(UAA Photo) “Don't believe something just because you didn't read it in the papers. Wait until you haven't seen it on television. ” – Walt Kelly   Back on January 4, the day after the Gators lost their Southeastern Conference opener to Missouri, you didn’t have to look far or wide to find an expert ready to write off Florida’s chances to repeat as national champions. The Gators were 9-5 at the time and all five losses seemed to follow the same script – too many missed 3-pointers, too many turnovers, too many blown opportunities to make winning plays at crunch time.     Todd Golden couldn’t disagree with the reasons why the Gators had five losses by a combined 17 points, but if he was frustrated, he wasn’t letting it show in his public demeanor. Far from it. He preached wait-and-see confidently, something you can do when you’ve won a national championship before your 40 th birthday.   Patience and confidence have been rewarded. The Gators are 16-1 since the Missouri loss. Thirteen of the 16 wins are by at least 13 points. The most significant improvement has been 3-point shooting. For the season, the Gators are making just 31.3 percent of their threes, but in the last five games they are 43-99, which is 43.4 percent. The Gators have made eight threes in each of the last four.   Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, who were subject to much of the criticism in Florida’s five losses prior to their run through the SEC, are making shots, setting up teammates and play outstanding defense. Fland, who was overlooked for the All-SEC defensive team, has made 9-17 from three in his last five games. In his last eight, Lee is making 14-37, which is 37.8 percent. Off the bench, Urban Klavzar, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, is making 40.6 percent for the season, and Isaiah Brown 35.4 percent.   The big guys – Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten – make up the best front court in the country. Haugh leads the Gators at 17.2 points per game while turning into a solid 34.4 percent 3-point shooter. Chinyelu leads the country in rebounding (11.7 per game), while Condon has gone beast mode the last six games (20.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists) and Handlogten remains the most reliable rebounder off the bench in the SEC.   Golden, selected SEC Coach of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, has transformed Florida into a team that might be playing better than any team in the country when it counts the most. The Gators have a max of nine games remaining – three in the SEC Tournament in Nashville; six in the NCAA – and the way they are playing it doesn’t require a stretch of the imagination to believe they will be the last team standing on the first Monday night in April.   Haugh was first team by both Coaches and Associated Press. Chinyelu was first team AP, second team Coaches. Condon made third team Coaches, second team AP. Associated Press All-SEC First Team Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas; Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt; Tommy Haugh, Florida; Rueben Chinyelu, Florida   Second Team Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State; Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee; Dailyn Swain, Texas; Nate Ament, Tennessee; Alex Condon, Florida Player of the Year: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Coach of the Year: Todd Golden, Florida Freshman of the Year: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Newcomer of the Year: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee   Coaches All-SEC First Team Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas; Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee; Thomas Haugh, Florida; Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt   Second Team Nate Ament, Tennessee; Rueben Chinyelu, Florida; Mark Mitchell, Missouri; Otega Oweh, Kentucky; Dailyn Swain, Texas   Third Team Rashaun Agee, Texas A&M; Alex Condon, Florida; Keyshawn Hall, Auburn; Aden Holloway, Alabama; Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State   All-Defensive Team Rueben Chinyelu, Florida; Somto Cyril, Georgia; Felix Okpara, Tennessee; Billy Richmond III, Arkansas; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt   All-Freshman Team Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas; Amari Allen, Alabama; Nate Ament, Tennessee; Malachi Moreno, Kentucky; Meleek Thomas, Arkansas   Coach of the Year:   Todd Golden, Florida Player of the Year:  Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Scholar-Athlete of the Year:   Rueben Chinyelu, Florida Newcomer of the Year:  Dailyn Swain, Texas Freshman of the Year:  Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas Sixth-Man of the Year:   Urban Klavzar, Florida Defensive Player of the Year:   Rueben Chinyelu, Florida   Associated Press top 25: 1. Duke 29-2; 2. Arizona 29-2; 3. Michigan 29-2; 4. FLORIDA 25-6; 5 . Houston 26-5; 6. UConn 27-4; 7. Iowa State 25-6; 8. Michigan State 25-6; 9. Illinois 24-7; 10. Virginia 27-4; 11. Nebraska 26-5; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. St. John’s 25-6; 14. Kansas 22-9; 15. Alabama 23-8; 16. Texas Tech 22-9; 17. Arkansas 23-8; 18. Purdue 23-8; 19. North Carolina 24-7; 20. Miami (OH) 31-0; 21. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 22. Vanderbilt 24-7; 23. Wisconsin 22-9; 24. Louisville 22-9; 25. Tennessee 21-10   Coaches top 25: 1. Duke 29-2; 2. Arizona 29-2; 3. Michigan 29-2; 4. FLORIDA 25-6; 5. Houston 26-5; 6. UConn 27-4; 7. Iowa State 25-6; 8. Michigan State 25-6; 9. Illinois 24-7; 10. Nebraska 26-5; 11. Virginia 27-4; 12. Gonzaga 28-3; 13. St. John’s 25-6; 14. Texas Tech 22-9; 15. Alabama 23-8; 16. Kansas 22-9; 17. Arkansas 23-8; 18. Purdue 23-8; 19. North Caolina 24-7; 20. Miami (OH) 24-7; 21. Saint Mary’s 27-4; 22. Vanderbilt 24-7; 23. Wisconsin 22-9; 24. Louisville 22-9; 25. Miami (FL) 24-7   SEC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Wednesday, March 11 1. No. 9 Kentucky (19-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. No. 16 LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) 2. No. 12 Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 13 Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) 3. No. 10 Texas (18-13, 9-9 SEC) vs. No. 15. Ole Miss (12-19, 4-14 SEC) 4. No. 11 Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 14 South Carolina (13-18, 4-14 SEC)   Thursday, March 12 5. No. 8 Georgia (22-9, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 1 6. No. 5 Tennessee (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 2 7. No. 7 Missouri (20-11, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 3 8. No. 6 Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 4   Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals) 9. No. 1 FLORIDA (25-6, 16-2) vs. Winner game 5 10. No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 6 11. No. 2 Alabama (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 7 12. No. 1 Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 8   Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals) 13. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner 14. Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner   Sunday, March 15 Championship game   Top 25 plus SEC kenpom.com : 1. Duke; 2. Michigan; 3. Arizona; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Illinois; 6. Houston; 7. Iowa State; 8. Purdue; 9. Michigan State; 10. Gonzaga; 11. UConn; 12. Nebraska; 13. Vanderbilt; 14. Tennessee; 15. Louisville; 16. Alabama; 17. Texas Tech; 18. Arkansas; 19. Kansas; 20. Virginia; 21. St. John’s; 22. Saint Mary’s; 23. Wisconsin; 24. Iowa; 25. BYU (SEC: 27. Kentucky; 31. Georgia; 33. Texas; 35. Texas A&M; 39. Auburn; 50. Missouri; 62. LSU; 81. Ole Miss; 95. South Carolina; 100. Mississippi State   Top 25 plus SEC barttorvik.com : 1. Michigan; 2. Duke; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Arizona; 5. Houston; 6. Illinois; 7. UConn; 8. Purdue; 9. Iowa State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Texas Tech; 12. Tennessee; 13. Gonzaga; 14. Louisville; 15. Kansas; 16. Virginia; 17. Nebraska; 18. Vanderbilt; 19. Alabama; 20. Arkansas; 21. St. John’s; 22. Wisconsin; 23. Ohio State; 24. Saint Mary’s; 25. Iowa (SEC: 32. Texas A&M; 33. Kentucky; 35. Georgia; 41. Texas; 42. Auburn; 45. Missouri; 46. Oklahoma; 72. LSU; 76. Ole Miss; 97. Mississippi State; 105. South Carolina)   SEC in ESPN (Joe Lunardi) brackets East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Iowa State; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 8. Georgia)   South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Nebraska; 4. Virginia (SEC: 10. Missouri; 11. Auburn)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Purdue; 4. Kansas (SEC: 5. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Alabama; 4. Gonzaga (5. Tennessee; 9. Texas A&M; 10. Texas)   SEC in CBS brackets East: 1. Duke; 2. Michigan State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Texas Tech (SEC: 6. Tennessee; 7. Georgia)   South: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Houston; 3. Purdue; 4. Virginia (SEC: 10. Texas)   Midwest: 1. Michigan; 2. UConn; 3. Iowa State; 4. Vanderbilt (SEC: 8. Kentucky)   West: 1. Arizona; 2. Illinois; 3. Alabama; 4. Gonzaga (SEC: 5. Arkansas; 10. Texas A&M; 11. Missouri)

Todd Golden - photo credit Chris Spears GatorBaitMedia.com Nobody handed Todd Golden anything By GatorBaitMedia.com Staff The Gators finished the regular season 25 wins and six losses, going 16-and-2 inside the league to claim the outright SEC title — and not by a whisker. They won it by three full games. When he walked into Gainesville four years ago — a 36-year-old kid from San Francisco with a résumé built entirely outside the Power 5 — the skeptics were plenty and the believers were few. That's just the truth. Florida fans had been through enough to earn their skepticism. They weren't handing out trust on reputation alone. Monday, the Southeastern Conference made it official: Golden is the league's Coach of the Year. And if you've watched this team closely all season, you weren't surprised. A Title Nobody Predicted The Gators finished the regular season 25 wins and six losses, going 16-and-2 inside the league to claim the outright SEC title — and not by a whisker. They won it by three full games. The last Florida coach to earn this honor was Mike White back in 2017. Before that, you have to dig pretty deep into the history books. It's only happened four times total in program history. That's how rare this is. What makes it richer is the context. A year after winning a national championship — a run that drained the roster through graduation and the transfer portal — most programs take a step back. That's not cynicism, that's just pattern recognition. Golden didn't follow the pattern. Plenty He Rebuilt the Identity, Not Just the Roster The Florida that showed up this season looked nothing like the Florida of a year ago, and that was entirely by design. Golden stripped down the perimeter-driven style that carried the Gators to a title and rebuilt the program around defense, toughness, and an interior presence that made opponents uncomfortable from the opening tip. The numbers back it up. Florida outscored SEC opponents by 17 points per game on average — one of the strongest marks in conference play in decades. Down the stretch, they reeled off 11 wins in a row, putting opponents away by 23 points on average. That's not a hot streak. That's a team playing with complete command. Golden, to his credit, didn't sugarcoat how long it took to find that gear. He acknowledged the stylistic shift was a process — that it "took me a little longer than expected." That kind of candor is rare in coaches. It's also why his players trust him. 100 Wins, A Record, and Some Rare Company Somewhere in the middle of that winning streak, Golden quietly hit a milestone that stopped people in their tracks. He reached 100 career wins at Florida in his 139th game — faster than any coach who has ever held that job. Faster than Billy Donovan. That sentence alone should land with some weight for Gator fans. Nationally, only Kentucky's John Calipari and Tubby Smith had ever reached 100 wins at an SEC school within their first four seasons. Golden joined that list without anyone making much of a fuss about it. That's almost fitting — this whole season has operated the same way. Quietly dominant. Methodically excellent. The Players Deserve Their Flowers Too A coach can only take you as far as his players will carry the vision, and this group carried it all the way to the top of the standings. Thomas Haugh earned first-team All-SEC recognition after pouring in 17.2 points a night and becoming one of the most reliable offensive players in the league. Alex Condon landed on the third team. Urban Klavžar, coming off the bench and providing energy and production in stretches that changed games, took home Sixth Man of the Year. And then there's Rueben Chinyelu — who pulled off something only one player in league history had ever done before him, sweeping both the Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in the same season. Second-team All-SEC to boot. That kind of performance, on both ends of everything, doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a coach builds a culture where excellence is the standard and academics are part of the identity. Three Gators total landed on the coaches' All-SEC team. Florida hadn't done that since 2014. What Four Years Actually Looks Like Step back and look at the full arc of what Golden has built, and it's striking. NCAA Tournament in his first year. Back-to-back deep postseason runs after that. A national championship in Year 3. And now, a dominant regular-season title in Year 4. He is the only active coach in college basketball who holds an SEC regular-season title, an SEC Tournament title and an NCAA championship — all earned within his first four seasons at a single school. Nobody else is carrying that combination. His contract runs through 2031. Speculation about larger opportunities has circulated in national media circles, as it always does when a coach builds something this fast. But there's been no smoke in Gainesville, no whispers of a restless coach looking over his shoulder at the next thing. Golden seems to understand what he has here — and what it took to build it. The Postseason Is Still Ahead The full SEC award slate and tournament seeding comes later this week. The bracket and everything that follows will bring its own drama, its own pressure and its own stories yet to be written. But March 9, 2026 belongs to Todd Golden — a coach who earned trust the only way it's ever really earned. By showing up, doing the work, and winning games when it counted most. *For more Florida Gators coverage, follow GatorBait Media across all platforms:* 🎙️ **The Buddy Martin Show on YouTube** — [ youtube.com/@TheBuddyMartinShow](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtR8b1sKFuwaRjKy5BiXRvA) 📸 **Instagram** — [@gatorbaitmedia](https://www.instagram.com/gatorbaitmedia/) 🐦 **X / Twitter** — [@gatorbaitmedia](https://x.com/gatorbaitmedia) 🐊 **GatorBaitMedia.com** — Your home for Florida Gators sports coverage

Selena Harris-Miranda, Bridget Sloan, former NCAA champion and SEC gymnastics analyst eMjae Frazier (Chris Spears Photo) When LSU’s pixies marched into the O-Dome Sunday night, they had the look of a team every bit as good as the one that won the 2024 NCAA title. Maybe the best word to describe the difference in the gymnastics team that seemed to be making a living out of close call losses and the one that got a flip-for-flip, stuck landing-for-stuck landing win over 2 nd -ranked LSU at the O-Dome Sunday evening is joy. As in 4 th -ranked Florida re-discovering the joy of simply competing after an uneventful win in a quad-meet in Texas a week ago.   Talent has never been an issue for the Gators, but something has been missing all season long and it showed in those Roseanne Rosannadanna finishes. If you’re old enough to remember the early days of Saturday Night Live, you remember Roseanne and her signature line: “It just goes to show you it's always something. If it isn't one thing it's always something else.”   When it comes to Florida’s 2026 gymnastics those words from 40-plus years ago seem almost prophetic because that was Florida’s inconsistent season. The Gators weren’t bad. You can’t be bad and rank fourth nationally, but if you watched the Gators compete then you knew something was missing. If it wasn't one thing, it was always something else.   There were issues with the vault rotation. A 49.175 nearly cost Florida a win over Alabama early on. A week later the Gators beat Auburn in spite of a 48.600 vault. On Link to Pink Night at the O-Dome, the Gators turned in a 48.975 that cost a chance to spring the upset on big, bad No. 1 Oklahoma. There was the loss on the road at Missouri where Florida’s uneven bars rotation went Murphy’s Law. Whatever could go wrong went wrong. The nation’s best bars rotation did a 48.450. It would have taken an act of God for the Gators to lose the quad meet with Arizona State, Texas Women’s University and Fisk a week ago but the vault reared its ugly head once again, this time with a 48.175. Fortunately for UF, the other three teams were totally outmatched.   When LSU’s pixies marched into the O-Dome Sunday night, they had the look of a team every bit as good as the one that won the 2024 NCAA title. The Gators meanwhile came into the meet ranked second on vault, second on bars, third on beam and first on floor. The Gators came into the LSU meet without a single gymnast ranked in the top 30 in the all-around. This is a program that has produced the likes of Bridget Sloan, Alex McMurtry, Trinity Thomas and Leanne Wong, four of the greatest all-arounders in collegiate gymnastics history.   What the crowd of 9,925 crammed into the O-Dome and the national television audience saw was the Gators putting all their inconsistent ways behind them. That’s what it took to beat LSU. Final score, Florida, a nation’s best 198.450; LSU, a marvelous effort but a fall that made the Tigers eat a 9.70 on bars, 198.325.   Now LSU coach Jay Clark probably fumed on the plane ride back to Baton Rouge about a 9.30 leadoff on bars due to a fall and the follow-up 9.70. A 9.875 would have given LSU the win, but the difference Sunday night went far beyond anything LSU did or didn’t do.   It had everything to do with leaving the pressure of winning in the rearview while re-discovering the joy of competing. That’s what Jenny Rowland preached. That’s what the Gators delivered.   “ Tonight they did not chase the win,” Rowland said proudly. “They allowed the win to happen tonight and I think that's something that has been hindering this team a little bit over the last couple weeks, or I think we've gotten better over the last couple of weeks. They were present, they were mindful. They trusted themselves. And that's when you know the win is going to happen.”      Florida’s vault rotation was decent. Considering the way it’s gone this season, 49.375 is nothing to sneeze at. Despite the fall, despite eating a 9.70, LSU was dead even with the Gators after the first rotation and while Florida was pulling off an excellent 49.625 on bars, LSU went into a stuck landing frenzy on vault with three consecutive 9.975s for a 49.70, the second best score in the country this year.   Down at the midway point of the meet, there was no panic in the Gators, who went 49.700 on the balance beam and 49.750 on floor. LSU was very good on both rotations – 49.600 on floor and 49.650 on beam – but Florida was better to the point that when Harris-Miranda closed out the meet with a 9.950 on floor, the Gators could have thrown out her score and still won.   On the beam Florida got a 9.925 from Skye Blakely and 9.950s from EmJae Frazier and Kayla DiCello. Then came Selena Harris-Miranda with a perfect 10 and the roaring O-Dome crowd began to sense the Gators were in for a win.   It didn’t necessarily feel like a 10 for Harris-Miranda.   “Like, this is probably the worst beam routine I’ve done this season in nine out of ten,” she said. “So it was fabulous to know that no matter what, it’s up to the judges.”   The beam routine was fabulous, but so were the 9.95s she scored on vault, bars and floor. As close as those were to perfection, the judges didn’t see it that way. Even so, Harris-Miranda won the all-around title with a 49.850, just .025 behind the country’s leading score so far this year.   Harris-Miranda was so focused on executing what she does in practice every day that she was unaware that the Gators could have dropped her 9.95 on floor and still won the meet.   “Personally, I didn’t even know what the score was going into the floor,” Harris-Miranda said. “It was more about wanting to just stay present, staying in the moment … We talk about it all the time, staying with each other, staying in the process, taking it one skill at a time because that’s what’s most important. At the end of the day, if we are ourselves and normal, then the outcome comes out the way we want it.”   Florida was so good on floor – the second best team total in the country this year – that the Gators had to drop Gabby Disidore’s 9.90. In addition to Harris-Miranda’s 9.95, Blakely and Frazier both came in at 9.975 while DiCello and Danie Ferris both scored 9.925.   The joy was back. The scores were high. Winning took care of itself.   “It just goes to show when you have a little fun and you shut out the noise, take the pressure off yourself and not worry about what anybody else is doing, and you’re doing what you do and own it, great things can happen,” Rowland said. “You don’t have to be perfect, but these Gators are excellent.”   The Gators were excellent and so was LSU in this meet that had the intensity and drama that is normally reserved for Fort Worth when the nation’s 12 best teams gather to decide the NCAA championship. LSU finished the meet with six scores of 9.975 and two 9.95s. Florida finished with the 10 by Harris-Miranda, three 9.975s and six 9.950s.   Rowland tweaked her lineup a bit with Harris-Miranda, DiCello, Blakely and Frazier all competing in the all-around. Finishing second to Harris-Miranda (39.850) was LSU’s Kailin Chio (39.775). DiCello finished at 39.725, Blakely at 39.70 and Frazier at 39.625.   “They were fierce tonight and just calm, relaxed and having a lot of fun and celebrating each other,” Rowland said. “This is what we’re capable of and we’ll continue to keep it going.”   It’s amazing what happens when the pressure to win is replaced by the joy of competing. A month ago, the Gators might have been written off as NCAA championship contenders. Sunday night, their joy restored and the fun back in competing, winning took care of itself.     Note: Of the 12 meets in NCAA gymnastics dual meet history when both the winning and losing team scored 198 or better, Florida has competed in eight of them, winning five.

OK thanks Todd! We'll have another here in Gainesville. (UAA Photo) Dykes wonders whether Kansas might come calling for the hottest young coach east of Mau i. Who's next?     They climbed back through broken glass and broken dreams — their knees bloodied, their hopes bandaged with duct tape and stubbornness — after what looked like a 5–4 post-championship hangover that had “rebuilding year” written all over it.   The Gator faithful had barely gotten a taste of their resurrected, top-seed soufflé when the speculation whacked them across the face like a wet gym towel.   “Is another blue-blood basketball empire fixing to back the truck up for Todd Golden?” came the whisper.   The man hasn’t even finished icing his celebratory soft drink when someone starts measuring him for a Rock Chalk blue blazer!   There sat the ESPN troika, perched courtside at Rupp Arena, chronicling what in Florida basketball terms qualifies as a solar eclipse — the makings of a road beatdown of Kentucky on their Senior Night. But right there in the final minutes, before the Gators even cleared the confetti, Jimmy Dykes pipes up with a “what if.” He wonders aloud whether Kansas might come calling for the hottest young coach east of Maui.   Because, heaven forbid you let a coach enjoy winning before you shove him toward the transfer portal for gazillionaires. That’s the fan’s perspective. I realize Dykes and Carl Ravetch were just doing their job — but I don’t have to like it. When speculation is thinly sourced or framed as inevitability (“measuring your office for someone else’s nameplate”), it drifts from informing into manufacturing a narrative. There’s also a power imbalance: When ESPN voices float a rumor, they don’t just describe reality, they help create market pressure on ADs, agents, and even the coach’s own locker room. Fans sense that the game they care about is being used as background for a broader rights-holder story which feeds existing distrust. Now here we go — and we could be accused of doing the same thing by repeating the Dykes comment. Already a few days later on a Monday morning, we could add Kentucky to the list of suitors. It’s not gonna stop there.   And let’s be fair — Dykes isn’t crazy. He's adding a little spicey mystery. Kansas might soon be searching for Bill Self’s heir, and the lure of those peach baskets hanging in Allen Fieldhouse still tempt dreamers like Christmas lights in July. But really?   Gainesville versus Lawrence? Sunshine, good food and sanity versus wheat. wind, and whatever’s left of Phog Allen’s ghost? We’ll take the Gator country club crowd over the Jayhawk clubhouse any day.   Still, there it was — the double-edged sword of success, gleaming under ESPN’s spotlight.   Florida finally claws back to relevance/dominance with a potential for matching bookend natties, celebrates a statement win, UConn conveniently stumbles and instead of popping champagne, fans get served a nice glass of “What If Todd Leaves?” on the rocks.   Cue the “Pooh-Pooh Party,” hosted by Ravetch and Dykes. But give credit to the elder statesman in the booth — Dickie V, diaper dandy and all — who broke from the script and said, in essence: “Cut the nonsense.” He hadn’t heard the rumor, wasn’t buying it and wasn’t peddling it. Score one for Dickie V, who somehow, through raspy wisdom, became the voice of reason in a world allergic to context.   Criminey fellas — let the body cool before you autopsy it. The man just won! Let the Gators enjoy their win in peace without needing a witness relocation plan for their coach.   But that’s today’s college sports for you — joy gets hijacked before it even finds a parking space.     That’s the fan’s perspective. I realize Dykes and Ravetch were just doing their job — but I don’t have to like it.   When speculation is thinly sourced or framed as inevitability (“measuring your office for someone else’s nameplate”), it drifts from informing into manufacturing a narrative.   There’s also a power imbalance: When ESPN voices float a rumor, they don’t just describe reality, they help create market pressure on ADs, agents, and even the coach’s own locker room.   Fans sense that the game they care about is being used as background for a broader rights-holder story which feeds existing distrust of “Four-Letter” motives.   Now here we go — and we could be accused of doing the same thing by repeating the Dykes comment.   Already a few days later on a Monday morning, we could add Kentucky to the list of suitors. It’s not gonna stop there. Especially since they are likely to face Kentucky again soon.   The defending 2025 national champions who began the campaign as a No. 2 seed in Joe Lunardi's March Madness predictions, are now predicted to take the top seed in the South Region after closing out the schedule with an 11-game winning streak, securing a 25-6 overall record along with a tidy 16-2 mark in SEC play.   Everything’s for sale in the great collegiate bazaar: Coaches, players, maybe even mascots if the NIL deal’s right.   I keep asking myself: is there still something sacred left out there, or did that ship sail off the edge of the flat-earth model the NCAA drew up in 2020?   At least somebody’s trying to steer the boat straight. The so-called “round table” — actually a rectangle, because symbolism is dead — brought together a motley crew: a President, some power brokers, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer… you know, the bureaucrats with big wallets and a few from usual gang of survivors/saviors.   Doesn’t matter what color your politics are; seeing those faces in one room was a small miracle, and maybe — just maybe — a hint that someone still cares about fixing this runaway train.   So for just for a few days, can we all agree to let success breathe? Let the players soak in a Lexington stunner without an exit interview for the coach?   That thing people used to call savoring the moment? Yeah — maybe try that again. Before it’s another relic in the museum of what college sports used to be.

It took all season for the Gators to fire on all cylinders. They finally did it on Senior Night.

Tommy Haugh dunks on Kentucky (UAA Communications Photo) If Todd Golden were searching for ways to keep the Gators focused and motivated during the days leading up to their first game in the Southeastern Conference Tournament next Friday afternoon he found them in the final five minutes of Florida’s 84-77 win over Kentucky at Rupp Arena.   There wasn’t much to complain about those first 35 minutes when the Gators (25-6, 16-2 SEC) were in their search and destroy mode. The Gators made shots, they made the extra pass, they played smothering, dominating defense while toying with the Wildcats (19-12, 10-8 SEC) and making Senior Day look like a day to write off as one best forgotten.   The last five minutes, however, were a different story. Bad decisions, turnovers, ill-advised shots, too many fouls and far too many missed free throws turned a potential stomping into a near white knuckles finish for the 5 th -ranked Gators. Florida never once trailed Kentucky, but the Gators who finished the game looked nothing like the team that bore a strong resemblance to one that could repeat as NCAA champions earlier.   “I thought we played really well for about 35 minutes, and then down the stretch, I did not think we made enough winning plays,” Golden said after the Gators completed the SEC portion of the season as SEC champs, a full three games ahead of Alabama and Arkansas. “We were a little lackadaisical with the ball, allowed Kentucky to stay the game. Fortunately, it never got too, too tight, but that was a game we want to win by 15 or so. Allowed it to be single digits, but overall, we had a lot of great efforts.”   It was those great efforts that staked the Gators to an 11-0 lead right out of the gates and 49-32 at the half. It was great efforts that saw the Gators take a 68-48 lead with 9:43 left in the game when Rueben Chinyelu dropped in a pair of free throws. Florida had a 14-point (73-59) lead with 5:04 remaining when Alex Condon turned a Tommy Haugh pass into a banked-in jumper from just inside the 3-point line as the shot clock ran out.   Those Gators had the ESPN crew of Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes and Dick Vitale searching for adjectives to describe what was going on. They raved about the Gators unselfishness, their team speed, their strength in the paint, the way they disrupted every Kentucky player except Otega Oweh with their defense.   They changed their tune as Florida’s lead dwindled all the way down to five points (82-77) when former Gator Denzel Aberdeen made two of three from the foul line with 19.2 seconds remaining. That was as close as it got because Xaivian Lee made two of his four free throws in the last 17 seconds.   The ending wasn't a thing of beauty but the Gators had enough points to leave Lexington with a Senior Day win that will have the bracketologists moving them ahead of UConn as one of the four No. 1 seeds for the NCAA Tournament. UConn did the unthinkable Saturday by going belly up against Big East bottom feeder Marquette. Florida’s win improved the Gators to 12-5 in the all-important Quad 1 games while UConn dropped to 7-3.   The first half especially was a no doubter when it comes to playing the way a No. 1 seed ought to play. Kentucky is a quality team capable of making a run in both the SEC and NCAA tournaments but the Wildcats didn’t belong on the same floor with the Gators those first 20 minutes. Florida was too big, too fast, too strong and too unselfish.   In the first half the Gators made 18-28 of their shots (64.3 percent) and 6-10 from the 3-point line. Haugh scored 17 while hitting 3-5 from the 3-point line. He had three rebounds, two assists and a couple of steals. Condon scored seven, grabbed two rebounds, handed out two assists and added a steal. Lee had an impressive seven points, one rebound, four assists and no turnovers. Fland had five points and five assists. Chinyelu scored six and hauled in five rebounds.   Other than Oweh, who went off for 17 thanks in large part to 4-6 shooting from behind the 3-point line, the Gators turned Kentucky into such a below average first half team that Vitale was ripping the reported $22 million spent on NIL contracts.   “I think at $22 million they could have put together a better roster than they did,” Vitale said. “I really do.”   That $22 million roster made only 11-29 from the field in the first half and that included 4-13 on layups while spending the first 20 minutes looking like its tires were spinning in wet, red clay.   “I thought our guys did a really good job playing with great pace,” Golden said. “Tommy had a great first half, knocking down shots, getting to the rim. Condo did a great job playing out of the short role. Boog (Boogie Fland) and Xaivian did a really good job organizing us, handling their pressure and I thought we did a good job for the first 10 minutes or so of the second half also. Again, they turned up their pressure. They had to, and I didn’t think we were physical enough in terms of handling that, but overall, we’ll take it.”   It carried over into the second half when the Gators hit the accelerator at both ends of the court. When Florida is playing with this intensity defensively and moving the ball unselfishly for open shots both in the paint and on the perimeter, the Gators are a very difficult team to deal with. It was all about layups, dunks and open threes.   However, when the Gators are doing things like going 4-10 at the foul line or taking threes when the situation calls for continuing to pound the ball inside to foul out Kentucky’s big guys, they can make things rather interesting. Kentucky fouled away in the last five minutes and rather than make the Wildcats pay, the Gators struggled at the line. Kentucky, meanwhile heated up and started making shots a teensy bit too late.   With the Big Blue Nation on its feet believing an upset was imminent, Fland knocked down four straight free throws. There were also a couple of fortunate no-calls by the zebra crew of Joe Lindsey, Vladimir Voyard-Tadal and Jeb Harness that helped cool down Kentucky in the final minute. When the clock flatlined at 00:00, the Gators were fortunate winners and Golden had all he needs to put the Gators through the paces in the next three practice days before heading to Nashville. There will be hard practices, plenty of film study and a re-focus mentally in the days ahead as the Gators work to sustain their momentum.   “We’ve won 16 out of our last 17, and went 8-1 on the road in this league, which is absurd,” Golden said. “It’s the best league in America and our team has really come together and started playing some really great basketball. I think the great thing is, also, we've got a lot we can teach off of after this game tonight, in regards to the way we finish. We gotta finish stronger than that.”   Finishing stronger is certainly a necessity, but regardless of the final margin this will go down as a quality win on the road, one that should move the Gators off the No. 2 line in NCAA brackets.   “I feel like we did what we had needed to do over the last month …” Golden said. “UConn lost today, we won. I think we’re trending to get that last one seed if we go to Nashville and play well, but we still got a lot left before the NCAA tournament. We gotta make sure we finish strong.” Game notes: Five Gators scored in double figures led by Haugh, who scored 20 in addition to nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Fland had 16 points, two rebounds, six assists and a steal; Condon had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots and two steals; Chinyelu had 12 points, eight rebounds and a blocked shot; and Lee had 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and only one turnover ... The Gators had 24 assists on 28 made shots ... The Gators went 8-18 from the 3-point line. During Florida's 11-game winning streak, the Gators are 93-229 from three (40.6 percent). In Florida's last five games, the Gators have shot 43-99 of their 3-pointers ... Urban Klavzar has hit at least one 3-pointer in 21 straight games ... Chinyelu has 363 rebounds this season, the third best single season total in UF history, trailing only Neal Walk who had 494 in 1968 and 481 in 1969.     ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC No. 16 Alabama (23-8, 13-5 SEC) 96, Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC) 84: Alabama outscored Auburn 58-32 in the paint while securing the No. 2 seed for the SEC Tournament. Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway each scored 21 points as Bama raced out to a 50-31 lead at the half. Kevin Overton scored 24 for Auburn which was outrebounded 42-28.   No. 20 Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 SEC) 88, Missouri (20-11, 10-8 SEC) 84, OT:  Already shorthanded Arkansas played without leading scorer Darius Acuff Jr., out with a sprained ankle, but the Razorbacks still found a way to win on the road at Missouri to give John Calipari his 900 th  career victory. Meleek Thomas picked up the slack for Acuff, hitting 5-6 from the 3-point line as part of a 28-point effort. Trevon Brazille, who had two critical threes, added 19 points and nine rebounds for Arkansas. Missouri’s Mark Mitchell scored 32.   No. 24 Vanderbilt (24-7, 11-7 SEC) 86, No. 23 Tennessee (21-10, 11-7 SEC) 82:  Vanderbilt jumped out to a 15-2 lead and never trailed while knocking the Vols out of the No. 4 seed at the SEC Tournament. The Vols played once again without Nate Ament, held out once again because of a high ankle sprain. Vandy dominated the paint and took only 10 threes the entire game (made five). Tennessee, meanwhile was 6-24. Tyler Tanner led the scoring for Vanderbilt with 25 points while the Vols were led by freshman Amari Evans, who scored 24.    Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) 94, LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) 91, 3OT: The Aggies need three overtimes to put away LSU, which finished dead last in the SEC. Rashaun Agee had 26 points and 11 rebounds for A&M while Rylan Griffen had 24. Max Mackinnon scored 20 to lead LSU, which will have to win two games in Nashville to be assured of a non-losing season.   Georgia (22-9, 10-8 SEC) 102, Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) 96:  Georgia made 17-29 of its 3-point attempts, rallying from a halftime deficit to win its fourth game in the last five. Kanon Catchings, who led Georgia with 23 points made 5-7 from three to go with six rebounds. Josh Hubbard hit 7-15 from three for Georgia, finishing with 42 points, his second SEC +40 game this season.    Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC) 88, Texas (18-13, 9-9 SEC) 85, OT: Oklahoma took care of business, winning its fourth straight game in overtime to knock off Texas in Austin. Nijel Pack scored 23 for Oklahoma which withstood a 30-point barrage by the Longhorns Jordan Pope.   South Carolina (13-18, 4-14 SEC) 64, Ole Miss (12-19, 4-14 SEC) 61:  Meechie Johnson’s buzzer-beater three lifted South Carolina over Ole Miss. The win broke a three-game losing streak for the Gamecocks while Ole Miss lost its 14 th  game in the last 15. Johnson was South Carolina’s leading scorer with 17 points while Malik Dia led Ole Miss with 22.   SEC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Wednesday, March 11 1. No. 9 Kentucky (19-12, 10-8 SEC) vs. No. 16 LSU (15-16, 3-15 SEC) 2. No. 12 Auburn (16-15, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 13 Mississippi State (13-18, 5-13 SEC) 3. No. 10 Texas (18-13, 9-9 SEC) vs. No. 15. Ole Miss (12-19, 4-14 SEC) 4. No. 11 Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC) vs. No. 14 South Carolina (13-18, 4-14 SEC)   Thursday, March 12 5. No. 8 Missouri (20-11, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 1 6. No. 5 Tennessee (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 2 7. No. 7 Georgia (22-9, 10-8 SEC) vs. Winner game 3 8. No. 6 Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 4   Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals) 9. No. 1 FLORIDA (25-6, 16-2) vs. Winner game 5 10. No. 4 Vanderbilt (24-7, 11-7 SEC) vs. Winner game 6 11. No. 2 Alabama (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 7 12. No. 3 Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 SEC) vs. Winner game 8   Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals) 13. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner 14. Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner   Sunday, March 15 Championship game

Hring Donovan was a stroke of genius whether Jeremy Foley, the AD at the time, knew it or not. He spun the wheel and hit the jackpot. By Carlton Reese GatorBaitMedia.com The search for Billy Donovan takes place in every sport, and athletic directors across the country spin the wheel of available coaches hoping it lands on Donovan. Problem is, one does not normally find out if their hire is indeed Donovan until after the dice come up snake eyes. Donovan is the standard of all coaching hires for which every athletic director in the country, particularly at the University of Florida, aspires. The young, energetic type who can recruit well, coach well, inspire players, fans and boosters alike – traits of a person who can guide the program into the championship realm for decades to come while earning a place in the pantheon of legends. When UF hired Donovan in 1996 following the departure of Lon Kruger, insiders knew the quality of the hire, but rank and file sports fans probably wondered who Billy Donovan even was and thought the hire none too sexy. Not long after, it was clear Donovan was creating something special and the result was UF basketball reaching heights no one ever thought possible. Multiple SEC titles, four Final Fours, two national championships? Those bullet points are generally for coaches at Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky or Kansas – you know, those programs we sophomorically refer to as “blue bloods.” After Donovan created a wrecking ball that made even Kentucky Wildcat fans a bit jealous, no AD could ever again get away with just simply hiring the capable next man up and hope to hit the jackpot. A great hire does not need to meet the criteria of Billy Donovan, but it is the goal. Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer were both great hires who won championships at Florida, but they were of a different mold than Donovan. Billy Donovan was young and unheralded, a gamble in the minds of most. Spurrier seemed like a sure thing – an established genius of offensive football whose success at Duke proved his system worthy and his personality was a perfect fit in Gainesville. Meyer was the hottest ticket at the time: a hard-nosed up-and-comer who had garnered success at Bowling Green and Utah, where he went undefeated his final season before heading to UF. Hiring those two did not take much insight, but hiring Donovan was a stroke of genius whether Jeremy Foley, the AD at the time, knew it or not. He spun the wheel and hit the jackpot. Now, in 2026, we stand with what looks to be a Donovan hire in Todd Golden. He’s young, energetic, dripping with basketball knowledge and finesse, and best of all, he knows how to groom winners. He’s brought home one national title, is sniffing another, and looks in no way to lose any steam from here on. He’s the Donovan hire everyone dreams of and nearly all the pundits believed it to be a second tier hire behind LSU’s Matt McMahon, who had guided Murray State to three NCAA Tournaments including an upset of Marquette. McMahon was seen as the Billy Donovan hire, but all were wrong. Today, McMahon will struggle mightily for his Tigers to earn just its second season above .500 in four campaigns. He’s likely back to the Ohio Valley Conference next season and maybe not even that. That brings us to the hope of the next Billy Donovan hire: Jon Sumrall. He’s not Lane Kiffin, who was definitely not a Billy Donovan, but more of a John Calipari or Chip Kelly – established brands carrying a lot of baggage that will be ignored during the honeymoon. Sumrall comes not as the sure-fire savior as was the legend Spurrier, but as the next hope, the hope that he will emerge as Todd Golden and not Matt McMahon. What the future holds, no one can predict – just ask all those experts who raved over McMahon and shrugged their shoulders at Golden. Sumrall so far appears ready to make UF AD Scott Stricklin look smart, and if he pans out that will give him two of the greatest coaching hires in school history, something that will no doubt disappoint all his detractors that would prefer his scalp immediately. In Sumrall, the Gators can already see a different personality at the top. Billy Napier, for all his charms and good-guy manifestations, was not ever going to bust through a wall to prove a point – Sumrall will. His energy on and off the field has brought a new dimension to the program and that sudden shift in intensity could be just what this struggling football program needs. It reminds one of the shift made in Chicago back in 1982 when the Bears went from the mild-mannered Neill Armstrong to the fiery Mike Ditka. That change, along with some spectacular drafting by Jim Finks, turned the franchise around and in 1985 would result in a Super Bowl victory. Somewhat of the same formula seems at play in Gainesville: the tedious optimist in Napier giving way to the Energizer Bunny in the middle of revamping a roster that already boasts a fair amount of talent. Sumrall may have Ditka’s fire, but he seems to lack the overextended ego that caused so many problems around him. He could actually be the next Billy Donovan hire. Sumrall’s intensity had better show up in the players, and there’s no reason to think it won’t. The old adage that a team’s personality reflects its coach is not mere cliché – it’s the truth. Spurrier’s teams enjoyed the swagger and bravado of their coach and used it to their advantage on Saturday’s – just ask any Tennessee fan who saw Philip Fulmer’s teams get buried year in and year out by more confident Gators. Meyer’s teams were ferocious, like their coach – just ask Oklahoma receiver Manny Johnson who was crushed by Major Wright in the 2008 national championship game. If the Gators exude the personality of Sumrall, this could be very fun to watch come September and might even convince the last of his naysayers to join the party. With Sumrall, have the Gators made the next Donovan hire, and LSU with Lane Kiffin perhaps another Matt McMahon? Let’s hope.

Condon snd Chimyelu say goodbye to Lexington after a sweep of the Wildcats. (UAA Photo)