Three Gators land on ESPN’s March Madness Top 50 list

The Florida Gators will open NCAA tournament play Friday night in Tampa as a No. 1 seed, taking on No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M. The contest tips off at 9:25 p.m. ET on TNT.

Florida enters the matchup with one of the more complete rosters in the field. That showed up in ESPN’s latest ranking of the top 50 players in March Madness where the Gators were one of only five programs to place three players on the list.

The trio highlights Florida’s balance heading into the postseason. There is a defensive anchor in the paint along with a versatile forward producing efficiently and go-to scorer who has taken a major leap from last season. That combination gives the Gators a strong foundation going into Friday night.

No. 36: Rueben Chinyelu

Chinyelu checks in at No. 36 and gives Florida a clear defensive presence. The junior center has become one of the top rim protectors in the country, impacting shots and controlling the glass at a high level. Against Prairie View A&M, his ability to protect the paint should help Florida establish control early.

“Chinyelu is in the running for National Defensive Player of the Year, leading efforts on that end of the court for a Florida team that’s top 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency,” said ESPN. “At 6-foot-10, opponents have registered an adjusted offensive efficiency of just 82 points per 100 possessions against him — the equivalent of UConn’s subpar production in a 20-point loss to St. John’s in the Big East tournament championship. The junior is averaging career highs in scoring (11.2) and rebounding (11.5).”

No. 21: Alex Condon

Condon brings steady production and versatility into Friday night. The junior forward has been one of the most efficient players in the SEC, especially down the stretch, and impacts the game in multiple ways. His ability to score, rebound and facilitate makes him a key piece as Florida looks to handle its first-round matchup.

“For all the talk about how Condon has taken a step back from last season, the Aussie big man is third in KenPom’s SEC Player of the Year ranking and averaging career highs in scoring (15.0), rebounding (7.7) and assists (3.5) while shooting nearly 55% from the field,” said ESPN. “He has been as productive as any frontcourt player in the SEC since the start of February in particular, averaging more than 18 points and shooting nearly 63% from the field over the latest stretch.”

No. 14: Thomas Haugh

Leading the way is Haugh, who has emerged as Florida’s top offensive option. After playing a supporting role last season, the junior forward has taken a major leap and now drives the Gators’ scoring attack. His production will be key as Florida looks to set the tone early against Prairie View A&M.

“Haugh was an important part of the rotation for Florida’s national title run last season. Now, he’s the Gators’ top scorer (17.1), nearly doubling his offensive output from a season ago (9.8),” said ESPN. “He has made 59% of his shots around the rim, according to Synergy Sports, and has scored 20 or more points in five games over a 12-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament semifinals.”

With three players ranked inside ESPN’s top 50, Florida enters Friday night in Tampa with proven production on both ends of the floor and the kind of balance that can carry a team through March and potentially win back-to-back national championships.

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