It has been a few years since the Florida Gators enjoyed a taste of NCAA Tournament success, but they come into this year's Big Dance with raised expectations after earning the two seed in the Southeast Region. Florida kicks things off on Thursday against the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos as the two teams meet at the St Pete Times Forum in Tampa; the game is scheduled to get underway at 6:50pm ET on TBS. The latest College Basketball Lines have the Gators listed as a -12.5 college basketball picks favorite and the game total set at 128.
Like many of the smaller schools that found their way into the 2011 NCAA Tournament, UC-Santa Barbara did not win 
its conference during the regular season, but rather caught lightning in a bottle in route to a conference tournament championship.
The Gauchos, which finished fourth in the Big West standings after a 1-3 finish to the regular season (8-8 conference), beat Pacific, Cal State-Northridge, and Long Beach State in securing its second consecutive league tournament title.
UC-Santa Barbara's Orlando Johnson was instrumental in turning back the regular season champion 49ers in the tournament final, scoring 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting (3-of-6 beyond the arc). Johnson, the Gauchos leading scorer (21.1 ppg), tallied 20 points in UCSB's opening round loss to Ohio State in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Florida, which has not won an NCAA Tournament game since beating Ohio State in the 2007 National Championship, comes into Thursday's game with a 26-7 record. The Gators had won four straight prior to their loss against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament's championship game.
Florida, which shot a paltry 38.6 percent against the Wildcats, had just one player score in double figures in the lopsided setback (54-70). Kenny Boynton posted 10 points for Head Coach Billy Donovan, but he hit just four of his 16 shot attempts. Erving Walker (14.4 ppg), the Gators leading scorer, managed just eight points in the team's tournament prelude.
Thursday's game marks the first meeting between these two schools. The winner will advance to face either No. 7 UCLA or No. 10 Michigan State.
California-Santa Barbara vs Florida 2011 NCAA Bracket Picks:
UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos +12.5 (-110), Over 128 (-110), +800 (Moneyline)
Florida Gators -12.5 (-110), Under 128 (-110), -1100 (Moneyline)
