Are the Florida Gators a Final Four Contender After Upset Over Vanderbilt?

After four-straight wins, including a road win at No. 10 Vanderbilt, the Florida Gators have reentered the conversation as a Final Four contender.

After struggling in non-conference play, the Florida Gators are off to a hot start in SEC play, which includes a road win at No. 10 Vanderbilt. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

It was only a month ago that the Florida Gators dropped their third game to a ranked opponent and were considered out of the race to defend their title. Everybody brushed them aside, shifting their focus to other teams. 

Well, fast forward 39 days, and now the Gators are back in the discussion of being a contender, after their impressive start to conference play, according to CBS Sports’ Clark Kellogg. 

“I think they are a championship contender,” Kellogg said. “This is clearly a Final Four caliber team.”

"I think they are a championship contender!"@ClarkKelloggCBS thinks Florida's big men can carry them to back-to-back titles. pic.twitter.com/v00TGMsR62

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 17, 2026

Despite opening their SEC slate with a narrow defeat on the road against the Missouri Tigers, Florida has rattled off four straight wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Furthermore, three of those four victories were against ranked opponents. 

The Gators dominated the contests against the Bulldogs and Volunteers, taking home a 15-point victory over the former and a 24-point win against the latter. Then, after easing past the Sooners, the Gators made their way to Nashville, Tenn., for a top-25 matchup with the No. 10 Commodores, in which they handed them their second straight loss. 

That win over Vanderbilt is also a crucial one for Florida’s resume. Having dropped games to multiple top-25 opponents during the nonconference schedule, the Gators needed a big-time win on the year. Even with the victories over Georgia and Tennessee, the game against Vanderbilt provided them with a top-10 win on the road. 

The championship talk is not all about the wins, though. Player development for Florida has played a part in them being considered a real threat to defend their title. 

A lot of the focus on Florida revolves around forward Thomas Haugh. Still, Kellogg highlighted Gators' big man Rueben Chinyelu, citing that he is becoming one of the best big men in the country. 

“Chinyelu is one of the most improved bigs in the country,” Kellogg said. “He’s making moves, he’s making shots, he’s still a presence defensively.” 

Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu had a career-high 20 points with 10 rebounds in the win over Vanderbilt. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Chinyelu’s development on offense has been instrumental in the Gators resurgence over the last four games. He is averaging 16.5 points on 67.5 percent shooting and 10.5 rebounds per game in his previous four outings. Moreover, he has posted three straight double-doubles. 

Golden touched on Chinyelu’s form after the Oklahoma game, praising his current play. 

“He’s just playing fantastically well,” Golden said. “He's always impacted winning in a huge way, but you didn't always see it in the box score, and now you're starting to see it in the box score.”

As for Haugh, he still has been one of the Gators' most consistent and efficient players. He is shooting 50 percent from the field overall and 38.5 percent from deep since the start of conference play while scoring 19.4 points. He is also averaging 7.4 rebounds and two steals during this stretch. 

For the guard pairing of Xaivian Lee and Fland, they have not fully found their footing, but they are beginning to show signs of positive progression in their respective roles. 

Before the Vanderbilt game, Fland had back-to-back performances that made his head coach proud. He scored 23 points against Tennessee and 15 against Oklahoma. Moreover, he dished out 12 assists across the two games and recorded six steals. 

“Playing with a lot of confidence out there,” Golden said on Tuesday. “He's definitely playing freer, playing with more confidence, and taking advantage of what the defense gives him.”

In Lee’s case, he still has struggled offensively in the conference, but in the contest against Vanderbilt, he played the role of the hero. He supplied 20 points, six rebounds and two assists on 8-for-13 shooting. He also hit the biggest shot of the game, with a step-back triple to take a 95-94 lead with only 45 seconds remaining. 

Xaivian Lee hit three 3-pointers, including the game-winner, at Vanderbilt. | UAA Communications

If the Gators continue to get these types of performances from the guards, then they clearly are in the mix to not only win the SEC but to make a deep run in March. 

That is a big if, though, and is something that Kellogg is monitoring as the season progresses. 

“That frontline has been championship caliber from the day the season started,” Kellogg said. “So, it is a matter, to your point, can those guards raise their level? I think they will.”