Will Golden and Haugh win top SEC honors? Donkeys might fly first

Todd Golden should be SEC Coach of the Year (Photo by Chris Spears)

The best basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference is Todd Golden. He proved it last year when he took the Gators to the NCAA championship in just his third year on the Florida job. He should have been SEC coach of the year in 2025, but that honor was bestowed on Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, whose Tigers held the No. 1 ranking for a portion of the season and who got to the Final Four. Head-to-head, Golden won two matchups with Auburn, one during the regular season when Auburn was ranked No. 1 and then in the NCAA semifinals, where Auburn was the No. 1 seed for the entire tournament.

The best player in the Southeastern Conference, and quite frankly, the nation last year was Walter Clayton Jr. When the SEC coaches voted on Player of the Year, they voted for Johni Broome of Auburn. Amazingly, when the coaches voted the All-SEC team, one or more didn’t vote Clayton first team. Yet, Clayton was a consensus first team All-America, the Most Outstanding Player at the SEC Tournament, the NCAA West Regional and for the entire NCAA Tournament. Head-to-head, Walt was the better player than Broome, both during the regular season game and especially the semifinals when he scored 34 points. Broome had 15 points in the semis, but only three in the second half when the Gators erased a 12-point Auburn lead.

It’s worth mentioning last year because with four games remaining in the regular season, Florida is ranked No. 7 nationally and on the kind of dominating run that makes the Gators the team nobody in his right mind wants to play. It’s true the Gators lost head-to-head matchups to now No. 3 Arizona, No. 1 Duke and No. 6 UConn, but Arizona was the first game of the year in November, and both Duke and UConn were early in December. All three of those games were on the road. Arizona in Las Vegas was nothing more than another home game for the Wildcats. The Gators faced Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and Roger Ayers was on the whistle. Duke never loses at Cameron, especially when Ayers is calling the game. Although it was Washington DC last Saturday when Duke beat Michigan, guess who was on the whistle? As for UConn, that game was at Madison Square Garden, also known as Storrs South because whenever the Huskies play there it is nothing more than a home game.

The Gators who played Arizona, Duke and UConn early season aren’t the Gators of right now. Todd Golden was still juggling his roster and trying to figure out a rotation that would bring out maximum efficiency. That time has come. Golden has the best front court in the nation with starters Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon with 7-1 Micah Handlogten coming off the bench. The backcourt has been trickier because it took awhile for Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee and Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland to grow comfortable with each other and for Urban Klavzar and Isaiah Brown to emerge as the go-to guys off the bench. It took awhile for the four in the backcourt to blend together and play like a real unit, but Golden’s patience and tinkering with how he used these guys has paid off. Florida’s four backcourt guys are as good as or better than any team in the country, not to mention the SEC.

The result is an exceptional 8-man rotation, which this time of year is ideal for making a run at winning a national championship. Golden scheduled an incredibly tough non-conference schedule, found his rotation and now the Gators sit 12-2 in the SEC. With two wins in the last four games, the Gators will be the SEC champs for the first time since 2014. It would take the Gators losing twice and Arkansas going 4-0 which would mean beating UF at the O-Dome Saturday for someone other than Florida to win the SEC.

So, will Todd Golden be the SEC Coach of the Year. He could be but bet the ranch the SEC coaches will vote either Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington or Texas A&M’s Bucky McMillan. Both Byington and McMillan have done an outstanding job but Golden beat both of them head-to-head. He also beat Alabama’s Nate Oats and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes head-to-head and there is a very strong possibility Golden gets John Calipari’s scalp to hang on his belt Saturday night.

Smart money says the Gators finish the final two weeks of the regular season 4-0 and win the SEC title by three games at 16-2. No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) has to play Texas A&M tonight, Florida on the road, Texas at home and Missouri on the road. There is at least one loss in there. Among the last four for No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) are roadies to No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) and a resurgent Georgia team, plus arch-rival Auburn in the finale. Alabama at Tennessee is an elimination game with the loser getting its fifth loss in league play. Tennessee also has to deal with Missouri tonight and No. 25 Vanderbilt in the last game of the year.

Florida will win the SEC by either two or three games and the Gators will be a top-5 ranked team. That’s worthy of SEC Coach of the Year for Golden, who with three more wins gets to 100 in four years on the Florida job.

So will he get it? Donkeys might fly first.

That brings us to SEC Player of the Year. Before going further, think back to last year when Walter Clayton Jr. was the best player in the league and not only didn’t he win it, but at least one coach left him off his All-SEC first team ballot. Last year (2024), also, the coaches didn’t vote Florida football center Jake Slaughter first, second or third team All-SEC. The Associated Press voted him first team All-SEC and first team All-America.

The best player in the SEC is Tommy Haugh. Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, Nate Ament of Tennessee, Otega Oweh of Kentucky and Tyler Tanner score more points, but as Haugh has proven with his performances against the likes of Arizona, Duke and UConn, not to mention the SEC schedule, he’s the best player in the league.

Here is what UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the game in Madison Square Garden: “I think he’s one of my favorite players in recent memory, just that guy is just an incredible player,” Hurley said. “… That guy’s like first team All-American. I mean that guy should be a lottery pick. That guy’s tremendous.”

He is tremendous and the reason why is he figures out what his team needs for any particular game and then he does it. He averages 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He is a 6-9 hybrid who during the course of any game will play and defend four positions at an extraordinarily efficient manner. He has made a 3-pointer in 22 consecutive games. His defense is lights out, so is his timing for making a play that shifts momentum Florida’s way. Against Arizona, Duke and UConn he combined for 69 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots. In critical SEC games against Tennessee, Alabama, Texas A&M and Kentucky he combined for 72 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, eight steals and four blocked shots.

Now, when the coaches vote prior to the start of the SEC Tournament in Nashville, if they’ve actually watched how he affects the biggest games, Tommy Haugh will be the SEC Player of the Year.

Will they vote Haugh as Player of the Year? Those same donkeys that won’t fly when it comes to voting Coach of the Year probably will stay grounded. Again. Just like last year with Walt and Jake.

Associated Press top 25: 1. Duke 25-2; 2. Arizona 25-2; 3. Michigan 25-2; 4. Iowa State 23-4; 5. Houston 23-4; 6. UConn 25-3; 7. FLORIDA 21-6; 8. Purdue 22-5; 9. Gonzaga 27-2; 10. Illinois 22-6; 11. Virginia 24-3; 12. Nebraska 23-4; 13. Michigan State 22-5; 14. Kansas 20-7; 15. St. John’s 22-5; 16. Texas Tech 20-7; 17. Alabama 20-7; 18. North Carolina 21-6; 19. BYU 20-7; 20 Arkansas 20-7; 21. Miami (OH) 27-0; 22. Tennessee 20-7; 23. Saint Louis 25-2; 24. Louisville 20-7; 25. Vanderbilt 21-6

Coaches top 25: 1. Duke 25-2; 2. Arizona 25-2; 3. Michigan 25-2; 4. Houston 23-4; 5. Iowa State 23-4; 6. UConn 25-3; 7. FLORIDA 21-6; 8. Purdue 22-5; 9. Gonzaga 27-2; 10. Nebraska 23-4; 11. Illinois 22-6; 12. Virginia 24-3; 13. Michigan State 22-5; 14. Kansas 20-7; 15. St. John’s 22-5; 16. Texas Tech 20-7; 17. Arkansas 20-7; 18. Alabama 20-7; 19. North Carolina 21-6; 20. Louisville 20-7; 21. Vanderbilt 21-6; 22. Tennessee 20-7; 23. BYU 20-7; 24. Saint Louis 25-2; 25. Miami (OH) 27-0

Tuesday’s SEC games

No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC)

Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC)

Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC) at Oklahoma (13-14, 3-11 SEC)

Wednesday’s SEC games

No. 7 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC) at Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC)

Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC) at No. 25 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC)

Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC)

Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) at No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC)

LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC)

Saturday’s SEC games

No. 20 Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 7 FLORIDA (21-6, 12-2 SEC)

No. 25 Vanderbilt (21-6, 8-6 SEC) at Kentucky (17-10, 8-6 SEC)

No. 17 Alabama (20-7, 10-4 SEC) at No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC)

Texas (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-8, 9-5 SEC)

Missouri (18-9, 8-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC)

South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC) at Georgia (19-8, 7-7 SEC)

Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11 SEC) at Auburn (15-12, 6-8 SEC)

Oklahoma (12-14, 3-11 SEC) at LSU (14-13, 2-12 SEC)

SPORTING NEWS NCAA TOURNAMENT SEEDINGS

(SEC teams in bold face)

No. 1 seeds: Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Iowa State

No. 2 seeds: UConn, Houston, Purdue, FLORIDA

No. 3 seeds: Illinois, Gonzaga, Kansas, Nebraska

No. 4 seeds: Michigan, Texas Tech, Virginia, Alabama

No. 5 seeds: St. John’s, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Louisville

No. 6 seeds: BYU, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky,

No. 7 seeds: Saint Louis, Villanova, North Carolina State, Wisconsin

No. 8 seeds: Utah State, SMU, Iowa, Texas

No. 9 seeds: Miami, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia

No. 10 seeds: Miami (OH), Saint Mary’s, Texas A&M, UCLA

No. 11 seeds: UCF, Santa Clara, TCU, Ohio State

No. 12 seeds: South Florida, Belmont, Yale, Utah Valley

No. 13 seeds: Liberty, Stephen F. Austin, High Point, UNC-Wilmington

No. 14 seeds: Hawaii, North Dakota State, East Tennessee State, Portland State,

No. 15 seeds: Austin Peay, Navy, Wright State, Merrimack

No. 16 seeds: Appalachian State, Long Island, Howard, Southeast Missouri State, UMBC, Bethune-Cookman

WE HAVEN’T HEARD THE LAST OF CHARLES BEDIAKO

Just when you thought case closed, Charles Bediako’s attorneys filed for injunctive relief to the Alabama Supreme Court which would allow him to play for 17^th-ranked Alabama while his appeal works its way through the courts. Back on February 9, Tuscaloosa circuit judge Daniel Pruet ruled in favor of the NCAA that terminated a temporary restraining order that was allowing the former G-League player to suit up and play college basketball again. Bediako declared for the 2023 NBA Draft but was not selected, so he spent two years in the G-League while on a 2-way contract.

Bediako played five games for Alabama under a temporary restraining order issued by circuit judge James Roberts. When Roberts, who along with his wife is an Alabama booster, recused himself, Pruet heard the NCAA argument that Bediako was ineligible under the rules. Pruet agreed with the NCAA but Bediako, who averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds during the five games, has opted to appeal so he can continue playing for the Crimson Tide.

Of course, Alabama coach Nate Oats, AD Greg Byrne and the entire Alabama administration is supportive, not to mention the boosters who are likely funding this legal action. The Alabama administration released this statement: "We understand that Charles is pursuing an appeal in his case against the NCAA, and ultimately, he must do what he considers to be in his best interest. The University continues to support Charles as he works toward completing his degree."

If you believe the Alabama admin, it’s all about the academics. If you live in the real world, then you know that Bama can be destroyed in the paint with its current roster and they'll take help from wherever they can get it even if it means bending any rule necessary.