic and No. 44 Xavier). FAU might be the surprising team here, but the rankings suggest that the Owls are legit and that the Gators’ two-point loss to them looks far better than it did at the time. Xavier would have been a Quadrant 2 loss had the game taken place in Gainesville, so Florida catches a minor break by losing at a neutral site.

All in all, UF’s record against elite teams isn’t good but they aren’t terrible losses (except for the WVU game). The Gators haven’t played a current Quadrant 2 opponent, so there’s nothing to work off in that area just yet. Dominating the second tier of competition could help bolster Florida’s argument for an NCAA Tournament bid at the season’s end.

All six of Florida’s wins this year have come against Quadrant 3 and 4 opponents, with five coming against the latter group. Florida A&M and Stony Brook rank among the worst teams in the country, and Florida State and Oregon State aren’t having great years. Stetson is nearing a Quadrant 3 berth and Kennesaw State is on the verge of dropping into Quadrant 4.

That means Florida is doing what it’s supposed to against lesser programs but can’t get the job done against more polished squads. Right now, it’s hard to see Florida cracking the field of 68 for the NCAA Tournament, but a few Quadrant 2 wins, or even a single Quadrant 1 win, might be enough to boost UF up the rankings.

Conversely, a Quadrant 3 or 4 loss could send Florida…