It will take a focused effort for Florida to take down Auburn today

Alijah Martin's perimeter defense will be essential for a Florida victory (Photo by Chris Spears)

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – As the Florida Gators concluded their hour-long public practice at the Alamodome Friday afternoon they gathered at the midcourt jump circle for a little bit of fun. One-by-one coaches and players alike kept heaving shots at the basket, the kind that end halves and games. Most of them clanged off the rims or smacked against the backboard. Todd Golden’s first shot found the bottom of the net. He tried a second a couple of minutes later and this one looked good all the way to the end but bounced off the rim. A third shot that looked like the worst attempt of the three hit the square above the rim and banked through the net.

It was all fun and games, a good way to end what could be the final practice of the 2024-25 season depending on what happens today when the Gators face Auburn in the first of two Final Four semifinals (6:09 p.m., CBS). Win today and the Gators earn one more opportunity to play together, this time in Monday night’s championship game. Lose and one of the most magical seasons in Florida basketball history is over.

Both the Gators and the Auburn Tigers will tell you that they didn’t come to San Antonio to lose but somebody has to. The people who set the betting lines in Las Vegas have made Florida a 2.5-point favorite, which is to basically say the game is a toss-up.

But is it?

Back in February the Gators went on the road to beat Auburn 90-81 at Neville Arena, a game the Gators led by as many as 21 points in the second half. Although Auburn closed to within nine, the outcome was never in doubt once Florida assumed control of the game late in the first half. The Gators played that game without Alijah Martin, their second leading scorer, a clutch rebounder and an elite defender on the perimeter. In his absence, Denzell Aberdeen stepped up his game on both ends of the court, scoring 10 while helping defensively to limit Auburn to 7-23 shooting from the 3-point line.

Martin will be back in Florida’s starting lineup today while Aberdeen is back to filling his critical role as the capable sub off the bench who plays all three perimeter positions. The Gators, who have won their last 10 games and 16 of their last 17, are at full strength.

The same can’t be said with any certainty about Auburn. All-American Johni Broome hurt his right elbow in Auburn’s Elite Eight win over Michigan State last Sunday. Although he says he’s okay and ready to go against the Gators, Broome’s right elbow was encased in a special compression sleeve when Auburn held its public practice Friday. Perhaps we won’t know until Broome absorbs contact against the Gators if there is complete range of motion and the elbow is painfree.

Broome leads Auburn in scoring (18.7), rebounding (10.9) and assists (2.9) and there is no one off the bench capable of replacing his production if he is in any way slowed by the injury.

This is a very winnable game for Florida, but to advance to the championship game against the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal between Duke and Houston, the Gators have to show up fully focused. They are 4-0 in the NCAA Tournament even though they have yet to play what anyone would consider a complete game. The Gators have been able to overcome turnover issues occasional lapses of concentration to score tough wins but those same issues could haunt the Gators if they show up against Auburn.

Auburn is too good for the Gators to give less than their best and most complete effort.

Five keys to a Florida victory:

1. Florida has to force Broome to his right. He’s lefty dominant and is least effective when forced to his right side. The first time the Gators played Auburn, they kept Broome from getting his right shoulder in the chest of defenders in the paint so he couldn’t extend his left arm and either get the ball into the basket or get fouled.

2. Crowd Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford on the perimeter, making it very difficult for either one to get into a good shooting rhythm. These guys can take over games if they’re allowed to heat up.

3. Limit turnovers to a maximum of 12 while forcing Auburn to turn the ball over 10 or more times.

4. Get the ball in the paint to Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten early and often, forcing Auburn to defend and risk foul trouble. Beyond Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, the Tigers don’t have much size. Without one or both in the game for any stretch, the Tigers are in deepest and darkest.

5. Get clean, open looks on the perimeter for Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, Martin and Aberdeen. The Gators knocked down 13 threes against Auburn back in February. They need to hit at least that many today.

ANTICIPATED STARTING LINEUPSFLORIDA (34-4): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)

Auburn (32-5): Johni Broome (6-10, 240, SR); Dylan Cardwell (6-11, 255, SR); Chad Baker-Mazara (6-7, 180, SR); Miles Kelly (6-6, 190, SR); Denver Jones (6-4, 205, SR)

BENNETT ANDERSON HONOREDBennett Anderson was honored Friday as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball winner of the Elite 90 Award. Anderson, who got his undergraduate degree in industrial and systems engineering with a 3.98 GPA is currently enrolled in graduate school where he is pursuing a master’s degree in management.

The Elite 90 Award is given to the athlete with the highest GPA at each of the 90 NCAA championship events.

SEC IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL

Alabama: C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR from Bucknell); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR); Taylor Bol Bowen (from Florida State); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO)

Arkansas: SG Melo Sanchez (6-4, 185, JR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 235, SO); PG Casmir Chavis (6-0, 180, FR)

Auburn: PF Keyshawn Hall (6-7, 240, JR, from UCF)

Georgia: SG Silas Demary Jr. (6-5, 195, JR) to UConn; SF RJ Godfrey (6-7, 225, JR to Clemson); SG De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO); PG Jeremiah Wilkinson (from California)

Kentucky: PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR from Tulane); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR)

LSU: PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR); SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR); SG Mike Williams (6-3, 180, SO); PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR); SF Tyrell Ward (6-6, 195, JR); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO from Mississippi State); PG Dedan Thomas (6-1, 170, SO from UNLV); SG Rashad King (6-6, 198, JR, from Northeastern); SG Max Mackinnon (6-5, 200, JR from Portland); C Daimion Collins (6-9, 202, SR)

Mississippi State: SG Martavious Russell (6-3, 190, SO); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO to LSU); PG Kanye Cleary (5-11, 190, JR, to Oregon State); C Jeremy Foumena (6-11, 235, SO); SF Adrian Myers (6-6, 205, FR); SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 210, JR)

Missouri: C Jevon Porter (6-11, 235, JR from Loyola Marymount); PF Aidan Shaw (6-9, 210, JR to Boston College); SF Marcus Allen (6-7, 220, FR)

Oklahoma: SF Jacolb-Fredson Cole (6-7, 220, FR to McNeese); C Yaya Keita (6-9, 241, JR); SG Duke Miles (6-2, 175, SR)

Ole Miss: SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); PG Pop Isaacs (from Creighton); C John Bol (7-2, 210, FR)

South Carolina: SG Treyson Eaglestaff (6-6, 190, JR from North Dakota); C/PF Nick Pringle (6-10, 220, SR); SF Arden Conyers; PG Zachary Davis (6-7, 200, JR); CG Austin Herro (6-3, 180, FR); PF Christ Essandoko (7-0, 285, SO from Providence); SG Cam Scott (6-6, 170, FR); PG Jamarii Thomas (6-0, 185, SR); PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 175, SR from Ohio State)l Kobe Knox (6-5, 185, JR, from South Florida); PF Okku Federiko (6-8, 220, FR); SG Morris Ugusuk (6-4, 170, SO)

Tennessee: PG Ja’Kobi Gillespie (6-1, 175, JR, from Maryland)

Texas: SF Devon Pryor (6-7, 185, SO to Oregon); SF Dailyn Swain (from Xavier); SF Camden Heide (6-7, 205, SO, from Purdue)

Texas A&M: SF Rob Dockery (6-6, 215, FR); SF Jaelyn Lee (6-6, 195, SO); PF Janusz Ratowski (6-11, 225, FR); Pharrel Payne (6-9, 255, JR, to Maryland); SF Solomon Washington (6-7, 225, JR); SG Andre Mills (6-4, 200, FR); SF George Turkson (6-7, 220, FR)

Vanderbilt: SG Jason Edwards (6-1, 175, JR, to Providence); SG Jordan Williams (6-2, 215, JR); SG Alex Hemenway (6-4, 190, SR); C Jaylen Carey (6-8, 265, SO); PF Jaqualon Roberts (6-8, 230, SO); PG Karris Bilal (6-2, 190, FR); SG MJ Collins (6-4, 190, JR); PF Jalen Washington (from North Carolina); C Mason Nicholson (from Louisiana)

COACHING STUFFEarly in the day Friday it seemed Stanford coach Kyle Smith was trending toward Texas A&M, but things changed during the day. Now the Aggies appear to be on the verge of hiring Bucky McMillan of Samford. McMillan is an Alabama high school coaching legend who has led Samford to four consecutive 20-win seasons. He has a 99-52 record during his four years at the Birmingham school. In 12 seasons at Mountain Brook High School McMillan won 333 games and five state championships.