If the Florida Gators were still on the bubble entering the SEC tournament, their chances of making it into the Dance were smashed on Thursday night as they got rolled by a weak Alabama team, 80-69. The Crimson Tide had a 28-point at one point in the game, but saw their lead shrink to six points before pulling away. Either way the loss was one that defending champs could ill afford.

The likelihood for Florida to make a tenth straight NCAA appearence seems slim after the Gators finished the regular season losing 7 of 10 games and now four straight contests makes their No. 65 RPI ranking look even worse.

The disappointing play by the Gators also takes some air out Kentucky's victory over them this past Sunday at Rupp Arena.  Many Kentucky fans, including fellow GSI blogger Bret Sims, were ready to annoint UK as kings of the court following the team's heart-filled victory over Florida on Sunday. This loss only furthers the argument against the strenght of that win and makes the SEC look that much weaker.