Florida Gators Power Index: 35.6*

The Gators are deep, talented, experienced, healthy, and have added the ability to shoot it from multiple positions. Billy Donovan loves to press, increasing the tempo with fullcourt, run-and-jump traps, and loves to launch opportunistic threes in transition. This season, more so than any since his Gators' run to the 2000 title game, he has the bodies and the deep strokes to do it. With Justin Hamilton and Anthony Roberson working the point, Brett Nelson will be free to work off of screens for shots, drawing defenses to him. If Nelson can make the right decisions as to shot or pass, Florida can be outstanding. Matt Bonner can score from anywhere on the court, continues to be among the toughest match-up problems in the nation, and should either be voted All-SEC or President of the United States. David Lee, the athletic lefty, should blossom into a star this season, and Christian Drejer is the latest skilled Euro forward who provides even more shooting. While Florida's press will rack up plenty of wins before March, how the Gators run halfcourt offense could very well determine whether they cut the nets down in New Orleans. -- Jay Bilas

Toughness: 7.5
Billy 'D' is tough. We know that. He played that way and coaches with as much intensity as he played with in the '80s. If Udonis Haslam had the toughness quotient last season, it's Matt Bonner's to carry this year. He is a tough player who doesn't get pushed around in the post or on the perimeter. Freshman Mario Boggan will be asked to follow Bonner's lead, but he hasn't played a game of college ball, so it's hard to tell if he can handle the heat. David Lee is still a work in progress, but showed the toughness as a freshman to hang in the SEC. Justin Hamilton has the grit to win tight games, but we're still waiting on Nelson, not to mention the freshmen.

Talent: 9.0
This team is loaded, even without James White (transferred) and a hobbled Nelson, who is nursing a sore foot, but can score and create his own shot. Hamilton is a steady, heady point guard. Bonner is as good a shooting big man in the country. Christian Drejer could go in the lottery if the buzz on this Great Dane is legit. Lee is a rising star with inside-out potential and the goods to one day become a dominate player in the SEC. Boggan is a load in the post, but still needs to refine his skills. The freshmen class has two shooters (Rashid Al-Kaleem and Matt Walsh) and a playmaker (Anthony Roberson). Role players Bonell Colas and Adrian Moss are as good a pair of blending forwards as any in the SEC.

Tourney Tested: 6.1
Nelson got to the 2000 title game. Hamilton and Bonner were on the squad, too. But that seems so long ago in Gainesville. Early exits in the last two NCAA Tournaments (don't even ask about recent SEC tourneys) must leave the Gators hungry to get back to the NCAAs and do something for more than a day (2002) or two (2001). As for the freshmen? They have no idea what they're getting into in March. The rest of the team experienced an early departure to Creighton in the NCAA Tournament. Donovan is tourney tested and knows how to handle big-time situations. But it's up to his seniors to show when the game gets tight late in March, they'll respond to help calm any frenzied situations.

Schedule: 7.2
Florida isn't ducking anyone in non-conference games. The foes names just aren't as strong as they have been in the past. The Gators could face Xavier, Stanford and/or Kansas in the Preseason NIT. They'll go to West Virginia and Florida State as favorites, but neither will be a walk. Playing at Maryland and Miami won't be easy, even though both are a step below their status from a year ago. Florida could get beat in both arenas, but if the Gators are a Final Four caliber team then they should win half of these road games. The SEC schedule will again be the key to getting tourney ready. This year's conference road crossover games are at top-25 Mississippi State and SEC sleeper LSU. Florida gets top-10 Alabama and Ole Miss at home. Call it a draw.

Xs & Os: 5.8
Donovan can design a defense and get the right players shots. He continues to mature as a strategist, especially on the offensive end. He's adjusting well in trying to find the right home for Nelson and Hamilton, as well as getting Bonner shots in his most opportune spots. The key for Donovan will be blending talent this season, especially the younger guys who won't be used to seeing their minutes fluctuate. Donovan has become even more patient as he becomes more of an institution in the SEC.

-- Andy Katz

ESPN.com's Power Index is based on a 10-point scale in each of these five categories: Toughness, Talent, Schedule Strength, Tournament Tested, Xs & Os. Teams are scored based on returning players, coaching staffs, a program's past performances in the regular season and postseason, as well as expectations heading into the 2002-03 season.