The Florida Gators are known for their football, but will their basketball team turn some heads this year? Coming off a 21-15 season, the Gators’ second-year head coach, Mike White, is hoping for more from the Gators. As they return ten players from last season and bring in four freshman to add to the squad, the Gators still have seven players that played a big role from last years squad. They have picked up four freshmen that can play a big role in the success the Gators can have this year. The Gators are going to have to improve their record if they want to play in the big dance.

The Gators have the easy part of their schedule first; they should start off undefeated until they face a very good Duke Blue Devil team. My projection is they will go 24-4 and compete with Kentucky for a top spot in the SEC. With the Gator talent and the experience they have from last year, there’s no doubt in my mind they can do this. They have a very talented roster with a coach they have had the chance to play with last year and kind of know what he expects going into this year.

Coach Mike White was my only question mark going into the 2015-2016 season, and he proved me wrong. He made a lot of good coaching decisions and did what was best for the team. He led the Gators to a 21-15 season, but this was his first year coaching a big time Division I ball club. He showed his smarts last year, and I think the team will adapt to his coaching style this year. There will be a big difference in the Gators’ record. Mike White thinks his team is ready for the year ahead and that they will improve to be a better ball club than they were last season.

The Gators open up their season against Florida Gulf Coast at a neutral site. The game will be at 6:30 on Friday, November 11.