The Gators beat Auburn in February without Alijah Martin (Photo by Chris Spears) This is reach out and touch time. An NCAA championship, which would be Florida’s first since the back-to-back titles of the 2006-07 years, is two wins away, but that’s the same for Auburn, Duke and Houston, the other three teams that make up the Final Four. The team that puts the two best games together in San Antonio will walk away with the big trophy Monday night in San Antonio.   The Gators (34-4) have won their last ten games and 16 of their last 17, so there is no question Todd Golden has a team that’s hot at the right time, but have they played their best basketball to get here? Golden doesn’t necessarily think so.   "I think we still can get better, for sure,” Golden said before the Gators held their last practice prior to taking off to San Antonio. “I don't think we've played a perfect game, by any stretch of the imagination. We've had some really good moments, obviously - we've won 10 in a row – so we've done some things pretty well, but we definitely haven't played like a perfect game.”   In winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the Gators were a wrecking ball that destroyed the three teams that dared get in their path and all of them ranked – Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. Mizzou went out the first round of the NCAA Tournament while Alabama and Tennessee got close enough to sniff the Final Four but couldn’t pull off wins in their Elite Eight games.   In their four NCAA Tournament wins, the Gators have played extremely well in spurts, particularly at the end of the last three games when they’ve ended the seasons of UConn, Maryland and Texas Tech. But to play 40 minutes at a very high level? If the Gators could do that most college basketball experts would probably agree there isn’t a team that can touch UF.   So what is it going to take?   “We've had some slippage in some areas that I think is not super unique this time of year, because you got to balance practice with staying healthy and certain things like that,” Golden said. “But, yeah we got back from this past weekend, and we're breaking the games down, watching our film, and there's plenty of things that we can do better, so I think that excites us.”   The Gators will square off against overall No. 1 seed Auburn (32-5) Saturday evening (6:09 p.m., CBS). When the two teams met at Auburn’s Neville Arena on February 8 (90-81 Florida victory), the Gators led by as many as 21 points in the second half. The difference in the game was at the 3-point line where the Gators nailed 13 threes while holding Auburn to seven.   Five Gators scored in double figures led by Walter Clayton Jr., who had 19 to go with nine assists. Alex Condon and Tommy Haugh were Florida’s twin towers in this win. Condon had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Haugh had 16 points, nine rebounds. Will Richard scored 12 and Denzel Aberdeen had 10.   What made this win even more amazing is the Gators played without Alijah Martin, who sat this and the next two games with a hip pointer. Martin is Florida’s second leading scorer and one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. He’s healthy now and will be on the floor against Auburn this time.   Golden knows the Gators will have to play at their highest level to advance to the championship game. It doesn’t involve anything complicated, mostly just playing better in a few areas the Gators haven’t been at their best in the four NCAA games.   “We're gonna challenge the guys today, as we get back on the practice floor, with cleaning up some things that we think don't necessarily require a lot of talent, like blocking out and being strong with the ball, different things that have kind of maybe slipped a little bit,” Golden said. “The idea is we got three or four days to improve before this game on Saturday. We got to be at our best, if we want to stay alive."   Transfer possibilities for UF The transfer portal is open for business but don’t expect the Gators to get heavily involved until next week after returning from San Antonio. Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin have used up their eligibility so they are gone for sure. Depending on which Gators might declare for the draft and which ones may elect to transfer out, Golden may be seeking to add at least three from the portal to go with incoming freshmen Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram. Here are seven who may be on Florida’s radar:   RJ Luis Jr. (6-7, 196, JR), St. John’s: He’s a Miami native who was Big East Player of the Year and All-America playing for Rick Pitino. Luis averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He played high school ball at Christopher Columbus before transferring to Mt. Zion Prep. From there he spent one year at UMass before transferring to St. John’s.   Matas Vokietaitas (7-0, 245, FR), Florida Atlantic: Playing 17 minutes per game he averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s big, strong and has three years of eligibility remaining. Alijah Martin came to the Gators from Florida Atlantic. That worked out well. You can’t teach tall and he’s tall.   Jonathan Pierre (6-9, 210, SO), Belmont: A Hallandale native, Pierre averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for Belmont, which is where Will Richard spent his freshman year before transferring to Florida in 2022. Pierre shot 36.9 percent from the 3-point line. If there is a negative it is that Pierre’s next stop will be his third.   Scotty Middleton (6-6, 190, SO), Seton Hall: Middleton is from Miami. He prepped at Christopher Columbus before spending his senior year at Sunrise Christian in Kansas where he was a top 50 recruit. He played his freshman year at Ohio State, then transferred to Seton Hall where he averaged 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He shot 38.4 percent from the 3-point line. His next stop will be his third in three years.   Aidan Mahaney (6-3, 180, JR), UConn: He spent his first two seasons at Saint Mary’s, Todd Golden’s alma mater, where he averaged 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He transferred to UConn where he was the sixth man off the bench, averaging 4.5 points per game. He is a career 37.3 percent 3-point shooter and 76.2 percent shooter from the foul line. At Saint Mary’s was All-West Coast Conference twice.   John Bol (7-2, 210, FR): Bol was committed to the Gators before he flipped to Ole Miss. He was the No. 58 recruit in the country in 2024. At Ole Miss he discovered the grass isn’t always greener. Golden understands you can’t teach tall and Bol has that going for him.   Malique Ewin (6-11, 230, SO), Florida State: He was a top 100 recruit nationally in 2022, who signed with Ole Miss. One year at Ole Miss, one at a juco before breaking out with 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds for FSU this past season.   WHO WILL THE AGGIES LOOK FOR TO REPLACE BUZZ WILLIAMS? As expected, Buzz Williams left Texas A&M for Maryland. This was not about money because only God and the Longhorns have more than the Aggies. This was about being the head coach at a basketball school that is THE top school in the state of Maryland. At A&M, Williams would always be little brother to Texas.   So who does Texas make a play for? At the top of the list is expected to be Ole Miss coach Chris Beard, formerly the head coach at Texas Tech and Texas. Another name that’s out there is Illinois coach Brad Underwood, who used to coach at Stephen F. Austin. A darkhorse candidate is Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland, who led Texas Tech to the Elite Eight game in the West Regional. There has been a rumor floating that if the Aggies whiff on a big name they may go the assistant’s route with Steven Pearl, son of Auburn coach Bruce Pearl.   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); SF RJ Godfrey (6-7, 225, JR); SG De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO)   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 )   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)   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)

Walter Clayton is an All-American who relies on help from his friends (Photo by Chris Spears) “I get by with a little help from my friends” – The Beatles, 1967, “With a Little Help from My Friends”   For the better part of 34 minutes Saturday evening, Walter Clayton Jr. was the basketball equivalent of Clark Kent. Then came the distress call, in this case Texas Tech 71, Florida 61. That’s when Clayton became anything but mild-mannered. Starting with a 3-pointer that sliced the deficit down to seven points with 5:24 remaining in the game, Clayton transformed into the basketball equivalent of Superman.   In those last six minutes Clayton seemed to be everywhere. During the 23-8 run that closed out an 84-79 Florida win in the championship game of the West Regional at San Francisco’s Chase Center, Clayton scored 13 points and dealt two assists to Tommy Haugh, who buried a pair of 3-pointers.   Prior to the final six minutes, Clayton was 0-4 from the 3-point line. Constantly doubled and bracketed by a cut the head off the snake defensive scheme installed specifically for this game by Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland, Clayton was anything but the baby faced assassin he proved to be in the deciding minutes of the game.   In the first 34 minutes, Clayton contributed 17 of his game-high 30 points, but most of them came at the foul line. Clayton finished the full 40 minutes by going 13-14 at the line, but in the first 34 minutes, nine of his points came from the foul line. He was 3-9 from the field overall, 9-10 at the foul line. He grabbed two rebounds and handed out two assists.   Then came the explosion that gave the Gators the momentum they needed to win the game and advance to the Final Four in San Antonio. The 3-pointers are what everyone will remember and a good reason why Clayton was named the Most Outstanding Player. Clayton was also the MOP of the SEC Tournament. If they had given out such an award for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, Clayton would have won that too.   He is an extraordinary talent and deserving of consensus first team All-America honors. The coach or coaches who didn’t vote him All-SEC first team should hang their heads in shame.   Always dangerous and always a candidate to go into a shooter’s coma when everything he throws up at the rim finds its way to the bottom of the net, Clayton is Florida’s most visible and well-known player. When the game is on the line, Clayton is at his most dangerous.   “There’s not another player in America you would rather have right now than Walter Clayton with the ball in his hands in a big time moment,” Florida coach Todd Golden says.   Things happen, whether it’s making a contested three with a hand in his face or driving fearlessly into the lane to either make a layup or get fouled in the attempt, Clayton takes games over.   “When the game is on the line, Walt is at his best,” Alex Condon said back on Friday. “There isn’t anyone we would rather have with the ball in his hands if it’s shooting or passing. He always does what it takes to win.”   If there is a Clayton calling card it is his willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Against Maryland in the Sweet 16 game, Clayton only scored 13 points and only took one shot in the second half. His teammates were on a roll and that suited him perfectly.   Even Superman knows that you get by with a little help from your friends.   Against Texas Tech, it was Haugh who came through with the greatest game of his career. He scored 20 points, hitting 4-6 from the 3-point line and 4-4 from the foul line. He also grabbed 11 rebounds, plus had two assists, a blocked shot and a steal.   Haugh will be best remembered for those two 3-point daggers in the final three minutes, but like Clayton, he seemed to be everywhere. In the first half he had 12 points and six rebounds. He was the guy who seemed to be holding things together when the Gators were in a real funk while trying to figure out the Texas Tech defensive scheme.   Martin scored 10 points and despite being only 6-2, was seen snagging rebounds (7) away from the big guys. He had seven for the game, none more spectacular than with 11:36 left in the game against Texas Tech. When Tech All-American JT Toppin missed on a short flip shot in the lane, Martin tipped the ball away, then ran it down and punched it forward. He outraced two Texas Tech defenders to grab the ball just past midcourt. He finished with an authoritative slam.   Richard spent most of the Texas Tech game playing defense. He had six points, a couple of rebounds and a blocked shot. Two nights earlier against Maryland he led the team in scoring (15), 12 of which came in the first half when the game was still close. Like Clayton and Martin, Richard has a sense of figuring out what the Gators need and then focusing on that aspect. He doesn’t have to score to be a star although he has had some serious explosions.   “I just do whatever my teammates need me to do,” Richard said in Raleigh after the Gators won their second round game over UConn. “Score, rebound, defense, pass the ball … whatever helps us win, that’s all that is important.”   Condon had seven points, seven rebounds, an assist, a blocked shot and two steals against Texas Tech. Rueben Chinyelu had two points and five rebounds. Modest numbers for both of them, but their chief focus was on the defensive end. They got plenty of help in the paint from Micah Handlogten, who had six points and played an intimidating brand of defense.   On any other team Denzel Aberdeen would be a starter. He had 13 points in the two games, nailing two threes against Maryland, one against Texas Tech.   It is this collection of guys who sense what the team needs that make the Gators a legitimate national championship threat in San Antonio.   “We got a bunch of guys who just love each other, love playing together and hanging around together,” Clayton said, echoing comments by Golden, who said Florida’s success is “ a direct result of the work that our players have done all year and the work my staff has done. They've all, to a man, been incredibly consistent, unselfish and worked their tail off. We don't do this without the collective work of our program. ”   The Gators simply get by with help from all their friends. It doesn’t matter who scores, who gets the headlines or who makes the biggest play as long as the team wins.      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)   Georgia: SG Silas Demary Jr. (6-5, 195, JR); SF RJ Godfrey (6-7, 225, JR); SG De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, SO)   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 )   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)   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)   Ole Miss: SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR); PG Pop Isaacs ( from Creighton )   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 )   Texas: SF Devon Pryor (6-7, 185, SO to Oregon )   Texas A&M: SF Rob Dockery (6-6, 215, FR); SF Jaelyn Lee (6-6, 195, SO)   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)

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 30 and was MOP of the West Regional (UAA Photo) SAN FRANCISCO – If you are of the opinion that the age of miracles has come and gone, then obviously you were not watching the final six minutes of Saturday’s Elite Eight game at the Chase Center between No. 1 Florida Gators and No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders. That the Gators (34-4) pulled out an 84-79 win may not rank up there with feeding the 5,000, but that was more than 2000 years ago.   This is 2025, well past what historians call the age of miracles, but to call Florida’s comeback anything less than a miracle would be a disservice to the Gators who found a way to outscore Texas Tech, 18-4, in the final 2:50 of the game. Things like this don’t happen to ordinary teams.   The Florida Gators (34-4) are no ordinary team. Ordinary teams find ways to fold when they’re down by 10 and seem to have no answers on either end of the court. The Gators simply did what they’ve been doing all season. With their backs to the wall and a season-ending loss seemingly inevitable, they manufactured a victory.   Walter Clayton Jr., who hit all three of his 3-pointers in the final 5:24 and went 13-14 at the foul line called it an “undying belief,” adding “it goes to show how together we all are. Many times we could easily just break, start pointing fingers, blaming each other for this and that but we just stayed together to the end and stayed the course.”   The course looked especially rocky with 6:18 to go when Texas Tech All-American JT Toppin hit a little bank shot that gave the Red Raiders a 71-61 lead. Up to that point, the Gators were AWOL from the 3-point line and struggling to get defensive stops. Making matters worse, the zebra crew of Steven Anderson, James Breeding and Michael Irving seemed content to allow this game to resemble something out of one of those 20-man over-the-top battle royal wrestling matches that the NWA was famous for.   Physical? It was worse than that. Rock fight? Getting close but still not there. And despite all the physicality, blown calls, bad calls or no calls, the Florida Gators never stopped believing.   It was at the under 4-minute media time out with 3:52 remaining that Florida coach Todd Golden surveyed his players in the huddle. There were no signs of doubt, only attentive players ready to hear what was required to pull this game out.   “We were down 9-or-10, whatever it was,” Golden said. “The message was we’ve got to make every winning play down the stretch. Again, our guys – our three seniors – Tommy (Haugh), Condo (Alex Condon), Rube (Rueben Chinyelu) had some good defensive possessions there. I didn’t feel we were without hope. I felt like our guys still felt we still had a shot but understood that we didn’t have that much time. And, we had to make sure we got every block-out and make sure we got every 50-50  ball and obviously step and make big shots.”   Big shots. That’s where Clayton stepped it up with help from Tommy Haugh. Up to the point when Clayton hit his first three of the game with 5:24 left the Gators were 4-19 from the 3-point line. They hit five of their last six.   Clayton would hit two more threes, but so would  Haugh, whose two big shots came on back-to-back Florida possessions. The first one was with 2:50 to go in the game. Clayton missed a three that Haugh outmuscled three Texas Tech defenders for the rebound. Finding Clayton in the corner, Haugh hustled to a spot on the left wing. When the Texas Tech defenders swarmed toward Clayton, the ball came back to Haugh who let fly with a 3-pointer that made it 75-69.   A 6-point deficit seemed much easier to overcome than 10.   When Darrion Williams missed the front end of a one-and-one, Alijah Martin ripped down the rebound, flipped it forward to Clayton who drew the defense toward him as soon as he crossed midcourt. Once again Clayton found Haugh, this time on the right wing. He buried his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 2:27 to go. Florida was down three, 75-72, still plenty of time left, but a game in which the Gators seemed to be ready to roll over and die seemed well within their grasps.   “Leave it to Walt,” Haugh said in a joyous Florida locker room. “I was open, he found me. I just caught it and let it fly. No hesitation at all.”   This was the moment when hope transformed into belief, as in no way the Gators were going to lose this game even though it was a 3-point deficit and there was a full 2:27 to be played.   The Gators fouled JT Toppin with 2:08 to go, but he did what he had done with four previous free throw attempts. He hit the back of the rim on this one and Haugh cleaned things up with the rebound. The Gators were in business again and the moment belonged to Clayton.   Clayton tied the game with 1:47 to go when he buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, shooting over Darrion Williams, a good 3-4 inches taller and at least 30 pounds heavier. Williams is an intimidating presence and to his credit he got a hand in Clayton’s face. To no avail, Clayton drained it to tie the game at 75-75.   On the return trip down the court, Williams muscled his way in for a layup that gave Texas Tech its final lead of the game with 1:23 to go. The Tech faithful screamed for a stop. The only problem was they had no one who could contend with Clayton.   With 59 seconds to go, Clayton’s final 3-pointer of the game had the effect of an 11-inch stiletto straight to the heart, twisted several times for good measure. Like the previous shot, it was highly contested. From the top of the key, Clayton faded away from the defender, launched and put the Gators ahead for good, 78-77.    “ There's not another player in America you would rather have right now than Walter Clayton with the ball in his hands in a big-time moment,” Golden said. There is a reason why he's a first team All-America and the most feared shooter in the country when a game is on the line.   It was time for the defense to make its presence known. Ahead by one, the Gators came through with a held ball. There were still 37.8 seconds left and Tech still had the ball on the alternating possession. Tech went to Williams at the top of the key, but his shot bounced off the rim and 6-2 Alijan Martin ripped down the rebound, taking the ball away from a couple of Texas Tech defenders.   Fouled with 21.9 seconds left, Martin was money from the line, dropping in both shots for a 3-point Florida lead, 80-77. Texas Tech still had hope. Friday night they were in a similar situation against Arkansas in a Sweet 16 game when they beat the buzzer to send the game into overtime. There would be no buzzer beaters or game winners for the Red Raiders. Williams was the last chance but his 3-pointer with 16 seconds to go missed and Rueben Chinyelu grabbed the rebound. Chinyelu was surrounded but the best Texas Tech could do was a held ball. No matter. It was Florida basketball.   On the inbounds play, the ball went to Haugh and back immediately to Clayton, whose two free throws with 10.6 seconds to go put the Gators ahead 82-77. Tech would score an uncontested layup by Chance McMillian with four seconds left to close the gap to 82-77, but on the inbounds, Will Richard was fouled. His two free throws iced a win that sends the Gators to the Final Four for the first time since the 2014 season.   “ It's crazy, I feel like I'm dreaming,” Haugh said. “I was watching the round of 64 in the eighth grade sneaking my phone into science class watching it. Now to say I'm playing in the Final Four is wild. It's wild.” Yes, it is wild, but wild seems to be the calling card of this Florida basketball team through 38 games. When they need a miracle, they seem to find one to dial up. Now, they are two games away from Florida’s third national championship in school history and their first since the back-to-back years of 2006-07. GAME NOTES: Clayton, who scored 30 points to lead all scorers, was named the Most Outstanding Player in the West Regional. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by Haugh, who had 20 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and a steal. Martin had 10 points and seven rebounds. Alex Condon had seven points, seven rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot … Florida’s winning streak was extended to 10 consecutive games. The Gators have won 16 of the last 17 games. The Gators won the game at the foul line where they went 25-27 with Clayton going 13-14 and both Haugh and Martin 4-4. Texas Tech on the other hand went 7-13 ... The Gators finished 9-24 from the 3-point line. After a 6-7 start from the 3-point line, Texas Tech went 4-20 the rest of the way.

In three years Todd Golden has turned UF basketball into a national power (Photo by Chris Spears) It was March 18, 2022, just five days after Mike White had stunned the Gator Nation by taking the job at Georgia. Florida fans weren’t exactly unhappy that White was leaving, but the fact that it was Georgia made this a less than amicable divorce.   Everybody agreed that White is a good, likeable man, but likeable and what is perceived as capable are two different things. Florida fans are spoiled by the past success of Billy Donovan. Mike White won more games than he lost, had success on the recruiting trail and even made the Elite Eight in 2017. Had center John Egbunu not suffered a torn ACL, the Gators might have made the Final Four and the trajectory of White’s career could have changed dramatically.   He never replicated the 2017 success and while Florida fans grew weary of good but not great, White and his family also grew weary of fans expectations. So he left, just three days after the Gators lost in overtime to Texas A&M in the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Tampa.     Five days later, athletic director Scott Stricklin hired 36-year-old Todd Golden from San Francisco. Golden had only three years of head coaching experience so many of those same fans pissed off that Mike White left for Georgia wondered out loud if Stricklin was out too far over his skis.   Obviously, Stricklin made the right hire because Todd Golden has the Gators going to the Final Four where they will face Auburn in San Antonio on Saturday (6:09 p.m., CBS). The Golden hire stands as the single most important accomplishment of Stricklin’s Florida tenure.   Nine months after Stricklin hired Golden to replace Mike White, Dan Mullen was fired as football coach. In a very similar whirlwind manner, Stricklin hired Billy Napier, the head coach at Louisiana. Think of the similarities of the two hires. Golden was three years the head coach at a West Coast Conference school. Napier was four years the football coach at a Sun Belt Conference school. Golden was a Bruce Pearl assistant during the same time that Napier was a Nick Saban assistant at Alabama.   That’s where the similarities end. Golden has the Gators in the hunt for a national championship in three years on the job. He has the Florida program structured in such a way that championship success can be sustained. Golden is likeable and approachable. His offenses are wide open and entertaining. He is a media darling.   Although Florida football is trending in the right direction, Napier has only one winning season in three years on the Florida job. Even with another monster of a schedule, Napier has the Gators expected to win eight or nine regular season games in 2025. He has an electric, charismatic quarterback in DJ Lagway and good recruiting has brought in excellent skill people to make Lagway’s job easier.   As good as Lagway is, however, it would be a shocker if the Gators are in the hunt for an SEC championship plus earn an at-large berth in the College Football Playoff. He’s going to need a great season because whether or not Golden brings home a national championship, he’s already accomplished more than Napier.     From a personality standpoint, Golden comes across fun and approachable. Napier comes across as an old school kind of coach who seems cool and aloof. Gator fans are in love with their basketball coach. They’re still trying to figure out the football coach. They would like to embrace him but don’t seem to know how to do it.   If Todd Golden wins a national championship in seven days, he could probably run for governor and win. He has Florida poised for greatness and at 39 years old, long term success seems inevitable. It’s not difficult to see championships and deep runs in the NCAA Tournament in his future.   Can Billy Napier turn the program into the kind of power that the Gators have become in three years? Comparing football and basketball is like comparing apples and oranges but tell that to a fan base that got spoiled by two football two national titles in three years while at the same time the basketball team went back-to-back.   Todd Golden is the crown jewel in Scott Stricklin’s tenure as athletic director. That jewel will seem bigger and brighter than ever if the Gators win the national championship in basketball. Stricklin desperately needs Billy Napier to turn the football program into something similarly successful.   COACHING NEWS Villanova: The worst kept secret of the weekend was the hire of Maryland’s Kevin Willard at Nova. In San Francisco at the NCAA West Regional, several people who routinely have inside info to such things, knew Willard was a goner even before the Terps played and lost to Florida in the Sweet 16 round. Willard has been successful everywhere he’s coached. If he can corral the talent in metro Philadelphia then Villanova should do better than it did under Kyle Neptune. Willard’s personality is quirky, which might go against the Villanova grain.   Maryland: One particular insider who works for CBS was quite adamant that the next coach at Maryland will be Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams. The question is why since Maryland is known to have money issues and only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies. Perhaps Williams is more comfortable in a situation where he’s at THE state school and not at one that will always be little brother to big brother Texas. At Maryland, the fertile recruiting grounds of metro DC, Baltimore and the Tidewater area of Virginia would make it easier to land high quality players than in Aggieland.   Texas A&M: If Williams does bolt for Maryland, then who would the Aggies pick up on short notice. They have enough money to make a Godfather offer to someone, but who? Some high profile coach might find the challenge of the Southeastern Conference exhilarating. Then again, many more of the high profile persuasion might think it’s a whole lot easier to win big right where they are. Now, if the Aggies want to get under the skin of the Longhorns they should make it impossible for Ole Miss coach Chris Beard to say no. Beard got run off by Texas, but he’s been basking in success at Ole Miss while Texas has floundered. Another coach who might fit the profile would be Clemson’s Brad Brownell. Brownell understands what it’s like to coach at a football first school, but never in Clemson’s wildest dreams has it had Aggie money.   Xavier: When Sean Miller needed a lifeline, Xavier hired him to come coach for a second time at the school. When Texas came calling, Miller bolted. The new coach is Little Ricky. Former Florida assistant and New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino left the Mountain West for the Big East where he will be going head-to-head for recruits and in ball games against his dad. This is a good hire for Xavier.   SEC PLAYERS IN THE PORTAL Georgia: SG Silas Demary Jr. (6-5, 195, JR)   Kentucky: PF Kam Williams (6-8, 190, FR from Tulane) 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)   Mississippi State: SG Martavious Russell (6-3, 190, SO); C Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245, SO; PG Kanye Cleary (5-11, 190, JR)   Missouri: C Jevon Porter (6-11, 235, JR from Loyola Marymount); PF Aidan Shaw (6-9, 210, JR)   Oklahoma: SF Jacolb-Fredson Cole (6-7, 220, FR to McNeese); C Yaya Keita (6-9, 241, JR)     Ole Miss: SG TJ Caldwell (6-4, 190, JR)   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)   Texas: SF Devon Pryor (6-7, 185, SO)   Texas A&M: SF Rob Dockery (6-6, 215, 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)

It took heroes for Florida down the stretch. Florida had them in Haugh, Clayton and Martin.

Denzel Aberdeen drives to the rack against Texas Tech (UAA Photo by Maddie Washburn) SAN FRANCISCO – The game was already trending in Florida’s direction barely three minutes into the second half when things changed once and for all. On consecutive possessions, Rueben Chinyelu nearly ripped the rim off the backboard on dunks, the first after a nice slip pass along the baseline from Alijah Martin, the second on a nifty pass from Walter Clayton Jr.   Florida’s 46-42 lead expanded to 50-42 and Maryland coach Kevin Willard burned a time out. The clock showed 16:22 remaining, but the body language of the Terps said it all. This game was over.   “I think that was a moment where we might have started wearing them down a little bit,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the No. 1 seeded Gators (33-4) advanced to a Saturday West Regional Elite Eight game with Texas Tech (6:09 p.m., TBS) by taking out Maryland 87-71 in a Sweet 16 game at the Chase Center. “We were making them chase us. Again, we were valuing the basketball so we were making them guard for the majority of the shot clock and we were able to get some slips on the pick-and-roll for Rueben. He did a great job catching the ball in tight spaces and dunking it and we were able to keep our foot on the gas that way.”   In the aftermath of those two dunks, the Gators took complete control. Chinyelu made it six straight points when he scored a layup on a pass from Tommy Haugh that gave Florida its first 10-point lead at 52-42. There was a 13-2 run begun on a short jumper by Denzel Aberdeen and a 3-point play by Martin that stretched it out to 74-56 with 7:09 left.   The Gators were clearly starting to look like a team that can win a national championship. Maryland was looking like a team that couldn’t get out of San Francisco fast enough.   In many ways, this game followed a familiar script for the Gators, who won their 27th game of the season by 10 or more points. They endured a sluggish first half, slowed down by way too many turnovers (13) and far too many personal fouls (11) that allowed the Terps to live at the foul line (12-15 in the first half compared to 6-6 for the Gators).   Complicating matters was an ankle injury to Alex Condon, who left the game with at 12:16 remaining in the first half and the Gators leading 15-9. Florida expanded that lead to 20-9 on a 3-pointer by Will Richard and a baby hook by Chinyelu with 10:46 to go in the half.   Condon’s absence had the Gators playing tentatively in the paint at both ends of the court. The Gators turned the ball over eight times in the final 10 minutes plus there was foul trouble for Chinyelu (2 fouls), Haugh (2) and Micah Handlogten (3). Maryland went 10-10 from the foul line in the final 10 minutes of the half. Over that same span, the Gators turned it over eight more times.   The Gators were down, 30-27, when Richard, Clayton and Martin took over the offense for the final 4:54 to put Florida ahead 40-38 at the half. Richard scored on consecutive drives, Clayton went 4-4 from the foul line and Martin nailed a three from the top of the key. Clayton got a steal and passed the ball ahead to Richard for a layup and Florida’s final two points of the half.   Given the uncharacteristic 13 first half turnovers and Maryland’s advantage at the foul line, Florida’s halftime lead was quite surprising.   “We were able to go into halftime with the lead even though we had 13 turnovers in the first half,” Golden said. “Once we got there we were able to recalibrate a little bit and the message was simple: We’ve got to keep defending, obviously continue to stay aggressive on the glass but we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball. If we didn’t do that, we would have put ourselves in jeopardy of going home tonight.”   In the second half, the Gators turned it over only four times of which Maryland converted into five points. Defensively, the Gators went into lock-down mode, holding the Terps to just 11-28 from the field overall and only 2-9 from the 3-point line. Florida outrebounded Maryland 21-10 in the second half.   Condon came back to play in the second half, which provided an emotional lift but in his absence Aberdeen, Haugh and Handlogten give important minutes off the bench. Aberdeen scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. Haugh had eight points, four rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and a steal, finishing the game with 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one blocked shot and two steals. Handlogten had two points, three rebounds and a steal.   Florida’s productivity off the bench proved critical. The Gators had 29 for the game, 22 in the second half. Maryland, which basically goes with a 5-man rotation, had only three for the entire game. Maryland’s two big guys – Julian Reese (12) and Derik Queen (27) – scored a lot of points but with no relief off the bench Florida’s big guys wore them out.   It was the combination of depth and elimination of turnovers that proved the end of Maryland’s road in the Sweet 16. For the Gators, it was just another game in which there was a defining moment when the switches flipped and suddenly the other team was no match. Florida played a below average first half but still had the lead. The Gators broke the game open in the second half by playing at a very high level on both ends of the court.   “We were elite in the second half,” Golden said. “We did a great job of staying aggressive, handling their pressure and their quickness and their length. Our defense stayed consistent. We were awesome on the glass all night, both sides of the ball and we started taking advantage of the opportunities we got in transition. That allowed us to step on the gas a bit and break away from them.”   Slow start, fast finish. By now we should be accustomed to those kind of games from the Gators, who will face Texas Tech, which beat Arkansas 85-83 in overtime to reach Saturday’s Elite Eight game.   “We started slow, not taking care of the ball,” Chinyelu said after scoring 10 to go with eight rebounds. “In order to achieve what we have to, we have to take care of the ball, love the ball because it is precious. Just being able to get back to loving that, and know that, okay, this is my cake. I need to hold it real tight."   Besides Aberdeen, Haugh and Chinyelu, the Gators got double figures scoring from Clayton, Richard and Martin. Clayton, who didn't take a shot in the second half, focused on playmaking in the final 20 minutes. He finished the game with 13 points, one rebound, four assists and a steal. Richard finished with 14 points four rebounds and three assists, while Martin finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.   For the game, the Gators shot an even 50 percent from the field (30-60) and 39.3 percent (11-28) from the 3-point line. The Gators outrebounded Maryland 42-20, which led to a 21-9 advantage on second chance points.   Game notes: This will be the 11th time the Gators have made the Elite Eight game, 10th officially since the 1988 Elite Eight was vacated by the NCAA … This was Florida’s 9th win over a top 25 team this season and the Gators sixth in the month of March … Texas Tech (28-8) made its only Elite Eight in school history in 2019, the same year the Red Raiders advanced to the Final Four … Clayton, Richard and Martin have all scored more than 500 points this season … The Gators have won nine straight games, 15 of their last 16. Florida is averaging 91.3 points per game in the month of March.

Alex Condon (21) wasn't a 5-star recruit but he plays like one (UAA Photo) SAN FRANCISCO – Just because there are no 5-star recruits on the Florida roster doesn’t mean Todd Golden is opposed to signing them. The number of stars assigned by recruiting services isn’t nearly as important to Golden as finding guys who fit the culture he has spent three years carefully constructing.   “In regards to five stars and things like that, we’re going to recruit guys that we feel are good fits for our program,” Golden said Friday afternoon before the Gators got in their final practice session before their Saturday Elite Eight matchup with Texas Tech (6:09 p.m.) with the winner advancing to the Final Four in San Antonio. “It they’re five stars that want to be a part of what we’re doing, great. If not, we’ll continue to find Tommy Haughs and Alex Condons and go get guys that compete their tails off and are really prideful about wearing the Florida jersey and doing it that way and live with the results.”   Haugh and Condon were not highly recruited. Haugh was all set to go to Richmond before Golden became the Florida coach. Haugh changed his commitment to Florida when Golden hired Kevin Hovde off the Richmond staff. Condon was discovered at an NBA Global event. Golden was there to recruit Nigerian Rueben Chinyelu, who signed with Washington State and Kyle Smith, one of Golden’s mentors. It was while scouting Chinyelu that Golden discovered Condon.   Golden was selling opportunity and that was good enough for both Condon and Haugh.   “He [Golden] did promise a level of minutes my freshman year,” Condon said, describing the recruiting process that led him to choose Florida. “I think just the whole coaching staff, how welcoming they were. I think another reason I came to Florida was Coach [Carlin] Hartman and how accepting he was of all the bigs, and just seeing guys like Colin Castleton, who excelled in the program before, helped me make my decision easy.”   Like Condon, Haugh was practically unknown before the Gators signed him.   “We both weren’t heavily recruited out of high school,” Haugh said. “He [Golden] kind of went against the grain and picked us out we’ll always have an appreciation for Coach.”   Credit has to be given to Golden for being an extraordinary evaluator of talent. Both Condon and Haugh got their minutes off the bench as freshmen last season when they backed up Tyrese Samuel and Micah Handlogten. Condon played in all 36 games with one start, the NCAA Tournament game with Colorado after Handlogten fractured his leg in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game. He averaged 7.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while averaging 20.3 minutes per game. Haugh also played in all 36 games. He started twice while averaging 3.9 points, 3.7 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game.   A year later, both have blossomed. Condon, who has been a fixture in the starting lineup all season, missed three games when he suffered a sprained ankle at Mississippi State. He made third team All-SEC averaging 10.9 points and a team high 7.7 rebounds. Haugh, who many believe should have been SEC Sixth Man of the Year, came on strong when Condon was injured, starting five games. His season averages are 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.   Condon and Haugh are unique in that they are two of the best passing big men in the SEC and perhaps the nation. Haugh has 80 assists, third best on the team, while Condon is right behind at 78.   Unselfishness in the Florida program isn’t just about passing the ball to the open man. It is about fitting in with the rest of the team. Denzel Aberdeen was a high school recruit who elected to stick with the Gators when Mike White left for Georgia and Golden was hired. Will Richard transferred in from Belmont. Then came Haugh and Condon and the nucleus of a roster was formed.   After year one, Golden brought in Walter Clayton Jr., who is a consensus first team All-American, from Iona in the transfer portal, and Handlogten, who came to UF after a strong freshman year at Marshall. Also brought in from the portal were Samuel (from Seton Hall) and Zyon Pullin (UC-Riverside), who were outstanding in their one-and-done years before moving on to the NBA. Freshman Kajus Kublickas was signed out of Lithuania.   So, heading into year three, Golden had a 7-player foundation for what has become a team that is three wins away from a national championship. The final pieces to the construction of the team were transfers Alijah Martin (from Florida Atlantic), Chinyelu (from Washington State) and Sam Alexis (from Chattanooga) and freshmen Isaiah Brown (from Orlando Christian Prep), Urban Klavzar (from Slovenia) and Viktor Mikic (from Serbia).   None of these were 5-star recruits out of high school.   Golden differentiates his recruiting style by putting plenty of trust in the players already on his roster. Golden and his assistants always have the final word, but they listen carefully to their players when deciding who they wish to sign.   “If it’s guys who have a lot of equity in our program we’re definitely listening to what they have to say,” Golden said. “With what we’re trying to do at Florida, we’re continuing to try to build a program in a time when it’s really hard to do that with all the moving around and all the transfer legislation.”   When Martin entered the transfer portal, he had plenty of options beside the Gators. Two years ago he was the leader of a Florida Atlantic team that made the Final Four. Martin is all about the winning and doing whatever it takes to help the team. He scores, he rebounds, he passes, he plays defense and that’s in addition to being a forceful presence in the locker room.   Before Martin was signed, Golden paid close attention to what Clayton and Richard had to say.   “When we brought in Alijah last year to visit, Will and Walt, they had a big say in regards to whether he was a good fit,” Golden said. “… Guys who have been in our program a number of years definitely have a say in regards to the guys that we bring in, and obviously we’re going to have the final say as a staff. If we feel there is not going to be good synergy between the newcomers and the guys in the locker room, it’s going to be really hard to make it work, and generally we’re going to pass on those guys.”   Of course, Martin fit in perfectly as did Chinyelu, Alexis and the freshmen. Martin and Chinyelu have been starters all year. Alexis was a key contributor until he suffered a serious ankle injury the same game that Condon went down at Mississippi State. When injuries to Clayton and Martin necessitated going deep to the bench, Klavzar came in and has been a contributor in the rotation ever since.   Perhaps the final ingredient to the Gators making it to the Elite Eight was when Handlogten elected to burn his redshirt. When Condon and Alexis went down, the Gators were left with only two big men. That’s when Handlogten elected to burn his redshirt and become an active contributor on the floor. Already one of the team’s emotional leaders, Handlogten provides defense, rebounding and a measure of experience.   Golden saw the potential in this team back in the summer. He knew he had the talent, but began seeing the newfound toughness brought in by Martin, increased leadership from Richard and Clayton, and the kind of depth that nobody in the country can match. When he saw how unselfish these guys are, he knew he had something special on his hands.   “ The unselfishness is what I keep going back to that I take a lot of pride in and I know our guys take pride in,” Golden said. “Hopefully we can continue to build that on a year-to-year basis. It's obviously not easy, and I'm not naive to think that we don't have a special group this year. I know we do, but we'll continue to work and make sure we try to replicate that moving forward.” Saturday vs. Texas Tech Anticipated starting lineups FLORIDA (33-4): 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) Texas Tech (28-8): Darrion Williams (6-6, 225, JR); JT Toppin (6-9, 225, SO); Kerwin Walton (6-5, 210, SR); Christian Anderson (6-2, 165, FR); Elijah Hawkins (5-11, 160, SR)

The Gators make their first tourney semifinal since 2013.  By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com Gators celebrate one the biggest wins in program history (GatorBait photo) Thursday night as the Gator men were making their march toward the Elite Eight the Florida Women’s Basketball team was making their own mark at the O’Connell Center knocking off the Texas Tech Lady Raiders 67-63 in the quarterfinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT). The win punched the Gators ticket to the tournament semifinals, and it is the first trip for the Gators to a semifinal of any postseason tournament since 2013. That season the Gators reached the semifinals of the Women’s NIT under former coach Amanda Butler. The semifinals will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Monday March 31, with the Finals to follow two days later.    Against Texas Tech the Gators dominated inside with 32 points in the paint including 21 points from senior center Ra’Shaya Kyle who also added 12 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season. Freshman Liv McGill continued her stellar freshman season leading the Gators with 22 points and 6 assists. The win was another bullet point in the tenure of their coach Kelly Rae Finley, who continues to build a program that is on the cusp of national recognition.   In three years as head coach (one as interim), Finley has never had a losing season. She has led the Gators to four consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 2014 and is one of two coaches in program history to compete in a postseason event in each of their first four years as head coach. Finley’s five sec tournament wins is the most by a Gator coach in their first four seasons, and her .555 winning percentage in the SEC is the highest of any coach in program history.   While Finley continues to put her head down and grind despite setbacks, it is the culture within the Hatchcock Basketball Facility that sets this program apart from others. “It’s been really fun and really exciting”, Kyle stated when talking about this season. “I’ve just had a lot of help a lot of everything from everybody in all the years that I’ve been here”. Kyle continued to express how much fun she has had in her final season with the Gators. “This year has been so fun, I mean fun doesn’t describe it, this is the best that we have been together”. While winning is always fun Finley will look to keep the Gators focused on the task at hand, two more wins and an opportunity to raise the first banner in program history. An accomplishment that could be a springboard to an even more successful year next season. “I think what we’ve learned what it takes throughout this season, and I fully expect us to be playing this weekend next year, just in a different tournament”.   Florida caach Kelly Rae Finley, Live McGill, and Ra'Shaya Kyle (GatorBait photo) The Gators will face the Minnesota Lady Gophers in the WBIT seminal Monday March 31 at 5pm on ESPNU. The trip to Indianapolis will be special for Finley, Liv McGill, and Kyle as all hail from the Midwest. Finley and McGill will be facing their home state of Minnesota in the semifinals while Kyle is from nearby Marion, Indiana where her jersey is retired and there is a day named in her honor. All three will be well represented by family and friends in the Hoosier state.

Todd Golden has carefully constructed a team capable of winning a championship (Photo by Chris Spears) San Francisco – Don’t call them cocky because they aren’t. Confident, absolutely, but not so confident they think all you have to do is roll the basketball out there and the other team is going to give up out of fear.   There is an air about the Gators, something we haven’t seen from a Florida basketball team in years. They step on the court with a stomp the life out of the other guys mentality and for the most part, they’ve done it all year. The Gators have won 26 games by 10 or more points.   It’s not by accident. They have been groomed to believe that they each game is a seek and destroy mission by Todd Golden. Golden knows what it was like to be a walk-on at nearby Saint Mary’s. He has come up the hard way through the coaching ranks. Nobody has given him anything and he transfers that lingering I’ll just have to show you mentality to the Gators (32-4), the No. 1 seed in the West Regional who take on the Maryland Terrapins today (7:39 p.m.) at the Chase Center.   This is a well-coached team basketball team that has been carefully constructed both in terms of talent and mental toughness. Yes, the Gators are tough. That was the missing ingredient a year ago when the Gators lost first round NCAA Tournament game to Colorado. That is specifically why Alijah Martin was brought in from the transfer portal. He looks like an NFL linebacker and at times, that’s how he plays the game.   Alijah Martin won’t back down from any challenge. His energy and toughness have carried over to this team that is four wins away from Florida’s first national championship in basketball since the back-to-back years of 2006-07.   We saw it last Sunday in those final ten minutes when the Gators dominated the backboards and started coming up with those 50-50 balls that so eluded them for the first 35. The Gators didn’t just grab rebounds. They ripped them down with such force that it sent a loud and clear message to UConn that there would be no more bullying. If any bullying were to be done it would be done by the Florida Gators.   Want proof? UConn had 13 offensive rebounds in the first 30 minutes of the game. They had one in the last ten minutes.   It is that willingness to fight, scratch and claw their way to wins that separates the Gators from every other team that made the Sweet 16. UConn wanted a rock fight and got one. Anyone else who wants one will get it.   Everybody knows the Gators have depth. That’s no secret to anyone who has watched them play, but what makes them different from every other team no matter which region is the way Golden comes up with winning combinations. There is such a thing as too much depth. Once you get to the lose and you’re through portion of the season where a loss means season over, most teams go with a 7-8 man rotation. Golden goes with nine. It would be 10 except Sam Alexis has been slow coming back from a high ankle sprain suffered in Starkville when the Gators took down Mississippi State. Alexis, who was the best big man defender in the Southern Conference at Chattanooga a year ago, might only be available for emergency duty against Maryland, as in if 20 fouls in the paint aren’t quite enough.   There are other teams with as many big guys as the Gators, but nobody has as many talented bigs and certainly there isn’t a coach who can interchange his big guys without much, if any, dropoff in productivity.   “They [Florida big men] come at you in waves,” UConn coach Danny Hurley said. Hurley has a big team that can muscle up with nearly every team in the country. Against Florida, the Huskies went rebound for rebound with Florida until the Gators wore them down. The offensive rebounds all but disappeared down the stretch.   Tonight against Maryland, the Gators will try to wear down the Terps, who play five guys who average more than 35 minutes each of playing time. It’s tough to compete against a team that always has fresh guys coming off the bench.   On paper it would seem Golden has two distinct choices: (1) Pound it inside and force Maryland’s Derik Queen and Julian Reese to defend Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu,Tommy Haugh, Micah Handlogten and possibly Sam Alexis, all of whom are at least 6-9; (2) Turn the game into a track meet where it’s Florida’s 10 guys vs. Maryland’s five.   On both counts, it would seem the Gators have a distinct advantage. But, there is one slight problem. The game won’t be played on paper but rather the Chase Center court.   Florida advantages can be negated by unfriendly rims, an unfriendly zebra crew or a game which more resembles Latka Gravas solving issues with glubniks. You have to have watched Taxi to understand that one. It’s called showing my age here.   I believe the Gators have all the advantages they need, plus the motivation that comes with outstanding leadership starting with the head coach and trickling on down. Can they put it all together? Can they remember this is one game at a time therefore avoiding the tendency to hear Ray Price’s “San Antonio Rose” softly in the distance like the sirens that young sailors swore they heard luring them to jump ship in the day of wooden vessels with three masts?   If the Gators are focused and able to zero in on the task at hand, I believe their talent and depth will provide all the answers necessary to move on to the Elite Eight matchup against the winner of Arkansas and Texas Tech. The southerner in me believes this is an All-SEC game on Saturday with the Gators ending the Cinderella run of John Calipari. Win or lose to Texas Tech and to whoever makes the Saturday game, Cal has essentially given the finger to Kentucky fans who thought his sell-by date had expired.     Cal can still coach, but so can Todd Golden. Cal is in the Hall of Fame for a reason. Todd Golden is still early in his journey, but there is no question he has figured out how to assemble talent, build a culture and then get the most out of all the pieces, both moving and supportive at his disposal.   This is not to slam former Florida coach Mike White. Mike is a very good basketball coach and a far better human being than he will ever be as a coach. However, he made the mistake of following a legend. Mike wasn’t, isn’t nor ever will be the next Billy Donovan. Since leaving Florida he’s done a remarkable job at Georgia. The Bulldogs no longer chase cars, but instead are figuring out how to deliver painful bites. Mike did well at Florida. He breathed hope in the program in 2017 when the Gators finally were within a bad five minutes at the end of making it to the Final Four. Had John Egbunu not tore an ACL it’s entirely possible the Gators would have won the NCAA title.   We will never know if something like that could have been the catalyst to a long, successful run in which the Gators were everybody’s nightmare opponent. He had some outstanding recruiting classes after that but never was able to rekindle the fire that got the Gators within a whisker of making the Final Four.   That was Mike White’s third year on the job. This is Todd Golden’s third year so it isn’t unfair to compare the two at the same stage of their Florida careers. Golden has the advantage of not having to live down the ghost of Billy Donovan. He also has the advantage of one of the best big man coaches in the country in Carlin Hartman. White never recruited adequate depth in the paint nor were Florida’s bigs particularly well coached. Golden wants a team that is big and fast, one that can overwhelm with waves of big guys with no apparent drop off in productivity.   So the clock counts down until 7:39 Thursday night when the ball goes up and the Gators either take the next step on a run that seems driven by destiny or fall short of the Elite Eight. Florida is favored by 6.5 points and I do believe the Gators are very capable of flipping all the switches for 40 minutes of beast mode basketball. This time of year you expect close calls, but something about this Florida team makes every single game a blowout possibility.   Is this a team of destiny, ready to pillage and plunder anything and anyone that gets in their way? Or are they a team about to run out of gas, one that will be remembered fondly as the team that was the bridge between Mike White’s good but not great years and a future of championships?   The Gator in me says the Gators are the team of destiny, that nothing or nobody can stop them from bringing home the University of Florida’s third national championship and first since the back-to-back years of 2006-07. The practical side of me agrees. I don’t know how many hundred or thousands of games I’ve covered over the years. I do remember the great players and the great coaches who made the championships possible   I think this team has what it takes. I think they are ready to take the next step on their journey to greatness starting tonight.