Wake up, it’s the first of the month!

The end of the 2025-26 College Basketball Regular season is right around the corner. With just one week remaining in the regular season, the field of 68 is solidifying, with 5 teams from the state of Florida preparing to lace their shoes up ahead of the big dance. As the sun rose on this fine March 1st morning, CBS Sports released their updated Bracketology.

While the DJ prepares to cue up ‘One Shining Moment’, let’s take a look at the projected representation of the State of Florida in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and the resume’s each squad has to boast.

University of Florida Gators

CBS Projection- #2 Seed, Region: South (Tampa)

First Matchup- v #15 Troy

The Florida Gators are primed for a deep March run in hopes of defending their National Championship from last season. Todd Golden’s squad currently stands at 23-6, with a 9-5 Q1 record. UF’s 9 Quad 1 victories are 4th in the NCAA, behind projected 1 seeds Arizona, Duke and Michigan. The Gators have been playing their best ball over the last month, with a perfect 8-0 in February.

University of Miami Hurricanes

CBS Projection- #7 Seed, Region: East (St. Louis)

First Matchup- v #10 Missouri

The Miami Hurricanes are the biggest one year rebuild in College basketball. The ‘Canes went from 7-24 (3-17 ACC) to currently standing at 23-6 (12-4 ACC) in year 1 of the Jai Lucas era. Miami may be 3-4 in Quad 1 opportunities, but the Hurricanes have handled business and are 19-2 in other games. The elite scoring duo of Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson have constantly carried Miami through tough victories, while true freshman Shelton Henderson continues to be a star in the making.

University of Central Florida Knights

CBS Projection- #8 Seed, Region: East (Washington DC)

First Matchup- v #9 Texas

In a year filled to the brim with elite squads representing the Big-12 Conference, the UCF Knights have charged on as one of the Conference’s best. Johnny Dawkins’ complete overhaul of his program seems to have worked in the Knights’ favor, as they just logged their 20th win on the year. UCF’s conference schedule is loaded with Q1 opportunities, and they currently hold a 4-5 Quad 1 record on the year, with 2 more on deck. In terms of ‘Cinderella Projections’ leading into the Tournament, I think UCF can make a strong run.

University of South Florida Bulls

CBS Projection- #12 Seed, Region: South (Portland)

First Matchup- v #5 Arkansas

The American Conference representative may literally be decided by a coin flip at this point. While Tulsa has the NET metrics advantage, the USF Bulls do hold a 2-0 head to head record over the Golden Hurricane. Head Coach Bryan Hodgson has done a remarkable job in his first campaign as the head man in Hillsborough County, and will have his squad ready to roll as the AAC Tournament approaches.

Bethune Cookman Wildcats

CBS Projection- First 4 In/Out, Dayton

First Matchup- v #16 UMBC

The Bethune Cookman Wildcats look like the clearcut favorite to represent the SWAC in the big dance. Reggie Theus’ team has dominated the league with a 13-3 conference record. While the Wildcats weren’t able to steal a win during their 7 Q1 opportunities, they’ve certainly given a few teams like Auburn and Dayton a run for their money.