Florida won the Tuscaloosa region, advancing to the NCAA championships. The No. 3 Gators scored 197.700. #11 Alabama comes in second, 197.675 to its ticket to Fort Worth. Alabama shocked #6 California, 2024 NCAA runner-up, eliminating the Tide from the tournament.

Walter Clayton Jr. turns the corner on Auburn's Johni Broome (4) in the second half (Photo by Chris Spears) SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Saturday night at the Alamodome, the three players considered the best in all of college basketball showed off their wares in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Only one of them emerged a winner and though he was a first team All-American, at least one coach in the Southeastern Conference didn’t vote him first team All-SEC. That coach is probably happy the voting was anonymous.   Walter Clayton Jr. lit up Auburn for 34 points, 20 in the second half when the Florida Gators (35-4) rallied from nine down to beat Auburn 79-73, earning their way into Monday night’s national championship game with Houston (8:50 p.m., CBS). When the Gators needed him most, Clayton was at his best. In a second half in which he hit 6-9 shots from the field including 3-4 from the 3-point line and 5-5 from the foul line, Clayton scored 10 of Florida’s final 13 points.     On the biggest stage of his college basketball career, Walter Clayton Jr. played the biggest game of his career, but isn’t that one of the ways greatness is defined in sports? Great players save their best games for the biggest stages. When their teams need a lift to carry them over the top great players come through.   “There’s not another player in America you would rather have right now with the ball in his hands in a big time moment,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the Gators beat Texas Tech in the Elite Eight game in San Francisco.   In the big time moments down the stretch of the Auburn game, Clayton had the ball in his hands and once again he delivered. Contrast what Clayton did to the efforts of Auburn’s Johni Broome or Duke’s Cooper Flagg who were desperately needed by their teams Saturday night.   Johni Broome, the SEC Player of the Year, and second place finisher in the national player of the year voting, had 15 points and seven rebounds against the Gators, but only three points and three rebounds in the second half. Broome dominated the Gators in the paint in the first half when Auburn looked like a team that was going to run away with a semifinal win, but Florida adjusted its second half defense, preventing Broome from getting to his dominant left hand. Broome was 1-4 from the field in the second half and 1-5 from the foul line. When Auburn needed him most, Broome disappeared. He didn’t score a single point in the final 15 minutes when the Tigers were trying to stave off elimination.   In the other semifinal game, Duke led Houston by 13 points with ten minutes remaining. In those final ten minutes Cooper Flagg, the freshman phenom and a consensus national player of the year, went 1-5 from the field and 2-2 from the foul line. Five points, rebounds, one blocked shot are all he had to show as Duke let that big lead slip away. Flagg committed the foul with 19 seconds to go in the game that sent LJ Cryer to the line to shoot the two free throws that gave Houston a 68-67 lead. With eight seconds to go, Flagg’s jumper that could have won the game came up woefully short. Houston hit a pair of free throws with three seconds left to seal a 70-67 win and a berth in the championship game opposite Florida.   When the Blue Devils needed their megastar to come through in the clutch he rolled snake eyes. His Saturday night stat line read 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and three blocked shots. Impressive stats for sure, but when his team needed him to make game-winning plays there were none to be had.   Now Johni Broome and Cooper Flagg had outstanding seasons but they didn’t come through in the clutch to give their teams a shot at winning a national championship. Auburn and Duke will be watching Walter Clayton Jr. play for the national title on television tonight.   In the three games of Florida’s march to the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship and five games the Gators have played in the NCAA Tournament Walter Clayton Jr. has set the college basketball world on fire. He has scored 185 points (23.125 per game) while hitting 49 percent overall from the field (53-108) and 49.2 percent (32-65) from the 3-point line.   What makes Clayton’s numbers even more impressive is a sense that tells him when it’s time to take the game over. Against Texas Tech, he didn’t hit a 3-pointer until the final five minutes of the game, but he hit three that were borderline ridiculous. Closely guarded on all three, Clayton simply shot over taller defenders and found the bottom of the net. When Texas Tech tried to close him out he found Tommy Haugh for back-to-back threes as the Gators fought back from 10 down to win the game.   Some guys just know what to do and when to do it. Clayton is one of those guys.   “We trust him to take the big shots because he makes the big shots,” Richard said in the Florida locker room Saturday night. “He just seems to have a feel for when it’s the right time.”   There is one game remaining in Walter Clayton’s Florida career, tonight against Houston with the winner taking home the national championship trophy. The Cougars are the nation’s No. 1 defensive team, but the Gators are third in the nation in scoring (85.3 points per game) and No. 2 in kenpom.com adjusted offensive efficiency.   “ We're a pretty elite offensive team,” Golden said “We'll lean into that and allow our guys to go out there to make some plays and see what happens. ” Of course, the player who will need to make some plays – perhaps even the most plays – is Walter Clayton Jr. If he heats up, especially in the second half with the game on the line, there is every good chance the Florida Gators will win the school’s third NCAA championship and first since the back-to-back years of 2006-07. Is Walter Clayton Jr. the greatest player in Florida basketball history? A case could certainly be made for it if the Gators win the national championship tonight. Years ago during his Hall of Fame career, Jerry West was known as Mr. Clutch. Since that nickname is taken and since there is a 3-point shot now that didn’t exist in West’s day, perhaps Walter should be known as Lethal Weapon 3. The name fits. ANTICIPATED STARTING LINEUPS FLORIDA (35-4): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195) HOUSTON (35-4): J’wan Roberts (6-8, 235, SR); Joseph Tugler (6-8, 230, SO); Emanuel Sharp (6-3, 210, JR); Milos Uzan (6-4, 190, JR); LJ Cryer (6-1, 200, SR) SEC IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL Alabama:  C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR  from Bucknell ); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR); Taylor Bol Bowen ( from Florida State ); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO); SG Jalil Bethea (6-5, 190, FR, from Miami )   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 )   Kentucky:  PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR  from Tulane ); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR, to Cincinnati ); Jaland Lowe (6-2, 170, SO, from Pittsburgh ) 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, to Ole Miss ); 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); PF Marquel Sutton (6-7, 205, JR, from Nebraska-Omaha )   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, to UCF )   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); C Luke Northweather (6-11, 240, RSO, from Oklahoma )   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); C Luke Northweather (6-11, 240, RSO, to Missouri )   Ole Miss:  SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); PG Pop Isaacs ( from Creighton ); C John Bol (7-2, 210, FR); PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR, from LSU )   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 ); C Jaylen Carey (6-8, 265, SO, from Vanderbilt)   Texas:  SF Devon Pryor (6-7, 185, SO  to Oregon ); SF Dailyn Swain ( from Xavier ); SF Camden Heide (6-7, 205, SO, from Purdue )   Texas A&M:  SF Rob Dockery (6-6, 215, FR); SF Jaelyn Lee (6-6, 195, SO); PF Janusz Ratowski (6-11, 225, FR); Pharrel Payne (6-9, 255, JR, to Maryland ); SF Solomon Washington (6-7, 225, JR); SG Andre Mills (6-4, 200, FR); SF George Turkson (6-7, 220, FR)   Vanderbilt:  SG Jason Edwards (6-1, 175, JR, to Providence ); SG Jordan Williams (6-2, 215, JR); SG Alex Hemenway (6-4, 190, SR); C Jaylen Carey (6-8, 265, SO, to Tennessee ); 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, JR, from Jacksonville State )

Walter Clayton Jr. slices through Auburn's defense for two of his 34 points (Photo by Chris Spears) SAN ANTONIO, Texas – At halftime Saturday evening at the Alamodome, Walter Clayton Jr. gathered the Florida big men around him. After 20 minutes of being bullied around by Auburn’s big guys, the Gators found themselves in a 48-40 hole.   Eight points had the look of the bottom of an 80-foot chasm the way Auburn dominated the paint in the first half. Auburn scored 26 points in the paint led by All-American Johni Broome, who bullied his way to 12 points. Florida had no answers for Broome nor any of the other Tigers, who connected on 13 of 18 2-point shots.   The way the Gators defended it seemed as if they left their game plan back at the team hotel.   “I thought Auburn played great in the first half,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the Gators rallied in the second half to slug their way to a 79-73 win over the Tigers in the NCAA semifinals. The Gators (35-4) earned their way into Monday night’s national championship game against Houston, which won the second semifinal 70-67 over Duke.     Golden wasn’t completely dissatisfied with the way the Gators played in the first half. They hung 40 on Auburn, but that was without much in the way of help from the big guys. Condon, Chinyelu, Haugh and Handlogten combined for eight first half points and 10 rebounds in the first half.   “We did some nice things but we did not have an answer for their physicality in the paint,” Golden said.   The Gators have prided themselves on being the more physical team all season long, but they were playing like a team that was going to be muscled out of the stadium if they didn’t change their ways in a hurry.   There were halftime words from associated head coach Carlin Hartman, who Golden calls “the best big man coach in the country.” Then Clayton gathered Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten around him. There was confidence in his voice. He chose his words carefully, without a trace of anger and certainly there was no finger pointing.   “Walt kind of got our bigs together at halftime and gave us a nice little pep talk,” Haugh said, adding that Auburn “out-physicaled us.”   The Gators aren’t a team accustomed to losing physicality battles but for 20 minutes they were owned.   Then Walter Clayton Jr. had a game-changing moment. He scored 14 first half points that helped keep things close, but he knew he needed help.   “He just said he had immense trust in everyone on the team,” Condon explained. “He’s a great leader and he just said, 'I have a lot of trust in you boys … We’re not going to be able to get this thing done if we don’t all lock in and play together.'”   Trusting each other. Playing together. That is the Florida team that has won the last 11 games, the same one that has emerged victorious in 17 of the last 18 games.   The transformation from team on the verge of taking a beating to one that was delivering the blows began in the first five minutes out of the halftime locker. The Gators had one of what Golden calls “spurtability” moments when they ripped off 11 straight points to take a 51-49 lead. Will Richard had a layup and free throw, Clayton bombed in a three and Alijah Martin hit a stepback three  from the top of the key to tie the game at 49-49 with 16:28 to go. Following the under-16 media time out, Clayton scored on a driving layup for Florida’s first lead since the 10:21 mark in the first half.   Defense made all 11 points possible.   “We were able to turn up our pressure a little bit defensively,” Golden said. Got them on their heels offensively. We started just guarding more physically in the paint, making it harder for them to put it in the basket. Got some clean rebounds out in transition.   “They controlled the game in the first half. We stuck around and we were hanging in, but we kind of felt like we were getting knocked around a little bit … All three facets – defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball – that led to that run and victory.”   Auburn went on a 6-0 run for a 55-51 lead that was aided and abetted by four Florida turnovers and a flagrant foul assessed on Rueben Chinyelu, but that was just a temporary setback. Walter Clayton Jr. was about to take the game over. Alijah Martin drives in for two in the second half (Photo by Chris Spears)   It started with a 3-pointer with 11:51 to go and a pair of free throws with 11:12 left. Auburn led 57-56 at the under-12 media time out but the Tigers were struggling offensively. The Tigers to kept feeding the ball into Broome, but he found it difficult to get shots off. On the perimeter, Martin and Clayton locked down Miles Kelly and Taahad Pettiford, who combined to go 0-4 from the 3-point line in the second half.   After a 4-15 first half, the Tigers managed only 3-10 in the second. When the Gators beat Auburn on the road back in February, the Gators forced the Tigers into a 7-22 shooting game from the 3-point line. The Tigers were 7-25 Saturday.   Broome, who seemed to score at will in the first half, was just 1-4 from the field in the second half. He scored three points and grabbed three rebounds in the final 20 minutes to finish with 15 points and seven rebounds, hardly what Auburn expected or needed from its All-American.   “I think we took away what they wanted down the stretch, just getting the ball into Johni and forcing him to try to finish over his left shoulder,” Haugh said. “He wanted to finish with his left hand, so once we took that away from him in the second half, it was hard for their whole team to get the offense going, I believe.”   Clayton, meanwhile, was all but unstoppable. It was his three with 4:29 left that gave the Gators a 69-65 lead. After Auburn’s Denver Jones hit a three to cut the lead by to one, Clayton found himself one-on-one with 6-11 Dylan Cardwell on the perimeter. Clayton sized up the Auburn big man, then put the ball on the deck and blew by him to score a layup for another 3-point UF lead.   Clayton scored again on a short jumper and a free throw with 1:33 to go that made it a 6-point game, 74-68. That’s when the game became somewhat of an adventure at the foul line but when Clayton was fouled with 9.6 seconds left, he sank both shots to give the Gators a 6-point lead that held until the final horn.   It is fitting that the final points of the game came from Clayton, who finished the game with 34 points, becoming the first player in the NCAA Tournament since Larry Bird in 1979 to score 30 or more in the Elite Eight and national semifinal. Clayton went 5-8 from the 3-point line and 7-7 from the foul line.   It is the kind of game we’ve come to expect from Clayton, who became the first Florida player to make first team All-America in school history.   “I am just used to seeing him put the ball in the basket, I guess,” Golden said. “But, he’s done what he’s done all year for us, and in big moments stepped up, hit huge shots, settled our team down and made winning plays when we needed him most.”   On the podium after the win, Richard, Haugh and Martin were asked to describe Clayton in one word.   “I’ll just say special, to be honest with you,” Richard said. “He’s special.”   Haugh grinned and said, “Special.”   Martin could barely contain his laughter.   “Special,” he added.   Golden could only laugh. He knows what he has – the best player in America. The runner-up for national player of the year contributed only 15 points and seven rebounds for Auburn. The national player of the year, Duke’s Cooper Flagg, had 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocked shots. But he missed the shot that could have won the game for Duke.   When Florida needed answers, Walter Clayton Jr. had them. He couldn’t have done it all by himself but that’s what teammates are for. In the second half when Clayton was lighting up Auburn, his teammates were busy putting the defensive clamps on the Tigers.   After a 17-33 shooting spree in the first half, Florida’s defenders held Auburn to 8-24 shooting from the field. The Gators outrebounded Auburn 23-13 in the second half, 39-30 for the game. Auburn got zero second chance points in the final 20 minutes. Florida forced 12 second half turnovers that the Gators turned into 14 points.   And now the Florida Gators are one win away from a national championship. Clayton deserves so much credit for making big shot after big shot when games are on the line, but he doesn’t hesitate to reveal the secret of Florida’s success.   “We are just all together – on the court, off the court,” Clayton said. “We spend so much time together that we just love each other. I keep on saying that, too. We just love each other and that’s how we’re about to battle through adversity.”   GAME NOTES: The Gators shot 25-53 overall from the field, 8-21 from the 3-point line … Martin had 17 points, hitting 6-10 overall from the field, 2-3 from the 3-point line and 3-3 from the foul line. Haugh had 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal and two blocked shots. Although he scored only seven points, Richard had six rebounds and three steals. Chinyelu finished with five points, nine rebounds and two steals … Florida led for only 11:45 of the entire game.

Alijah Martin's perimeter defense will be essential for a Florida victory (Photo by Chris Spears) SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – As the Florida Gators concluded their hour-long public practice at the Alamodome Friday afternoon they gathered at the midcourt jump circle for a little bit of fun. One-by-one coaches and players alike kept heaving shots at the basket, the kind that end halves and games. Most of them clanged off the rims or smacked against the backboard. Todd Golden’s first shot found the bottom of the net. He tried a second a couple of minutes later and this one looked good all the way to the end but bounced off the rim. A third shot that looked like the worst attempt of the three hit the square above the rim and banked through the net.   It was all fun and games, a good way to end what could be the final practice of the 2024-25 season depending on what happens today when the Gators face Auburn in the first of two Final Four semifinals (6:09 p.m., CBS). Win today and the Gators earn one more opportunity to play together, this time in Monday night’s championship game. Lose and one of the most magical seasons in Florida basketball history is over.   Both the Gators and the Auburn Tigers will tell you that they didn’t come to San Antonio to lose but somebody has to. The people who set the betting lines in Las Vegas have made Florida a 2.5-point favorite, which is to basically say the game is a toss-up.   But is it? Back in February the Gators went on the road to beat Auburn 90-81 at Neville Arena, a game the Gators led by as many as 21 points in the second half. Although Auburn closed to within nine, the outcome was never in doubt once Florida assumed control of the game late in the first half. The Gators played that game without Alijah Martin, their second leading scorer, a clutch rebounder and an elite defender on the perimeter. In his absence, Denzell Aberdeen stepped up his game on both ends of the court, scoring 10 while helping defensively to limit Auburn to 7-23 shooting from the 3-point line.   Martin will be back in Florida’s starting lineup today while Aberdeen is back to filling his critical role as the capable sub off the bench who plays all three perimeter positions. The Gators, who have won their last 10 games and 16 of their last 17, are at full strength.   The same can’t be said with any certainty about Auburn. All-American Johni Broome hurt his right elbow in Auburn’s Elite Eight win over Michigan State last Sunday. Although he says he’s okay and ready to go against the Gators, Broome’s right elbow was encased in a special compression sleeve when Auburn held its public practice Friday. Perhaps we won’t know until Broome absorbs contact against the Gators if there is complete range of motion and the elbow is painfree.   Broome leads Auburn in scoring (18.7), rebounding (10.9) and assists (2.9) and there is no one off the bench capable of replacing his production if he is in any way slowed by the injury.   This is a very winnable game for Florida, but to advance to the championship game against the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal between Duke and Houston, the Gators have to show up fully focused. They are 4-0 in the NCAA Tournament even though they have yet to play what anyone would consider a complete game. The Gators have been able to overcome turnover issues occasional lapses of concentration to score tough wins but those same issues could haunt the Gators if they show up against Auburn.   Auburn is too good for the Gators to give less than their best and most complete effort.   Five keys to a Florida victory: 1. Florida has to force Broome to his right. He’s lefty dominant and is least effective when forced to his right side. The first time the Gators played Auburn, they kept Broome from getting his right shoulder in the chest of defenders in the paint so he couldn’t extend his left arm and either get the ball into the basket or get fouled.   2. Crowd Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford on the perimeter, making it very difficult for either one to get into a good shooting rhythm. These guys can take over games if they’re allowed to heat up. 3. Limit turnovers to a maximum of 12 while forcing Auburn to turn the ball over 10 or more times. 4. Get the ball in the paint to Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten early and often, forcing Auburn to defend and risk foul trouble. Beyond Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell, the Tigers don’t have much size. Without one or both in the game for any stretch, the Tigers are in deepest and darkest. 5. Get clean, open looks on the perimeter for Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, Martin and Aberdeen. The Gators knocked down 13 threes against Auburn back in February. They need to hit at least that many today.   ANTICIPATED STARTING LINEUPSFLORIDA (34-4): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)   Auburn (32-5): Johni Broome (6-10, 240, SR); Dylan Cardwell (6-11, 255, SR); Chad Baker-Mazara (6-7, 180, SR); Miles Kelly (6-6, 190, SR); Denver Jones (6-4, 205, SR)   BENNETT ANDERSON HONOREDBennett Anderson was honored Friday as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball winner of the Elite 90 Award. Anderson, who got his undergraduate degree in industrial and systems engineering with a 3.98 GPA is currently enrolled in graduate school where he is pursuing a master’s degree in management. The Elite 90 Award is given to the athlete with the highest GPA at each of the 90 NCAA championship events.   SEC IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL Alabama:  C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR  from Bucknell ); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR) ; Taylor Bol Bowen ( from Florida State ); SF Mouhamed Diabate (6-7, 215, SO)   Arkansas:  SG Melo Sanchez (6-4, 185, JR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 235, SO); PG Casmir Chavis (6-0, 180, FR)   Auburn: PF Keyshawn Hall (6-7, 240, JR,  from UCF)   Georgia:  SG Silas Demary Jr. (6-5, 195, JR) to UConn ; SF RJ Godfrey (6-7, 225, JR to Clemson ); SG De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO) ; PG Jeremiah Wilkinson ( from California )   Kentucky:  PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR  from Tulane ); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR) LSU:  PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR); SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR); SG Mike Williams (6-3, 180, SO); PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR); SF Tyrell Ward (6-6, 195, JR); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO  from Mississippi State ); PG Dedan Thomas (6-1, 170, SO  from UNLV ); SG Rashad King (6-6, 198, JR,  from Northeastern ) ; SG Max Mackinnon (6-5, 200, JR from Portland ); C Daimion Collins (6-9, 202, SR)   Mississippi State:  SG Martavious Russell (6-3, 190, SO); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO  to LSU ); PG Kanye Cleary (5-11, 190, JR, to Oregon State ); C Jeremy Foumena (6-11, 235, SO); SF Adrian Myers (6-6, 205, FR); SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 210, JR)   Missouri:  C Jevon Porter (6-11, 235, JR from Loyola Marymount); PF Aidan Shaw (6-9, 210, JR  to Boston College ) ; SF Marcus Allen (6-7, 220, FR)   Oklahoma:  SF Jacolb-Fredson Cole (6-7, 220, FR  to McNeese ); C Yaya Keita (6-9, 241, JR); SG Duke Miles (6-2, 175, SR)   Ole Miss:  SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); PG Pop Isaacs ( from Creighton ); C John Bol (7-2, 210, FR)   South Carolina:  SG Treyson Eaglestaff (6-6, 190, JR  from North Dakota ); C/PF Nick Pringle (6-10, 220, SR); SF Arden Conyers; PG Zachary Davis (6-7, 200, JR); CG Austin Herro (6-3, 180, FR); PF Christ Essandoko (7-0, 285, SO  from Providence ); SG Cam Scott (6-6, 170, FR); PG Jamarii Thomas (6-0, 185, SR); PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 175, SR  from Ohio State )l Kobe Knox (6-5, 185, JR,  from South Florida ) ; PF Okku Federiko (6-8, 220, FR); SG Morris Ugusuk (6-4, 170, SO)   Tennessee:  PG Ja’Kobi Gillespie (6-1, 175, JR,  from Maryland )   Texas:  SF Devon Pryor (6-7, 185, SO  to Oregon ); SF Dailyn Swain ( from Xavier ) ; SF Camden Heide (6-7, 205, SO, from Purdue )   Texas A&M:  SF Rob Dockery (6-6, 215, FR); SF Jaelyn Lee (6-6, 195, SO); PF Janusz Ratowski (6-11, 225, FR); Pharrel Payne (6-9, 255, JR, to Maryland ) ; SF Solomon Washington (6-7, 225, JR); SG Andre Mills (6-4, 200, FR); SF George Turkson (6-7, 220, FR)   Vanderbilt:  SG Jason Edwards (6-1, 175, JR, to Providence ); SG Jordan Williams (6-2, 215, JR); SG Alex Hemenway (6-4, 190, SR); C Jaylen Carey (6-8, 265, SO); PF Jaqualon Roberts (6-8, 230, SO); PG Karris Bilal (6-2, 190, FR); SG MJ Collins (6-4, 190, JR); PF Jalen Washington ( from North Carolina ); C Mason Nicholson ( from Louisiana )   COACHING STUFF Early in the day Friday it seemed Stanford coach Kyle Smith was trending toward Texas A&M, but things changed during the day. Now the Aggies appear to be on the verge of hiring Bucky McMillan of Samford. McMillan is an Alabama high school coaching legend who has led Samford to four consecutive 20-win seasons. He has a 99-52 record during his four years at the Birmingham school. In 12 seasons at Mountain Brook High School McMillan won 333 games and five state championships.

Florida gymnastic sadvanced to the to the regional final with a session high 198.225 in a quad meet with Oregon State, N.C. State and Clemson, with the top two teams advancing. The score was Florida’s second highest of the season.

Rueben Chinyelu (9) has dealt with his share of adversity SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Masters of disaster. That is one of the better descriptions of this Florida basketball team that seems intent on turning white knuckles finishes into an art form. If the win over UConn didn’t have you gripping your chest and hollering, “It’s the big one!” then the Texas Tech win that got the Gators to the Final Four had you on the verge of calling 911.   The Gators are 34-4 this season with 27 of their wins coming in blowout fashion. In winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the Gators beat Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee by a combined 45 points. All three teams were ranked and both Alabama and Tennessee made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. In their 4-0 run that has the Gators at the Final Four where they will face Auburn (32-5) Saturday (6:09 p.m., CBS) in the first of two semifinals.   In the NCAA Tournament, the Gators have blown the doors off Norfolk State in a first round game and Maryland in the Sweet 16. It is the second round (UConn) and Elite Eight (Texas Tech) games that have shown the Gators are more than capable of dealing with the kind of adverse circumstances that turn the knees of lesser teams into Jello. In those two games, the Gators haven’t withered when games were on the line. If anything, the tougher the circumstances the tougher this Florida team becomes.   Rueben Chinyelu, who speaks gently, precisely enunciating each syllable in the accent of his native Nigeria, knows adverse circumstances far better than most. When tough situations have come his way he has met them head on, fighting them with an unwavering positive attitude. “ No matter what’s going on, I know how I started and I know how I ended up here,” Chinyelu said Friday morning. “I’m not afraid of ‘Oh it’s not going my way,’ because I know it’s never going to be easy. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. Just have to stay the course, you know, believe and keep working and just know that everything is going to be the way it’s supposed to be in due time.”   Chinyelu came to Florida through the NCAA transfer portal. He signed with Washington State, spent his freshman year at Wazzoo, and then transferred to Florida after his freshman year. Getting to Washington State was an ordeal.   “When I was going through the struggle of getting the visa back in Nigeria, it was kind of tough,” Chinyelu said. “One thing I never lose sight of is being positive and the adage of your time is going to come.” Getting to Florida has everything to do with staying positive and how good things happen to those who stay the course. Todd Golden was trying to recruit Chinyelu at the Nike Global event in 2023 but Chinyelu took the offer from Washington State instead. It was at that event that Golden discovered Alex Condon, who was playing for Australia. Golden lost Chinyelu to Wazzoo while Condon signed with Florida. When Kyle Smith left Washington State for Stanford, Chinyelu went into the portal. This time Golden got him and now Condon and Chinyelu are starters for the Gators.   Losing his father was a tougher blow for Chinyelu than dealing with the NCAA, but in the time since his father’s death, family and teammates have sustained him.   “I have always wanted to make Pops proud,” Chinyelu said. “It’s always about him but at the same time it’s for my family. Everything I do is for him and my family. Whatever I’m doing right now, I’m working hard right now doing everything I can to be successful in society, you know be a good gentleman. It’s all for my family, my pops and my mom and everything she’s been through, my siblings just being able to come out here and represent my family and represent Africa and the organization. It’s a big moment for me.”   Chinyelu came to Florida last summer along with fellow transfers Alijah Martin (from Florida Atlantic) and Sam Alexis (from Chattanooga). Freshmen Isaiah Brown, Urban Klavzar and Viktor Mikic also joined the Gators during the summer. Six new faces blended instantly with Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, Denzell Aberdeen, Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Micah Handlogten and Kajus Kublickas.   For Chinyelu, there weren’t just teammates and new coaches at Florida. Teammates were like brothers, coaches like fathers and uncles. The bond has only grown since then and it sustains the Gators through cardiac moments such as the ones with UConn and Texas Tech.   “With the team, I think that’s what we all see,” Chinyelu said. “We all believe in each other, trust each other. I think that’s something that is good, the belief we have, the trust we have in all of the work we put in is coming to the light. It’s due time and it’s keeping us going.”   SEC IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL Alabama:  C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR  from Bucknell ); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR) ; Taylor Bol Bowen ( from Florida State )   Arkansas:  SG Melo Sanchez (6-4, 185, JR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 235, SO); PG Casmir Chavis (6-0, 180, FR)   Auburn: PF Keyshawn Hall (6-7, 240, JR,  from UCF)   Georgia:  SG Silas Demary Jr. (6-5, 195, JR) to UConn ; SF RJ Godfrey (6-7, 225, JR to Clemson ); SG De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO) ; PG Jeremiah Wilkinson ( from California )   Kentucky:  PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR  from Tulane ); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR) LSU:  PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR); SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR); SG Mike Williams (6-3, 180, SO); PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR); SF Tyrell Ward (6-6, 195, JR); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO  from Mississippi State ); PG Dedan Thomas (6-1, 170, SO  from UNLV ); SG Rashad King (6-6, 198, JR,  from Northeastern ) ; SG Max Mackinnon (6-5, 200, JR from Portland ); C Daimion Collins (6-9, 202, SR)   Mississippi State:  SG Martavious Russell (6-3, 190, SO); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO  to LSU ); PG Kanye Cleary (5-11, 190, JR); C Jeremy Foumena (6-11, 235, SO); SF Adrian Myers (6-6, 205, FR); SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 210, JR)   Missouri:  C Jevon Porter (6-11, 235, JR from Loyola Marymount); PF Aidan Shaw (6-9, 210, JR  to Boston College ) ; SF Marcus Allen (6-7, 220, FR)   Oklahoma:  SF Jacolb-Fredson Cole (6-7, 220, FR  to McNeese ); C Yaya Keita (6-9, 241, JR); SG Duke Miles (6-2, 175, SR)   Ole Miss:  SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); PG Pop Isaacs ( from Creighton ); C John Bol (7-2, 210, FR)   South Carolina:  SG Treyson Eaglestaff (6-6, 190, JR  from North Dakota ); C/PF Nick Pringle (6-10, 220, SR); SF Arden Conyers; PG Zachary Davis (6-7, 200, JR); CG Austin Herro (6-3, 180, FR); PF Christ Essandoko (7-0, 285, SO  from Providence ); SG Cam Scott (6-6, 170, FR); PG Jamarii Thomas (6-0, 185, SR); PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 175, SR  from Ohio State )l Kobe Knox (6-5, 185, JR,  from South Florida ) ; PF Okku Federiko (6-8, 220, FR); SG Morris Ugusuk (6-4, 170, SO)   Tennessee:  PG Ja’Kobi Gillespie (6-1, 175, JR,  from Maryland ) Texas:  SF Devon Pryor (6-7, 185, SO  to Oregon ); SF Dailyn Swain ( from Xavier )   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) ; SF Solomon Washington (6-7, 225, JR); SG Andre Mills (6-4, 200, FR)6-7k 6- ; 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)

Todd Golden has the Gators ready to burn down the house in San Antonio (Photo by Chris Spears) “Watch out you might get what you're after. Cool babes, strange but not a stranger. I'm an ordinary guy. Burning down the house.” From “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads   SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Todd Golden is three months shy of his 40th birthday but with that dimpled face and quick, easy grin, he probably gets carded if he wants to buy a beer. Here in San Antonio where the National Association of Basketball Coaches is holding its annual convention, Todd Golden looks like one of the guys, but don’t let a look that some would call innocent fool you. This is not an ordinary guy.   Todd Golden is a shark and in the NCAA Tournament he is proving equal to the moment.   In the basketball coaching profession, the NCAA Tournament is the great equalizer. With each progression toward the 6-0 run that takes a team from the first round to standing on a podium singing “One Shining Moment” as confetti drops from the ceiling, the tension mounts. The first round sheds 32 teams from the field of 64. The Sweet 16 takes it down to eight, then the Elite Eight gives us what we have today – a Final Four.   At each round of the tournament the pressure expands and only those who are equal to the moment survive and take their team forward. As the last three games have proven – wins over UConn, Maryland and Texas Tech – Todd Golden has lived in the moment without the circumstances overwhelming him.   He may look like a kid, but he’s coaching like he’s been there and done that many, many times.   This is why the Florida Gators are that team everybody is leery of as their semifinal date with Auburn looms Saturday (6:09 p.m., CBS) at the Alamodome. In the other semifinal, Duke will take on Houston. Auburn, Duke and Houston are outstanding teams, all of them capable of hoisting the big trophy Monday night, but the Gators are the talk of the town and Todd Golden is at the center of every discussion.   Neither Bruce Pearl (Auburn), Jon Scheyer (Duke) or Kelvin Sampson (Houston) have won a national championship. Pearl and Sampson have brought teams to the Final Four but haven’t won a national championship. Scheyer was the captain of a Duke team that won the 2010 national title, but this is his first Final Four as a coach.   Pearl has Johni Broome playing for him and Scheyer has Cooper Flagg. Sampson has LJ Cryer and a team that seems to play every game like its mixed martial arts combined with elements of basketball thrown in for good measure.   None of them have as many ways to beat you as Todd Golden has at his disposal. He has carefully constructed a roster that has enough moving parts to adapt to any style of play. The Gators can run teams out of the gym or go bare knuckles if they want a slugfest. All four of the games in the NCAA Tournament have resembled something straight out of an NWA script with Gordon Solie on the mic the only thing missing.   On the sideline, Golden works the officials, implores the crowd to get louder during time outs and at least two or three times every game reminds us of the late, great Jim Valvano, whose animated sideline presence injected energy into the entire building.   So here is Todd Golden in San Antonio having handled ever so well each escalation of the tension and pressure that gets a team to the Final Four. He has yet to wilt.   Go back to January. After a 13-0 start against a non-conference schedule that included three convents, a monastery, two homeless shelters and a collection of YMCA all-stars, the Gators showed up in Lexington where they engaged in a track meet with the Kentucky Wildcats, whose win over Duke was a notch in their belt.   Kentucky outran the Gators, 106-100, but in that defeat Golden knew he could handle the moment and knew he had a team capable of getting it done. This was Kentucky prior to all the injuries. It was Rupp Arena, which routinely shatters ear drums.     Neither the moment or the circumstance overwhelmed the Gators. Right then and right there, Golden knew he had a team capable of rising to the top of the Southeastern Conference.   “I honestly was as excited as you can be after that game, after a loss,” Golden said Thursday. “A lot of people have questioned the strength of schedule we played in non-conference. Going on the road, playing in Rupp against a team that we knew was really good, we didn't guard necessarily well enough, but we played well in that game. It was a great game. In a way it gave us confidence moving forward.”   Days later, the Gators hosted a red hot Tennessee team that ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The Gators made mincemeat of the Volunteers and Golden outcoached Rick Barnes. “Three or four days later we beat Tennessee at home, No. 1 in the country, by 30. I think that week with those two contests explained to us and built a lot of belief within our program that we belonged at the top of the SEC.” Since then the Gators have proven they not only belong but are very capable of winning the national championship. The Gators made it through a brutal SEC schedule with a 14-4 record. They turned Nashville into their own personal playground when they beat Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee consecutively to take the SEC Tournament championship. In the four games of the NCAA Tournament following the romp through Nashville, the Gators have ended the seasons of Norfolk State, UConn, Maryland and Texas Tech. The last three games, in particular, Golden has outcoached Danny Hurley, Kevin Willard and Grant McCasland. Now he gets to take on Bruce Pearl, former boss, mentor and father figure. He beat Pearl on the road during the season, but now the circumstances are different. It is the Final Four and not just any Final Four. Jay Bilas says it has the potential to be the greatest in history. These are the circumstances that can define an entire coaching career. Here is Todd Golden, not quite 40 years old, and he is showing no signs of the pressure getting to him. If anything he is channeling his inner Valvano and living large in the moment. You don’t get this far in the NCAA Tournament if the circumstances overwhelm you. You don’t find yourself on the precipice of a national championship if you aren’t equal to the moment. It is Friday. The semifinal with Auburn is a day away. Everything about Todd Golden’s demeanor tells us he is ready for what is ahead. SEC PLAYERS IN THE PORTAL Alabama:  C Noah Williamson (7-0, 224, JR  from Bucknell ); SF Naas Cunningham (6-7, 175, FR) Arkansas:  SG Melo Sanchez (6-4, 185, JR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 235, SO); PG Casmir Chavis (6-0, 180, FR) Auburn: PF Keyshawn Hall (6-7, 240, JR,  from UCF) Georgia:  SG Silas Demary Jr. (6-5, 195, JR) to UConn ; SF RJ Godfrey (6-7, 225, JR); SG De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO) ; PG Jeremiah Wilkinson ( from California ) Kentucky:  PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR  from Tulane ); PG Kerr Kriisa (6-3, 180, SR) LSU:  PF Noah Boyde (7-0, 245, JR); SG Vyctorius Miller (6-5, 185, FR); SG Mike Williams (6-3, 180, SO); PF Corey Chest (6-8, 220, FR); SF Tyrell Ward (6-6, 195, JR); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO  from Mississippi State ); PG Dedan Thomas (6-1, 170, SO  from UNLV ); SG Rashad King (6-6, 198, JR,  from Northeastern ) ; SG Max Mackinnon (6-5, 200, JR from Portland ) 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); C Jeremy Foumena (6-11, 235, SO); SF Adrian Myers (6-6, 205, FR); SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 210, JR) Missouri:  C Jevon Porter (6-11, 235, JR from Loyola Marymount); PF Aidan Shaw (6-9, 210, JR  to Boston College ) Oklahoma:  SF Jacolb-Fredson Cole (6-7, 220, FR  to McNeese ); C Yaya Keita (6-9, 241, JR); SG Duke Miles (6-2, 175, SR) Ole Miss:  SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); PG Pop Isaacs ( from Creighton ); C John Bol (7-2, 210, FR) South Carolina:  SG Treyson Eaglestaff (6-6, 190, JR  from North Dakota ); C/PF Nick Pringle (6-10, 220, SR); SF Arden Conyers; PG Zachary Davis (6-7, 200, JR); CG Austin Herro (6-3, 180, FR); PF Christ Essandoko (7-0, 285, SO  from Providence ); SG Cam Scott (6-6, 170, FR); PG Jamarii Thomas (6-0, 185, SR); PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 175, SR  from Ohio State )l Kobe Knox (6-5, 185, JR,  from South Florida ) 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 ) 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) ; SF Solomon Washington (6-7, 225, JR); SG Andre Mills (6-4, 200, FR)6-7k 6- ; SF George Turkson (6-7, 220, FR) Vanderbilt:  SG Jason Edwards (6-1, 175, JR); 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) COACHING RUMORS Just when it seemed Chris Beard was about to bolt Ole Miss for Texas A&M, Ole Miss ponied up more cash, gave him a contract extension and left the Aggies high and dry. On3 lists three names as prominent candidates: Alan Huss of High Point, Chris Mack of Charleston and Luke Murray, an assistant at UConn. Huss is a former Creighton assistant who is 56-15 in two years at High Point, while Mack was formerly the head coach at Xavier and Louisville. Mack has a career record of 302-142, 24-9 in his only season at Charleston. Murray is the son of comedy star Bill Murray. He is considered an outstanding recruiter. None of these guys have any experience in the Southeastern Conference, which is by far the best conference in the country. Beard would have been a home run hire. The three names mentioned by On3 are very good basketball coaches, but in light of Texas scoring a big hire in Sean Miller, it would seem the Aggies are “settling” if they don’t land someone with both an easily recognized name and a strong track record of success.