Florida Gymnastics made its annual trip to Fort Worth and the NCAA Championship’s first Semifinal Thursday, the 17th of the last 19 years. Competition begins at 4:30pm EST on ESPN2. Florida is part of five SEC teams that qualified for the final eight spots, joining #2 Oklahoma, #7 Missouri, #11 Alabama in the early session. #1 LSU competes against #4 Utah, #5 UCLA and #8 Michigan State in the 9pm EST session later that evening. The top two scores in each semifinal will advance to Saturday’s Final Four at 4pm EST on ABC. Coach Jenny Rowland said: “We always talk about when you get to the final four when you get to four on  the floor when you advance to that it really is anybody’s competition. You could compete four different nights and you would probably get four different winners and really it’s who can control your emotions the best while you’re competing and who’s gonna make the least amount of mistakes. Because mistakes will happen it’s guaranteed, it’s always gonna happen. It comes down to a stick fest. You know we’ve lost by a fraction you know of a 10th and so really it’s just enjoying the moment and making the most of your moment.” Skye Blakely and Anya Pilgrim having fun in Fort Worth. Photo UAA Florida has put up the scores. With the top score of the year (198.625). The top Bars score of ALL TIME (49.85). The highest Vault score in the nation (49.70). The second highest Beam routine (49.70) and the third highest Floor Routine (49.725). Florida has a legitimate shot to capture their fourth National Championship. Look for Florida and Oklahoma to come out of the early session. The evening session would be a shocker if LSU does not make it to Saturday and whoever comes in second in that group is a coin toss. Coach Rowland has kept this team focused despite key injuries not only preseason, Kayla DiCello and Skye Blakely, but losing Sloane Blakely during the Oklahoma meet and having Anya Pilgrim hurt that week too. Tinkering with the line up week to week to get them peaking at just the right time. The early start on Thursday is a plus and a welcome change from the late, late night of the final session and competing twice, at such a high level, in three days. Will Florida get two titles in Texas in April?

A Magical Ten-Game Winning Streak

Billy Napier has agreements with 98 percent of the players on his roster (Photo by Chris Spears) “It’s terrorists, Sam. They’ve taken my stomach hostage and they’re demanding beer as ransom.” – Norm Peterson, “Cheers” barfly   Norm got his beer and the terrorists released his stomach. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava tried to hold Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols hostage this past weekend for more money. Tennessee said no, ending a potential  hostage standoff by releasing Iamaleava from his job as the Vols starting quarterback.   On the same day the Vols avoided a holdout by an already well-paid quarterback, Florida football coach Billy Napier said after the Orange and Blue Game, “We’ve reached agreements with 98 percent of the team.” To a follow-up comment, Napier said, “Welcome” as if to say welcome to the new age of college football.   This is a new era of college sports we are in, one that can re-shape the entire landscape. In a few years we may be looking back on this situation with Tennessee thanking Nico Iamaleava for creating the groundswell to fix the problems. Or, we might be looking back and saying Nico Iamaleava was the warning sign that something had to be done and it was ignored.   Iamaleava signed an NIL deal for a ridiculous $8 million out of high school in California three years ago. He took a redshirt year, so figure $2 million was absolutely wasted his freshman season. A year ago he was a good, but certainly not great quarterback for a 10-3 Tennessee team that lost in the first round of the College Football Playoff to Ohio State. Iamaleava wasn’t exactly the catalyst to those 10 Tennessee wins. They had more to do with a great running game and a stout defense than the QB who threw for all of 104 yards against Ohio State.   Had Tennessee not cut the cord, Iamaleava would have been paid $2.4 million for the 2025 football season, which isn’t bad for a 20-year-old without a college degree and no other marketable skills except to fling a football. Apparently, Iamaleava and the people who advise him thought they had the Vols over a barrel since all the really good quarterbacks have already transferred. When Iamaleava refused to practice a day before the spring football game, probably the last thing he expected was to be shown the door.   Tennessee should be applauded for having the guts to give the heave ho to a QB with an ego large enough to command its own area code. The Vols would rather go down with kids at QB than one who puts himself ahead of the team.   Someone will hire Nico Iamaleava. There are too many schools with quarterback issues out there, but it would be a shock if someone pays him even as much as he would have made this year at UT. Southern Cal is desperate enough. So is UCLA. Some folks are suggesting North Carolina, but it’s hard to imagine Bill Belichick setting a bad precedent before he’s ever coached a college game.   Of course, we also thought Tennessee was nuts to make an $8 million deal for Iamaleava in the first place only to have a rather wealthy booster and a now defunct collective to offer Jaden Rashada $13.8 million to be a Florida Gator. The $8 million deal was nuts. The $13.8 million beyond stupid. When it came time to make the first installment, there was nothing close to what Rashada had been promised so a rather quick divorce was arranged. Rashada transferred to Arizona State, where he spent an injury-filled year, then transferred to Georgia where he couldn’t beat out Gunner Stockton for the role as Carson Beck’s caddy. Rashada is back in the portal again looking for a new suitor. Beck is at Miami, which is going to pay him $4.2 million, which is about $3 million more than he’s worth.   Florida isn’t off the hook with Rashada, whose attorneys have taken matters to court. Perhaps this is all a nuisance suit that Florida will settle for a million or so rather than go through a trial, but if no settlement can be arranged this lawsuit could be a major distraction for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. The Gators have surrounded QB DJ Lagway with the kind of talent that could make UF into an SEC and national championship contender. The last thing Napier and the Gators need is a drawn out court case that distracts from a potentially great season.     The last thing any college football coach needs is a prima dona QB holding out for more money, but isn’t this where we’re headed? There are no guardrails on the portal and nothing that can prevent schools overpaying kids who have never proven anything. A week ago in San Antonio, I spent a few minutes with Jay Wright, the former ultra-successful coach at Villanova. He walked away from the game rather than deal with a system that he sees teetering on the verge of crashing and burning.   “When you have 18-year-old kids making more money than their coaches, you have a real problem,” Wright told me. “When kids can take the money and run, which is what we have now, the problem escalates. This system can’t be sustained. This is professional sports but we have nobody in charge who knows how to run them.”   Congress and the NCAA are about to sign off on a settlement that coaches are prayerful will solve the problems facing college sports, but who are we fooling? At best, this is a Band-Aid that will only delay the inevitable. The rich will get richer and the wanna-be schools will struggle even more than they do already. Athletic departments will slough off non-revenue sports and some may declare bankruptcy.   How do we know this will happen? The NCAA is involved and history tells us that anything the NCAA touches will eventually screw up.   There is but one answer and that begins with college football seceding from the NCAA. Football pays for all the other sports and it cannot be shackled any longer by an NCAA run by academics who have zero in the way of business sense. A new organization with a commissioner who has the power to enforce the rules is a must and it has to be configured on a model similar to the NFL, complete with contracts for every player and a salary cap.   The time to do it is now. The Nico Iamaleava situation is a warning of what’s to come if common sense doesn’t prevail.     SEC BASKETBALL AND THE PORTAL   Alabama Goners: PF Jarin Stephenson (6-11, 210, SO, to North Carolina ); SF Mouhamed Dioubate (6-7, 215, SO, to Kentucky ); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR) Newbies: PG Jalil Bethea (6-5, 190, FR, from Miami ); PF Taylor Bol Bowen (6-10, 205, SO, from Florida State ); C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR, from Bucknell )   Arkansas Goners: Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, to Illinois ); PG Casmir Chavis (6-0, 180, FR) Newbies: C Nick Pringle (6-10, 220, SR, from South Carolina )   Auburn Goners: Jahki Howard (6-6, 185, FR) Newbies: Keyshawn Hall (6-7, 240, JR, from UCF )   FLORIDA Goners: PG Kajus Kublicas (6-1, 180, SO)   Georgia Goners: Silas Demery Jr. (6-5, 195, JR, to UConn ); PG Savo Drezgic (6-4, 200, FR); PF RJ Godfrey (7-7, 225, JR, to Clemson ); SG DeShayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO, to Dayton ) Newbies: Justin Bailey (6-3, 185, JR, from Wofford ); PG Jeremiah Wilkinson (6-1, 185, FR, from California ); SF Kanon Catchings (6-9, 190, FR, from BYU )   Kentucky Goners: PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, JR, to Cincinnati ) Newbies: C Jayden Quaintance (6-9, 225, FR, from Arizona State ); SF Mouhamed Dioubate ( from Alabama ); PG Jaland Lowe (6-2, 170, SO, from Pittsburgh ); PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR, from Tulane )   LSU Goners: SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR, to Oklahoma State ); PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR, to Ole Miss ); PF Daimion Collins (6-9, 202, SR); PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR, to Western Kentucky ); SG Mike Williams (6-3, 180, SO); SG Tyrell Ward (6-6, 195, JR) Newbies: PF Marquel Sutton (6-7, 205, JR, from Nebraska-Omaha ); SG Max McKinnon (6-5, 200, JR, from Pepperdine ); SG Rashad King (6-6, 198, JR, from Northeastern ); PG Dedan Thomas (6-0, 175, FR, from UNLV ); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO, from Mississippi State ); PF Lassina Traore (6-10, 230, SR, from Xavier )   Mississippi State Goners: C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO, to LSU ); PF KeShawn Murphy (6-10, 245, JR); SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 210, JR, to UCF ); PG Kanye Clary (5-11, 190, JR, to Oklahoma State ); SF Adrian Myers (6-6, 205, FR); C Jeremy Foumena (6-11, 235, SO); SF Harrison Alexander (6-4, 190, FR)  Newbies: C Quincy Ballard (6-11, 240, SR, from Wichita State ); PG Ja’Borri McGhee (6-0, 200, FR, from UAB )   Missouri Goners: C Josh Gray (7-0, 260; SR); SG Marcus Allen (6-7, 200, FR); SF Aidan Shaw (6-9, 210, JR, to Boston College ); C Peyton Marshall (7-0, 300, FR) Newbies: SG Sebastian Mack ( from UCLA ); C Luke Northweather (6-11, 240, RSO from Oklahoma ); PF Jevon Porter (6-11, 235, JR, from Loyola Marymount ); C Shawn Phillips (7-0, 245, JR, from Arizona State )   Oklahoma Goners: C Luke Northweather (6-11, 240, RSO to Missouri ); SF Tae Davis (6-9, 240, JR, from Notre Dame ); SG Duke Miles (6-2, 175, SR, to Virginia ); SF Jacolb-Fredson Cole (6-7, 220, FR to McNeese); C YaYa Keita (6-9, 241, JR) Newbies: PG Nijel Pack (6-0, 180, SR, from Miami ); SF Tae Davis ( from Notre Dame ); PG Xzayvier Brown (6-2, 165, SO, from Saint Joseph’s )   Ole Miss Goners: C John Bol (7-2, 210, FR); SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR) Newbies: PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR, from LSU )   South Carolina Goners: PF Okku Federiko (6-8, 220, FR); SF Morris Ugusuk (6-4, 170, SO); SG Cam Scott (6-6, 170, FR); PG Jamarii Thomas (6-0, 185, SR); PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 175, SR, to Ohio State ); SG Austin Herro (6-3, 180, FR); C Nick Pringle (6-10, 220, SR, to Arkansas ); SG Arden Conyers (6-7, 204, FR); SG Zachary Davis (6-7, 200, JR) Newbies: SG Kobe Knox (6-5, 185, JR, from South Florida ); SF Treysen Eaglestaff (6-6, 190, SR, from North Dakota ); C Christ Essendoko (7-0. 285, SO, from Providence ); PF Elijah Strong ( from Boston College )   Tennessee Newbies: PF Jaylen Carey (6-8, 265, SO, from Vanderbilt ); PG Ja’Kobi Gillespie (6-1, 175, JR, from Maryland )   Texas A&M Goners: George Turkson (6-7, 220, JR, to Maryland ); SG Andre Mills (6-4, 200, FR, to Maryland ); C Pharrel Payne (6-9, 230, to Maryland ); SF Solomon Washington (6-7, 225, JR); PF Janus Ratowski (6-11, 225, FR); SF Jaelen Lee (6-6, 195, S0); SF Rob Dockery (6-6, 215, FR) Newbies: SF Zach Clemence (6-10, 225, RFR, from Kansas ); PG Jacari Lane (6-0, 178, JR, from North Alabama ) Vanderbilt Goners: PF Jaylen Carey ( to Tennessee ); PG Jason Edwards (6-1, 175, JR, to Providence ); PG Jordan Williams (6-2, 215, JR); SF Alex Hemenway (6-4, 190, SR); PF Jaqualon Roberts (6-8, 230, SO); PG Karris Bilal (6-2, 190, FR) Newbies: PG Frankie Collins (6-1, 185, JR, from TCU ); C Mason Nicholson (6-10, 280, JR, from Jacksonville State ); PF Jalen Washington (6-10, 225, JR, from North Carolina )

Harrison Bailey and young receivers shine in Orange and Blue Game as Dallas Wilson nabs a spring game record 10 catches for 195 yards. By Loren Meadows, GatorBait.com , Football Analyst Freshman receiver Dallas Wilson (Chris Spears) There is not much that one can gather from a spring game in 2025. Gone are the days where the Orange and Blue game was the ultimate proving ground for position battles that would settle the depth chart for fall camp. Players would almost play vs. their teammates harder than their foes in the fall as the spring game would determine who takes the first snaps at almost every position. Now in the new age of college football, the spring game has been relegated to more of an offensive showcase void of elaborate defensive schematics and anything that resembles “real tackling”. In the annual Orange and Blue game fans were treated to some fireworks early and often and at halftime. The latter possibly being the highlight of the day as the Gator faithful honored the National Champion men’s basketball team. On Friday there were three things that we believed the Gators would take from the game and two of the three turned out to give us what we were looking for. To say the Gators are more than solid at quarterback is an understatement. DJ Lagway along with Texas’ Arch Manning is the premier quarterback name is the SEC. While Lagway suited up and ran a handful of run plays, the health status if his throwing shoulder remains a concern. While all indications point to him being at least serviceable for the opener against Long Island, who could be called upon in his stead is still in question. Both Aiden Warner and Harrison Bailey had up-and-down spring perfirmances so the backup job has been anything but fluid. Warner would operate the Blue or “first team” for Saturday’s game while Bailey would take command of the Orange. Both teams would face defenses that were everything but complex and both quarterbacks seemed to capitalize on the kindness the defenses provided. Transfer quarterback Harrison Bailey had an impressive Swamp debut, throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns on 29 of 43 passing. Warner was less active passing, throwing for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 10 of 23 passing but that had a lot to do with a stellar rushing performances by both Ja’Kobi Jackson and Jaden Baugh . While defenses purposely did very little to make either quarterback uncomfortable, Bailey shows promise while Warner showed palpable improvement from last fall. Based upon what each showed on Saturday the job of backup to Lagway could be a week to week decision that we hope never has to be an issue. Most impressive was the play of Florida’s young receivers who are as good as advertised. Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III looked extremely effective in the Florida offense and showed why both have been the talk of spring camp. Wilson snagged a record 10 catches for 195 yards and twi touchdowns, showing great speed, aggressiveness and run-after-catch ability on a run and stiff arm of freshman corner Ben Hanks. Vernell Brown III was just as impressive, showing explosive speed when the ball was in his hands and crossing routes. Coach Billy Napier was complimentary of the work that Wilson has done off the field and his success was a byproduct of that work. Overall. Napier was complimentary of all three freshman receivers and Wilson, Brown, nor Naeshaun Montgomery seemed to be affected by the moment.  Defensively, the Gators kept things very simple but Napier did note that the defense “took time to settle in” and played much better in the second half. The defense was able to get a number of young players involved as Dijon Johnson, Bryce Thornton, Aaron Gates and other upperclassmen continue to nurse injuries. In their absence, freshmen defensive backs Ty Jackson (11 tackles), Drake Stubbs (8 tackles), and Josiah Davis (4 tackles) played well in their absence. Napier indicated that when the defense is healthy and locked in, they look to build on the confidence they exhibited the last month of the 2024. As Napier left Saturday’s press conference, he seemed to be pleased with the effort of his football team, joking about the home run he hit at a joint football/softball event last month. When asked what his three point shot looked like he responded to the reporter stating, “I can beat you in horse, how about that?”  Celebrating the National Champions at halftime!!! (GatorBait photo) Other Notes: -Coach Napier informed the media that DJ Lagway will begin to throw in a couple weeks, followed by full participation in OTA’s, and should be ready for fall camp. -When asked about possible roster attrition through the transfer portal agreements Napier stated the organization had “reached agreements with 98% of the team.” When asked about his use of the term of agreements Napier responded by saying, “welcome” as a reference to the continuously changing landscape of college athletics.     The Gators also handed out several spring awards named in honor of former Gators at the conclusion of the game. The Winners included: Channing Crowder Headhunter Award Aaron Chiles, DeBraun Hampton, Scott Isacks, Amir Jackson   Chris Doering I Like to Practice Award Roderick Kearney, Damieon George Jr., Brayden Slade, Sharif Denson   Jack Youngblood Defensive Lineman Award Michai Boireau     Lomas Brown Offensive Lineman Award Bryce Lovett   Joe Haden Defensive Back Award Jordan Castell, Devin Moore   Emmitt Smith Running Back Award Jadan Baugh   Danny Wuerffel Most Improved Player Aidan Warner, Kamran James, Caden Jones, Tony Livingston   Tim Tebow Leadership Award Tyreak Sapp, Jake Slaughter, Jaden Robinson, Hayden Hansen   Vernell Brown Culture Award Caleb Banks, Jakobi Jackson, Trey Smack, Taylor Spierto, Knijeah Harris   Steve Spurrier Commitment to Excellence Award Austin Barber, George Gumbs Jr., DJ Lagway, Rocco Underwood   Reidel Anthony Receiver Award Eugene Wilson III   Wilber Marshall Linebacker Award Myles Graham   Community Service Award Aidan Mizell, Josiah Davis   Louis Oliver Outstanding Non-Scholarship Player Award Hayden Clem, Alfonzo Allen Jr., Jaden Edgecombe, Javion Toombs, Jackson Wade, Sebastian Scott   Fred Taylor Most Improved Freshman Award KD Daniels, Fletcher Westphal, Teddy Foster, Cormani McClain, TJ Abrams

DJ Lagway has to be healthy for success in the fall (Photo by Chris Spears) The annual dog and pony show they call the Orange and Blue Game went off without a glitch Saturday afternoon. The crowd estimated at 56,563 got to celebrate Florida’s NCAA basketball championship in an extended halftime that was sandwiched between four quarters of a glorified scrimmage that wasn’t televised. At least those in attendance got to see more points scored (72) than the combined total of the previous two Orange and Blue games.   DJ Lagway dressed out but didn’t throw a single pass although he did hand the ball off five times.     After the game, Billy Napier said don’t worry, DJ will be throwing soon and everything is on schedule with his injury. It’s a shoulder so we’re told and while shoulders can be tricky -- just ask any of the zillion or so pitchers who have had to rehab and come back from one -- Napier doesn’t seem outwardly concerned.   “DJ’s doing great,” Napier said after the Blue team beat the Orange, 38-34. “He’ll start throwing here in a couple of weeks, but yeah, just in general, very positive there. The lower body stuff is good and I think he’s been able to do that and I think we’re working on just kind of getting him in position for the next step, but in general there are a lot of positives. Everything is on schedule.”   On schedule as in ready when the Gators begin practice for the season opener with Long Island University on August 30. On schedule as in ready for organized team activities in the summer.   “We’ll start OTA’s in June,” Napier said. “He’ll be 100 percent. He’ll start throwing in a couple of weeks.”   Lagway took five snaps in the Orange and Blue Game (Photo by Chris Spears) Without going into detail about the Lagway injury, Napier said the rehab process has been more of the “holistic” approach rather than surgical. Pitchers for Florida’s baseball team have had a slew of shoulder issues throughout the years that have taken an entire year to rehab. Napier seems rather confident that Lagway will be okay, which is good news because he’s definitely a step above backups Aidan Warner and Harrison Bailey.   In Lagway’s absence, Warner quarterbacked the victorious Blue team to a win. He completed 10 of his 23 passes for 157 yards and touchdowns to tight end Hayden Hansen and wide receiver Aidan Mizell. Warner handed the ball off 21 times, 10 to Ja’kobi Jackson who ran for 198 yards and three TDs; 11 to Jadan Baugh, who carried 11 times for 56 yards. Jackson broke off touchdown runs of 23, 40 and 90 yards. Baugh also caught a pass for 48 yards. Freshman Vernell Brown III caught four passes for 34 yards, 30 of which were after the catch. Stud transfer J. Michael Sturdivant (from UCLA) had one catch for 29 yards. Ja'Kobi Jackson breaks off a long run for the Blue team (Photo by Chris Spears)  Harrison Bailey, a 6th-year guy whose whistlestops include two years at Tennessee, a year at UNLV and two at Louisville, was a 5-star quarterback out of high school. Playing behind the No. 2 offensive line, he was sacked five times, but when upright was able to fling the ball downfield for 363 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman Trammell Jones Jr. threw for 30 yards. Harrison Bailey threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns for the Orange team (Photo by Chris Spears)   Freshman wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Naeshaun Montgomery were quite impressive. Wilson caught 10 passes for 195 yards and three TDs, while Montgomery caught three passes for 70 yards.   “This is by far the deepest receiver group we’ve had since we’ve been here and documented speed,” Napier said. “There’s a bunch of speed out there, so that’s got a chance to be a strength for us.   “If we can put together some balance there and distribute the ball and get good quarterback play, [we’ve] got a chance to make more explosives in the future. I think ultimately that’s an area we need to improve to go the distance.”   Even without Lagway, the offense showed great promise. The Gators will return four starters and some key backups an offensive line headed up by first team All-American center Jake Slaughter. With a healthy Lagway playing behind a veteran O-line and so many weapons at his disposal, the Gators potentially should be one of the best offensive teams in the country in the fall.   Defense was largely absent Saturday. When the Gators put together their four-game winning streak at the end of the 2024 season, it was the defense that stepped up its game and became dominant. Saturday, the defense was for the most part absent but that had plenty to do with injuries. Napier pointed out all the key players held out due to injuries, but even with so many youngsters playing in their place he wasn’t happy with the result.   “I thought we could have been better on defense today,” Napier said. I think the players will probably tell you that as well. Just tackling in general. In the beginning of the game we were not ready.   In the beginning of the game, we were not ready. I think we settled in and did that better, but [we] got to start a little faster.”   On paper this should be the best Florida team since 2020 when DAn Mullen had the Gators a handful of plays away from an undefeated regular season and a win over eventual national champion Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game. Good recruiting of high school kids and judicious use of the portal has allowed Napier to construct a roster that has all the right pieces to win big. This has been a rather systematic approach taken by Napier. Losing seasons in his first two years at UF created plenty of skepticism, but the four-game winning streak at the end of last season created a wave of hope that has swept through the Gator Nation.   Todd Golden and the Florida national championship basketball team was on hand Saturday and their presence was electric. It should be noted that the 2006 Florida basketball team shocked the world by winning the NCAA championship. In the fall, the Florida football team that wasn’t supposed to be anywhere as good as Big Ten powers Ohio State and Michigan, blasted Ohio State, 41-14, for the national championship.   Could it happen again? Could the football Gators surf the big wave generated by the basketball team to a national championship? With a healthy Lagway, you have to believe it is a very real possibility.

“This team was built for this moment.” – Seth Greenberg   Four days later the urge to celebrate Florida’s national championship win over the Houston Cougars won’t go away. At some point, the party that erupted when the clock struck zero to secure the Gators’ 65-63 win over Houston will fizzle out but it might be weeks before the afterglow finally goes dim.   Perhaps the warm and fuzzies that every Gator is feeling right now have something to do with the fact that the last national championship in basketball was 2007 and the last football championship was 2008. It has been a long time between championships. Sure, since Tim Tebow and the Gators walked off the field in Miami with a national championship win over Oklahoma the Gators have won three national championships in gymnastics, two in softball, one in baseball and what seems like a half zillion in track and field, but there is something truly special winning on a big stage like the Alamodome with millions of people tuning in from all over the world to watch.   What made this one even more memorable was the fact the moment was never too big for Todd Golden and his marvelously constructed team, designed with championships in mind. Golden talked winning championships from the day he was hired back in the spring of 2022. Even if you believed he would deliver, did it ever dawn on you that it would happen so quickly?   Todd Golden did it in three years! Three years! Kelvin Sampson, coach of the vanquished Houston Cougars, has been a college basketball head coach (36 years) almost as long as Golden has been alive (39 years). Houston is Sampson’s fifth head coaching gig, fourth in Division I. He is still looking for his first national championship.   If anything, Kelvin Sampson reminds us just how special winning a national championship is. You can coach for decades and come so close to winning a national championship that you can taste it only to have that potential sweetness turn bitter in a matter of seconds. Monday night against Florida, Houston led for all but 63 seconds. The Cougars had three chances to score in the final minute but couldn’t squeeze off a shot.   Almost from the beginning of the season Houston was crowned as one of the truly great defensive teams in history, yet in the final 2:29 the Cougars were held scoreless by the Florida Gators. Houston was a great defensive team, no doubt about it. So was Florida.   “They did it with defense,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas admitted. Bilas was touting Florida as the best team in the country a month ago. When Auburn started fading, the rest of the country jumped on the Duke bandwagon, but not Bilas even though he was one of Coach K’s first great recruits back in the 1980s.   Bilas thought Duke was a very good team, but he thought Florida was better. When Duke went down in flames in San Antonio a good bit of public opinion shifted to Houston, but unlike Duke which crashed and burned under intense pressure, the Gators ratcheted up their defense to beat the Cougars at their own game.   As they did in wins over UConn in the NCAA second round, Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and Auburn in the semifinals, the Gators not only lived well in the moment, but they thrived. Merely good teams get swallowed up by the big moments. In winning the national championship, the Gators were always at their best when the difference between winning and losing hung in the balance.   The Gators were built for Monday night. The moment required their best and they had what it took to deliver. They were truly made for the moment.     TOO EARLY TOP 25 FOR 2025-26 The Athletic: 1. Purdue; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Houston; 4. Louisville; 5. Michigan; 6. BYU; 7. Michigan State; 8. Auburn; 9. UConn; 10. Duke; 11. Arizona; 12. Texas Tech; 13. Alabama; 14. Iowa State; 15. Kansas; 16. North Carolina; 17. St. John’s; 18. Kentucky; 19. Creighton; 20. UCLA; 21. Illinois; 22. Missouri; 23. Arkansas; 24. Ohio State; 25. Tennessee   CBS Sports 25-and-1: 1. Houston; 2. Duke; 3. Purdue; 4. Alabama; 5. UConn; 6. UCLA; 7. Iowa State; 8. Arizona; 9. FLORIDA; 10. St. John’s; 11. Michigan; 12. Louisville; 13. Texas Tech; 14. Kentucky; 15. Auburn; 16. Michigan State; 17. Oregon; 18. BYU; 19. Kansas; 20. Texas; 21. Arkansas; 22. Ohio State; 23. Tennessee; 24. Wisconsin; 25. North Carolina; 26. Gonzaga   Sports Illustrated: 1. Houston; 2. Purdue; 3. Duke; 4. UConn; 5. Louisville; 6. Kansas; 7. BYU; 8. St. John’s; 9. UCLA; 10. Auburn; 11. FLORIDA; 12. Michigan; 13. Wisconsin; 14. Texas Tech; 15. Michigan State; 16. Kentucky; 17. Alabama; 18. Oregon; 19. Oregon; 19. Arizona; 20. Arkansas; 21. Baylor; 22. Gonzaga; 23. Iowa State; 24. Tennessee; 25. San Diego State   ESPN: 1. Houston; 2. Purdue; 3. Louisville; 4. UConn; 5. Michigan; 6. Kentucky; 7. Arkansas; 8. Duke; 9. St. John’s; 10. UCLA; 11. Alabama; 12. Auburn; 13. Iowa State; 14. Wisconsin; 15. Kansas; 16. BYU; 17. Arizona; 18. Michigan State; 19. FLORIDA; 20. Gonzaga; 21. Tennessee; 22. Texas Tech; 23. Ohio State; 24. Texas; 25. North Carolina   PORTAL PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON Xaivian Lee, PG, Princeton (6-4, 180, JR): Florida is very much in the hunt for Lee, who was a high school teammate of Tommy Haugh. In Princeton’s funky motion offense he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He’s a pure point who is comfortable playing off the ball so he would be a great match with Denzell Aberdeen.   AJ Brown SF/SG, Ohio U (6-4, 195, RSO): He’s the older brother of Florida freshman Isaiah Brown. As a senior at Orlando Christian Prep he was the best player on a team that included Ven Allen Lubin. He is a slasher who can pull up and hit the 3-ball (38.8 percent). Averaged 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds per game at Ohio last year. Can hit the 3-ball, take it to the rack and play some defense.   Kris Parker, SG/SF, Villanova (6-8, 200, FR): He’s a native of Quincy, who got 10 minutes off the bench as a true freshman at Villanova. Out of high school he was the No. 93 prospect in the country. He had a Florida offer but he was already committed to Nova when the Gators hired Todd Golden.   Dillon Mitchell, SF/PF, Cincinnati (6-8, 205, JR): He is a Florida kid from Spring Hill, who was the No. 5 player in the nation out of Bishop McLaughlin. He played two years at Texas, then transferred to Cincinnati where he averaged 9.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. He only has one year of eligibility, but he is a veteran presence who can play three positions and he is an outstanding defender.   Savo Drezgic, PG, Georgia (6-4, 200, FR): At last summer’s FIBA Eurobasket 18-and-under event where Todd Golden and UF staffers were present, Drezgic averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game. He played limited time for Mike White at Georgia but he’s got real skills.   INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON Ben Henshall, SF, Perth, Australia (6-7, 200): He was a teammate on the international stage with Alex Condon. He could be entering the NBA Draft, but is likely to go the college route. In the FIBA Asia Cup he averaged 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds while shooting 35.7 percent from the 3-point line.   Omer Mayer, Tel Aviv, Israel (6-4, 185): At last year’s 18-and-under FIBA Euro he averaged 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Very good scorer and distributor who knows how to control the flow of the game with the ball in his hands. He has a contract with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Is it breakable?   SEC BASKETBALL IN THE PORTAL Alabama: C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR from Bucknell); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR); PF Taylor Bol Bowen (6-10, 205, SO, from Florida State ); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO, to Kentucky ); PF Jarin Stevenson ( 6-11, 210, SO)   Arkansas: SG Melo Sanchez (6-4, 185, JR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 235, SO, to Illinois ); PG Casmir Chavis (6-0, 180, FR) Auburn: PF Keyshawn Hall (6-7, 240, JR, from UCF); SF Jahki Howard (6-6, 185, FR) 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 ); PG Savo Drezgic (6-4, 200, FR) Kentucky: PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR from Tulane); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR); PG Jaland Lowe (6-2, 170, SO, from Pittsburgh ); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO, from Alabama ); C Jayden Quaintance (6-9, 225, FR, from Arizona State ) LSU: PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR); SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR, to Oklahoma State ); 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); PG Ja’Bhorri McGhee (6-0, 200, FR, from UAB ); SF KeShawn Murphy (6-10, 245, JR); C Quincy Ballard (6-11, 240, SR, from Wichita State) 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); SG Sebastian Mack (6-4, 200, SO, from UCLA ); C Josh Gray (7-0, 250, SR) 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, to Virginia ); SF Tae Davis (6-9, 240, JR, from Notre Dame ); PG Nijel Pack (6-0, 180, SR, from Miami ) Ole Miss:  SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); 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); PF Okku Federiko (6-8, 200, FR) 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 ); C Matas Vokietaitas (7-0, 250, SO, from Florida Atlantic) 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, to Maryland ); SF George Turkson (6-7, 220, FR, to Maryland ) 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 (6-10, 225, JR, from North Carolina ); C Mason Nicholson (6-10, 280, RSO, from Jacksonville State ); PG Frankie Collins ( from TCU )

Despite the lack of star power there is plenty to look for in what could be the last spring game at Florida. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Freshman receiver Dallas Wilson (Chris Spears photo) The annual Orange and Blue game has been a Gator tradition as far as many can remember and an opportunity for fans to get an early glimpse of the team that will suit up in the fall. And get an idea of who may be the next great to come out of Gainesville. In recent years, however, spring games all over the country have diminished in value to both coaches and fans. Injuries and the lack of competitiveness have made the game less important as teams look to sharpen their strategies and keep roster development closer to the vest. Florida year’s will take on both a subdued and jubilant feel as the Gators will celebrate the 2025 National Championship by Todd Golden’s team, which will be celebrated at halftime with comments from players and coach Golden. Unfortunately for Gator fans the celebration will be a little jaded as star quarterback DJ Lagway will most likely sit the scrimmage out as he has been limited this spring with a sore shoulder. While the health of Lagway will continue to be the subject of the offseason narrative, the Gators have plenty to address on Saturday and the fans will certainly get a birdseye view of some of the Gators newest and brightest stars. Whether Lagway suits up or not there will be three areas that Gator fans will want to focus on this Saturday that will make for an entertaining day.  1.     Backup Quarterback -If Lagway cannot go, who is in line to lead the Gator offense? Reserve quarterbacks Aiden Warner and Harrison Bailey have received mixed reviews for those who observe practice while Coach Napier seems to be pleased with the work of both players this spring. Warner struggled in relief of Lagway last season completing just 42 percent of his passes for zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The former walk-on transfer from Yale is said to be improved from last season and will be a major part of Saturday’s game. Harrison Bailey transferred to Florida after stops at Tennessee, UNLV, and Louisville.  The former 5-star recruit has thrown for 10 touchdowns against three interceptions and has a 63 percent career completion percentage. Based on experience Bailey should be the leader to backup Lagway but word is Warner is definitely in the mix.    2.     The Young Receivers -The Florida Gators were the only team in the country to sign three receivers in the Top 12 in the Class of 2025 and it seems that all three were well deserving of those accolades. Freshman receivers Dallas Wilson, Vernell Brown III, and Nashaun Montgomery have been the talk of the spring. All possess great speed and big play ability and have more than held their own against the best the defense has to offer. Wilson is a cookie cutter SEC receiver who looks like a seasoned vet, while Brown is more in tune with the talented Eugene Wilson III.  Montgomery fits somewhere in the middle and is a younger clone of Aiden Mizell. The talent of all three had been noted by coaches on both sides of the ball and according to former Gators could start or see substantial snaps this season.    3.     Is the Defense Back at Florida? -Despite all the talk the past two offseason about Napier relinquishing play-calling duties the struggles on the defensive side of the ball have been the true Achilles heel of this program. Under two separate coordinators the Gators were historically inept on defense particularly on third down. Then a change was made that allowed Ron Roberts to become the primary play caller on defense and what resulted was a resurgence that saw the defense play its best football since COVID and harass top tier quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier and Jaxson Dart in two of the biggest wins in the Napier Era. While household names like Shemar James and Jason Marshall Jr. have departed, the Gators return leading sack man Tyreak Sapp, and future freak part two LJ McCray upfront. At linebacker the Gators return Pup Howard, Jaden Robinson, as well as super sophomores and Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles. On the back end Jordan Castell returns from an improved sophomore season along with Devin Moore and Cormani McClain at corner. Outside of the young receivers the improvement of McClain in the offseason has been the talk of the program even grabbing high praise from former Gator corners Quincy Wilson and Jalen Tabor.    Linebacker Aaron Chiles (Chris Spears photo) With these and other storylines in play true fans of the Gators should still be intrigued by what the Gators put on the field this weekend. The Orange and Blue Game is scheduled for 1:00pm with the Gator Walk scheduled for 10:20am. Admission is free and Florida Victorious will be hosting a meet and greet for its members following the game. The championship celebration will take place during an extended halftime hosted by Gator radio announcer Sean Kelly.

Will Alex Condon stay another year or go pro? (Photo by Chris Spears) SAN ANTONIO – The celebrations that began at the Alamodome and wherever the Gator Nation calls home will last for days, perhaps even weeks. For Todd Golden, once he returns to Gainesville work will begin almost immediately to rebuild a roster that will lose three of what proved to be the best backcourt in the nation.   It was the end of the collegiate road for Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin Monday night when the Florida Gators eked out a 65-63 win over the Houston Cougars to claim the NCAA championship. All three have used up their eligibility so their next stops will be professional basketball. Clayton’s shotmaking and play under pressure has turned him into an NBA first rounder, perhaps going as early as the top 20. The comparisons to Steph Curry are legit, the difference being Steph never won an NCAA title. Walter did and that will carry some weight this summer when the NBA drafts.   Richard and Martin might go in the second round. Richard can go into shooter’s comas like he did in the first half against Houston, but he rebounds well and plays defense at an elite level. Martin’s calling card will be his defense. He can lock people down and can guard all three perimeter positions. He makes enough shots to merit a good long look.   The only member of the backcourt regulars who will be back is Denzell Aberdeen, who had an outstanding game off the bench against Houston, particularly on the defensive end late in the game when the Gators were finishing off their comeback from a 12-point second half deficit. The Gators will be his team to run next year and while he’s no Walter Clayton Jr. – is anyone? – he showed during the injury-bug stretch of the season that he is a quality player whether as a starter or coming off the bench. He is nearly 6-6, quicker than he looks, and a solid scorer whether from the outside or off the bounce.   Golden has players who can fit in nicely with Aberdeen, starting with Urban Klavzar, Kajus Kublickas and Isaiah Brown. Klavzar can be a lethal shooter while Kublickas ran the point nicely for the Lithuanian national team in last year’s FIBA 20-and-under tournament in Europe. Brown is a slasher with serious hops. If his outside shot really develops he could be a starter on the perimeter. They will be joined by freshmen Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram, both of whom can score but will need time to develop defensively to play at the level Golden expects.   Up front, the Gators could be loaded if everybody stays. Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu were the starters every game they were healthy. Both are outstanding defenders who need to polish up their offensive games. Condon is an erratic shooter from the outside but he has the inside touch to be a big scorer, but he needs to add strength and consistency to his offensive game. Condon is being projected as a late first to mid-second NBA pick. Chinyelu made great strides throughout the year. He needs to understand that his best offensive asset is the dunk but he does need to get a better handle on a short game from five feet on in. Defensively, Chinyelu can make tough plays and he is a clutch rebounder but gets called for too many cheap fouls. He seems likely to return.   Tommy Haugh has played himself into a possible first rounder. He has the outside shot, the hustle and the ability to defend three positions so he can be a real commodity for a team in search of that Swiss Army Knife who can plug and play multiple spots. If the Gators elect to go really big next season, Haugh could find himself playing the big guard or small forward. Haugh is thought to be a late first, early second rounder if he elects to go into the NBA Draft, but experts believe he would be best served to come back to UF and spend an entire year as a starter.   Unless Condon, Chinyelu and Haugh have some assurance they will be drafted in the first 20 picks, they need to return to UF for at least one more year.   When Micah Handlogten elected to burn his redshirt, it was just the insurance the Gators would need to win a national championship. At 7-1, he gave the Gators size, rebounding and defense off the bench. He threw his body into the fray without ever once fearing he would injure his leg again. Handlogten will almost certainly appeal to the NCAA for a waiver that will give him back a full season of eligibility. While there is no telling what the NCAA will do, figure the odds are relatively good that he will be granted the waiver and have two full seasons to play. Handlogten is an outstanding rebounder and defender who needs a good offseason to develop his offensive skill set. He is a dunker and good at tip-ins, but has no outside shot.   It may take some heart-to-heart conversations to convince Sam Alexis to return. He was a regular off the bench until he suffered a high ankle sprain against Vanderbilt. Since then he only saw a bit of mop-up duty in a win over Maryland in the West Regional. If Condon and/or Haugh go pro, then it would benefit Alexis to return but he might see things differently if Golden returns his 4-man rotation in the front court. Consider Alexis as a potential transfer, although he loves being a Gator. When he was at Chattanooga Alexis made the Southern Conference all-defensive team. He has offensive skills too and shooting range to the 3-point line.   Viktor Mikic took a redshirt as a true freshman as did preferred walk-on Olivier Rioux. Mikic is 6-10, Rioux 7-9. If either or both play next year chances are it will be limited minutes. Rioux is a project but you can’t teach tall. He knew he was a long term possibility so 2026-27 is the year to look for him to be a contributor. Mikic has skills but is he willing to wait his turn?   With the impending settlement between the House of Representatives and the NCAA, Golden could have three or four scholarships at his disposal. It’s late to go after high school kids although with coaching changes and Florida winning the national championship it’s entirely possible some highly regarded kids will become available.   Golden has proven very effective evaluating talent in the transfer portal. Assuming he returns all his players and doesn’t sign any more high school kids, it is not unreasonable to expect three from the portal – a point guard, a small forward in the 6-6 to 6-8 range and a big guy.   NEXT YEAR’S ROSTER AS OF APRIL 8, 2025   BIG GUYS (6): Micah Handlogten (7-1, 250, SR); Alex Condon (6-11, 230, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, JR); Alex Mikic (6-10, 240, RFR); Olivier Rioux (7-9, 320, RFR)   PERIMETER (6): Denzell Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SR); Kajus Kublickas (6-1, 175, JR); Urban Klavzar (6-2, 180, SO); Isaiah Brown (6-5, 200, SO); CJ Ingram (6-6, 200, FR); Alex Lloyd (6-4, 180, FR)

Todd Golden greeted by UF athletic director Scott Stricklin (Photo by Chris Spears) "I don’t want to be the guy who follows a legend (Woody Hayes), but I wouldn’t mind being the guy who follows the guy who follows the legend.” – Lou Holtz, 1975   SAN ANTONIO – He is 6-3 but skinny as a rail. Even with stubble on his dimpled face, Todd Golden doesn’t look 30 years old. He needs an ID with him anytime he orders a drink from a bar or tries to buy some adult beverage at his nearest Publix.   When it comes to looks, not much has changed in the three years since Scott Stricklin hired Golden just days after Mike White bolted for Georgia. In his third year at Georgia, Mike White finally got the Bulldogs into the NCAA Tournament although they were one-and-dones, falling to the Zags in the first round. In Todd Golden’s third year at Florida, he went 36-4, taking Florida to the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship, NCAA West Regional championship and finally, after the three-week grind that is the tournament, the national championship. So think of this as a rather good trade – Georgia got Mike White; Florida got Todd Golden.   Mike White followed the legend and never lived up to the expectations. Todd Golden followed the guy who followed the legend, embraced the expectations and talked boldly of winning championships the day he was announced as Florida’s head coach.   It seems that every newly hired coach talks the championship talk, but look how few ever deliver. Golden has delivered because he arrived with a plan that centered around finding the right players, not necessarily the ones with 4-star or 5-star labels. The Gators just won a championship without a single player that was a 4-star recruit out of high school. He has found the right blend of high school kids willing to put in the work to develop and transfers from the portal that can park egos at the door to fit in with the team concept.   This Florida team had incredible team chemistry. In the locker room after Monday night’s championship win over Houston, Will Richard said, “We love playing basketball together and when we’re not playing basketball, we love hanging around with each other.”   Micah Handlogten said, “If one of our guys is happy, we’re all happy for him. If one of our guys is hurting, we all hurt for him. It is a real brotherhood that we have.”   The Gators really didn’t care who scored the most points, grabbed the most rebounds or got the most individual awards. The only thing that mattered was winning, an attitude that had its origins at the top with Golden. A couple of good examples from the Final Four in San Antonio:   Alex Condon scored only one point in Florida’s win over Auburn in the semifinals, but he had five critical defensive plays down the stretch when the Gators rallied from an eight-point hole in the second half. In the final minutes, he had five critical defensive plays that kept Auburn from getting any points in the paint. Monday night against Houston, Condon had 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. At the end of the game with a loose ball on the court he beat two Houston Cougars to the ball, dived, got possession and flipped it up to Walter Clayton Jr., who held the ball in his hands as the horn went off.   Clayton, first team All-American and the most outstanding player at the SEC Tournament, NCAA West Regional and NCAA Final Four, was the focus of an intense Houston defensive effort Monday night. He didn’t score until the second half, didn’t hit a 3-pointer until there was only 3:14 remaining and finished with only 11 points, fewest he scored since a March 1 win over Texas A&M. But, he had five rebounds, seven assists, a blocked shot and perhaps the greatest defensive play of the season. With about three seconds remaining and Houston setting up for a 3-pointer that could have won the game, Clayton came flying high at Emanuel Sharp. Clayton did as he was coached, taking an angle that was both intimidating but at the same time a wide enough path that Sharp couldn’t be fouled. Sharp put the ball on the floor and Condon came up with the loose ball.   The only thing that mattered to both Condon and Clayton was the win.   Overlooked by the national media in Florida’s run to the title was how Golden constructed a team capable of winning no matter the style of the other team. In the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee all tried to run with the Gators and got run into the ground.   Those three wins sent a signal to the NCAA field that you can’t run with the Gators because they run an NBA style offense. So, four of the six teams the Gators faced in their run to the NCAA championship tried to outmuscle UF and in four games they almost succeeded.   Almost, but not quite.   The Gators adapted. An SEC schedule helped prepare them for moments like the Monday night rock fight with Houston, but this team was as comfortable slugging it out defensively as it was in an open court game. In the final kenpom.com analytics, the Gators ranked No. 2 nationally in offensive efficiency, No. 6 in defensive efficiency.   In other words, this was a team built to withstand any scheme and emerge with a win. UConn tried a halfcourt game that focused on physical inside play. Texas Tech pushed the tempo but at the same time played tough, physical, push the Gators around defense.   In the NCAA semifinal, Auburn focused on shutting down Florida’s inside capabilities with very physical play while taking its chances on the perimeter. Led by Clayton’s 34, the perimeter killed the Tigers. In the championship game, Houston tried to take Clayton out of the equation, but Will Richard stepped it up on the perimeter while Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Haugh played effectively inside.   A sure sign of greatness is a team that can adapt to whatever style it needs to play and deliver winning efforts. Another sign is the ability to dominate games in the final minutes. Against Houston, for example, the Cougars couldn’t even get a shot off in its final three possessions in the final minute of the game.   How the Gators are able to play and win whether it’s racehorse basketball or slow it down and slug it out, reflects on the coach. Golden prepares the Gators to handle any obstacle in their way and to adapt on the fly to produce a winning effort.   This Florida team was built to handle any contingency or circumstance. They were built with chemistry and culture in mind, a roster filled with players whose goal is to win on the court and find comfort and brotherhood off the court. They were built to win.   SEC BASKETBALL IN THE PORTAL Alabama: C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR from Bucknell); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR); PF Taylor Bol Bowen (6-10, 205, SO, from Florida State ); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO, to Kentucky )     Arkansas: SG Melo Sanchez (6-4, 185, JR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 235, SO, to Illinois ); 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 ); PG Savo Drezgic (6-4, 200, FR)     Kentucky: PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR from Tulane); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR); PG Jaland Lowe (6-2, 170, SO, from Pittsburgh ); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO, from Alabama ); C Jayden Quaintance (6-9, 225, FR, from Arizona State )     LSU: PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR); SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR, to Oklahoma State ); 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); PG Ja’Bhorri McGhee (6-0, 200, FR, from UAB )     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); SG Sebastian Mack (6-4, 200, SO, from UCLA )     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, to Virginia ); SF Tae Davis (6-9, 240, JR, from Notre Dame ); PG Nijel Pack (6-0, 180, SR, from Miami )     Ole Miss:   SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); 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 ); C Matas Vokietaitas (7-0, 250, SO, from Florida Atlantic)     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 (6-10, 225, JR, from North Carolina ); C Mason Nicholson (6-10, 280, RSO, from Jacksonville State )