Absolutely nobody wants to be the next Virginia.   March 16, 2018, a day that will live in infamy among Virginia fans; a day that strikes fear into every No. 1 seeded team in the NCAA Tournament ever since. On that day the University of Maryland at Baltimore Retrievers, the 16th seed left No. 1 seed Virginia lying in the tall grass weeds on the side of the road in the South Regional, 74-54.   It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but then again no No. 1 ever goes into that first game of the NCAA Tournament thinking a lowly No. 16 is capable of bringing their season to an abrubt and most embarrassing end. Coached by Ryan Odom, son of former Wake Forest and South Carolina head coach Dave Odom, the Retrievers shocked the basketball world, becoming the first 16 seed to beat a No. 1. Not just any No. 1 mind you, but the overall No. 1 for the entire 2018 tournament.   Until UMBC pulled it off, everyone rationalized that it would never happen. The way the Retrievers did it by shooting 54 percent from the field against the nation’s top defensive team was a shot across the bow of every future No. 1. You could rationalize a white knuckler decided by a last second shot or a free throw. You don’t rationalize a 20-point bludgeoning and that is exactly what this was. In the second half, UMBC outscored Virginia 53-33 and it could have been worse.   As the 2025 NCAA Tournament kicks off today all eyes will be on Houston and Auburn to see if the impossible happens again. Houston plays Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in a Midwest Regional game in Wichita while Auburn, the overall No. 1 seed, takes on No. 16 Alabama State at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Should Houston and Auburn survive, the attention shifts Friday to Raleigh where Duke faces 16 seed Mount Saint Mary’s in the East Regional and Florida faces No. 16 Norfolk State in the West Regional.   Of these four games, Florida got the toughest draw. Norfolk State is 24-10 while playing a schedule that included Stanford (NIT), Grand Canyon (NCAA), Baylor (NCAA), Alabama State (NCAA), Baylor (NCAA), High Point (NCAA) and Tennessee (NCAA). The Vols were ranked No. 1 at the time and Norfolk State gave them a formidable half before falling, 67-52.   “They’re a good club,” Florida coach Todd Golden said Tuesday. “They’re good at both sides of the ball and effective field-goal percentage. They do a good job of turning teams over. My hope is our size and physicality will wear them down a little bit. At this point, any team that makes the tournament is dangerous and has different aspects and qualities to their team that makes them challenging. Norfolk State won’t be any different that way.”    A year ago as the No. 6 seed, the Gators dropped their opening game in the NCAA Tournament to Colorado, which had to win a play-in game to become a No. 11 seed. The Gators had endured four games in four days at the Southeastern Conference Tournament where they lost in the championship game to Auburn.   This year, both the stakes and expectations for the Gators are much, much higher. All four of the ESPN panelists Sunday predicted Florida would emerge as the national champion in three weeks. The Gators got the fourth No. 1 seed. They also got a tough draw that should have their undivided attention.   Golden knows the importance of a laser focused Florida team. Now that it’s tournament time, it’s sudden death. Unlike the regular season which gives second chances and opportunities to teams that slip on a banana peel, the NCAA Tournament isn’t forgiving. Win and you live to fight another day. Do it six times and you win the national championship. Lose and the season is over.   So, Golden fully expects the Gators to treat Friday’s game at the Lenovo Center like a business trip, treating every small detail as if it is the difference in winning and losing. But it all starts with attitude and respect. Don’t show up in Raleigh thinking that Norfolk State is incapable of giving the Gators a run for the money. Don’t show up thinking it will take anything less than the same kind of effort the Gators used to demolish Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee in consecutive games at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.   “We’re not going to let how ESPN picked us to win affect our mentality going in the first weekend,” Golden said. “We’re certainly not going to let CBS’s thoughts affect the first weekend as well. That’s their job to talk about it, and it’s our job to go out there and do it and be successful.”   CLAYTON HONORED AGAIN Walter Clayton Jr. added two more All-America teams to his list of accolades. Wednesday, the United States Basketball Writers Association and the National Association of Basketball Coaches named Clayton to their All-America first teams. Clayton is a consensus All-American, the first to make first team in University of Florida history.   NABC first team: Johni Broome, Auburn; Walter Clayton Jr., Florida; Cooper Flagg, Duke; Mark Sears, Alabama; Braden Smith, Purdue   NABC second team: Kam Jones, Marquette; Ryan Kalkenbrenner, Creighton; RJ Luis Jr., St. John’s; John Tonje, Wisconsin; JT Toppin, Texas Tech   NABC third team: LJ Cryer, Houston; Eric Dixon, Villanova; PJ Haggerty, Memphis; Chaz Lanier, Tennessee; Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee   USBWA first team: Johni Broome, Auburn; Walter Clayton Jr., Florida; Cooper Flagg, Duke; Mark Sears, Alabama; Braden Smith, Purdue   USBWA second team: PJ Haggerty, Memphis; Kam Jones, Marquette; Ryan Kalkenbrenner, Creighton; RJ Luis Jr., St. John’s; JT Toppin, Texas Tech   USBWA third team: LJ Cryer, Houston; Hunter Dickinson, Kansas; Eric Dixon, Villanova; John Tonje, Wisconsin; Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee   SEC BASKETBALL Wednesday’s game Xavier (22-11) 86, Texas (19-16) 80   Today’s games East Region 9 Georgia (20-12) vs. 8 Gonzaga (25-8); Cleveland   Midwest Region 15 Wofford (19-15) vs. 2 Tennessee (27-7); Lexington   West Region 10 Arkansas (20-13) vs. 7 Kansas (21-12); Providence 11 Drake (30-3) vs. 6 Missouri (22-11); Wichita   South Region 16 Alabama State (20-15) vs. 1 Auburn (28-5); Lexington 13 Yale (22-13) vs. 4 Texas A&M (22-10); Denver   Friday’s games West Region 16 Norfolk State (24-10) vs. 1 FLORIDA (30-4); Raleigh 9 Oklahoma (20-13) vs. 8 UConn (23-10); Raleigh   East Region 9 Baylor (19-14) vs. 8 Mississippi State (22-12); Raleigh 15 Robert Morris (26-8) vs. 2 Alabama (25-8); Cleveland 10 Vanderbilt (20-12) vs. 7 Saint Mary’s (28-5); Cleveland   South Region 11 North Carolina (23-13) vs. 6 Ole Miss (22-11); Milwaukee   Midwest Region 14 Troy (23-10) vs. 3 Kentucky (22-11); Milwaukee

Jake Slaughter, whom the Southeastern Conference football coaches didn’t put on their first, second or third All-SEC teams was the first team All-America center when chosen by the Associated Press. He got a brick with his name on it outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, an honor reserved for Gators who make first team All-America.   Walter Clayton Jr., who made first team All-SEC, wasn’t a unanimous choice by the SEC basketball coaches. Tuesday, the Associated Press named Clayton first team All-America. Prior to the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Clayton was named first team All-America by The Sporting News. The US Basketball Writers Association will release its All-America team at noon today. Expect Clayton to be named to the first team there and other All-America teams that will be announced in the next week or so.   Football players get a brick outside the stadium. Will Walter get one outside the O-Dome? He should, particularly since no other Gator basketball player has made first team All-America.   Asked Tuesday if his leading scorer and team leader would get his own brick, Florida coach Todd Golden answered, “It’s a great question. We’ll think of something unique and creative, but maybe we need to start doing some bricks outside our building.”   Bricks outside the building? A good idea. Inside the O-Dome or any other arena where the 3rd-ranked Gators (30-4) play? Not exactly Walter Clayton Jr.’s forte. He tends to be in range when he steps off the bus. Friday it will be at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina where the Gators, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament West Regional, open play against 16th-seeded Norfolk State (24-10).   Fresh off an MVP performance in the SEC Tournament, Clayton leads the Gators in scoring (17.5 per game) and assists (4.33 per game). He’s averaging 3.8 rebounds per game, has stolen the ball 43 times and blocked 17 shots. Clayton will obviously be a focal point of Norfolk State’s defense Friday and rightfully so, but nine other Gators have scored in double figures this season so Florida is far from a one-man show.   The Gators are third in the nation in scoring (85.4 per game) and they’re coming off an SEC Tournament that they turned into a 3-day track meet, scoring 95 against Missouri, an SEC Tournament record 104 against Alabama, and 86 against Tennessee. The Gators have so many ways to light up opponents. They’re second in the country in fast break points per game (16.62), third in rebounding (42.03).   With the Gators you pick your poison. Led by Clayton the Gators have five legitimate shooters who can light it up from the outside. Will Richard (13.8 per game) and Alijah Martin (14.5) can bomb away from the outside or put it on the deck and drive it to the rack. Focus the defense on the perimeter and the ball goes inside where Alex Condon, Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten have intimidating size and skills. As if that’s not enough, Sam Alexis, who’s been out since February 11 with a high ankle sprain, will be back for the NCAA Tournament. Translate that to 25 fouls in the paint by five quality bigs.   Nobody in the country has that kind of balance and depth, solid reasons why kenpom.com ’s analytics rate the Gators No. 1 in the country in offensive efficiency and 10th in defensive efficiency. The Gators are the only team in the country with two wins over No. 1 ranked teams (Auburn and Tennessee). They are 5-2 against teams ranked in the top 10, 3-0 against teams ranked 11 thought 25. The Gators also had wins over Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Ole Miss, all teams that made the NCAA Tournament that were at one time or another ranked in the nation’s top 25.   Thirty wins against this kind of schedule is why so many experts have declared Florida the team to beat in the NCAA Tournament. Golden has spent the year preaching that the Gators are underdogs who play with a chip on their shoulders. Now that they are one of four No.1 seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament, Golden isn’t going to let the Gators get too full of themselves.   “I understand that if we feel good about ourselves and let our intensity, our focus, slip that it could be done tomorrow,” Golden said. “Our guys are very similar that way. I think they enjoy playing the role of the underdog. They enjoy playing with the chip on their shoulder. They don’t want to be getting all the love. They want to find a way to keep that edge.   “Again, we talked about it yesterday (Monday). For the first time all year we’re starting to get a lot of credit and a lot of respect. All four guys on ESPN’s group picks us to win the national championship. It’s like, ‘Really? Okay.’ We appreciate it but we’re not going to let it slow us down. We’re not going to let it affect us and we’re going to make sure that we handle success the right way.”   Coaches top 25: 1. Duke 31-3; 2. Houston 30-4; 3. FLORIDA 30-4; 4. Auburn 28-5; 5. St. John’s 30-4; 6. Tennessee 27-7; 7. Michigan State 27-6; 8. Alabama 25-8; 9. Texas Tech 25-8; 10. Wisconsin 26-9; 11. Louisville 27-7; 12. Maryland 25-8; 13. Clemson 27-6; 14. Iowa State 24-9; 15. Michigan 25-9; 16. Memphis 29-5; 17. BYU 24-9; 18. Texas A&M 22-10; 19. Saint Mary’s 28-5; 20. Arizona; 22-12; 21. Kentucky 22-11; 22. Purdue 22-11; 23. Gonzaga 25-8; 24. Missouri 22-11; 25. Marquette 23-10 Associated Press top 25: 1. Duke 31-3; 2. Houston 30-4; 3. FLORIDA 30-4; 5. St. John’s 30-4; 6. Tennessee 27-7; 7. Alabama 25-8; 8. Michigan State 27-6; 9. Texas Tech 25-8; 10. Louisville 27-7; 11. Maryland 25-8; 12. Clemson 27-6; 13. Wisconsin 26-9; 14. Michigan 25-9; 15. Iowa State 24-9; 16. Memphis 29-5; 17. BYU 24-9; 18. Kentucky 22-11; 19. Texas A&M 22-10; 20. Saint Mary’s 28-5; 21. Arizona 22-12; 23. Missouri 22-11; 24. Gonzaga 25-8; 25. Oregon 24-9 SEC BASKETBALL No. 7 Alabama (25-8): Grant Nelson won’t be playing against No. 15 seed Robert Morris Friday, but there is optimism that he will be able to play Sunday against the winner of 7-10 Saint Mary’s-Vanderbilt.     Arkansas (20-13): The Hogs play Kansas in a 7-10 matchup in the West. It is a matchup of good friends. Kansas coach Bill Self and Arkansas coach John Calipari were Larry Brown’s assistants when Kansas won the NCAA in 1988 … Freshman stud Boogie Fland will be available for Arkansas.   No. 4 Auburn (28-5): The Tigers won’t have any problems against 16 seed Saint Francis. Game two could be a challenge if Creighton wins and Johni Broome has to hook horns with Ryan Kakbrenner, three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year.   No. 3 FLORIDA (29-5): The Gators get Norfolk State, a team they should obliterate, in the first round. Second round is against the winner of UConn and Oklahoma. UConn is a No. 8 seed trying to become the only team other than UCLA to win three consecutive NCAA titles.   Georgia (22-11): Georgia got hot down the stretch to earn its way into the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Midwest. First game is against No. 8 Gonzaga Thursday night in Wichita. Other than the COVID season of 2020 and the Zags have made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament 15 straight years.   No. 18 Kentucky (22-11): Seeded 3rd in the Midwest, the Wildcats open with 14th-seeded Troy in Milwaukee. The Wildcats have one of the easier paths to the Sweet 16.   Mississippi State (22-12): Seeded 8th in the East, the Bulldogs play No. 9 Baylor in the opening round Friday. Win that and they get Duke, which will be playing 21 miles from its campus in Durham.     No. 23 Missouri (22-11): Many experts believe 11th-seeded Drake (30-3) can spring the upset against 6th-seeded Missouri in a first round game in Wichita. Win that one and Mizzou gets the winner of 3rd-seeded Texas Tech and UNC-Wilmington.   Oklahoma (20-13): Should Oklahoma get by UConn in an 8-9 game in the West in Raleigh Friday, the Sooners will probably play the Gators, who beat them in Gainesville a month ago.   Ole Miss (22-11): The Rebels open Friday in Milwaukee against North Carolina, which blew out San Diego State in an 11th-seeded play-in game Tuesday night in Dayton. Win and the Rebels most like face South 3rd-seed Iowa State in     Texas (19-15): The question of the day for the Longhorns, who have a play-in game tonight with Xavier in Dayton is will Rodney Terry live to coach another year in Austin if he loses? He’s got a $20 million buyout which doesn’t faze Longhorn boosters. Only God has more money than the Longhorns. Boosters want to make a Godfather offer to Billy Donovan.   No. 19 Texas A&M (22-10): The 4th-seeded Aggies face Yale in a South Region matchup in Denver. A year ago, Yale scored an upset win over SEC Tournament champ Auburn in the first round.   Vanderbilt (20-12): Odds are the 10th-seeded Commodores won’t make it to the second round. Their first round matchup in the East Region in Cleveland is against a very difficult No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s.

Todd Golden hoists the SEC Tournament championship trophy (UAA Photo) “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble but we’re doing the best that we can” – from “It’s Hard to be Humble” by Mac Davis Todd Golden wasn’t about to stick his hands in his pocket, shrug his shoulders and with false modesty give aw shucks answers at the Sunday's post game press conference in Nashville. Florida had just beaten Tennessee, 86-77, to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the Gators third win in three days over a ranked opponent, earning the No. 1 seed in the West Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Golden sounded very much like a coach who believes there is no stopping his team if they show up focused and ready to go. “When we’re playing like this, I think we are the best team in America,”  Golden said. You won’t get an argument from Missouri coach Dennis Gates, Alabama coach Nate Oats or Tennessee coach Rick Barnes. All three came up with the same conclusion: the Florida Gators are a legitimate threat to win a national championship. The Gators (30-4) turned Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena into their own personal playground, beating No. 21 Missouri 95-81 Friday night, No. 5 Alabama 104-82 Saturday afternoon and No. 8 Tennessee Sunday. Three wins over three ranked teams by a combined 45 points. There isn’t a team in the country that had a tougher road to a conference championship yet the Gators ran away with their first SEC Tournament title since 2014. Sunday, the Gators made several threats to bust the game wide open, much the way they did Friday and Saturday, but to Tennessee’s credit, the Vols wouldn’t go away. In the end, the Gators had too much size, too much depth and too many shooters. When the game turned into a foul shooting contest, the Gators were practically on radar lock, knocking down 25 of their 28 freebies. Once the Gators got settled into a rhythm early in the game, they played exceptional defense. The Vols hit four of their first eight 3-point attempts. They went 4-18 the rest of the way, largely because the Gators got their defensive rotations in place and began challenging everything beyond the arc. Against Florida’s taller, deeper front line, the Vols managed only 20 points in the paint. For the most part, the Vols were one-and-done each time they had the basketball. Outrebounded by 14 overall (39-25), the Gators held a 15-5 advantage on offensive rebounds. Because the Gators controlled the rebounding, they controlled the pace of the game. Although limited to just 10 fast break points, the Gators played the game faster than the Vols could keep up. It was the kind of win you expect of a team that has been playing like a contender the entire season but particularly the last couple of months. Of Florida’s 17 wins against Southeastern Conference opponents, eight have come against ranked teams and another six against teams that at one time or another have been ranked in the top 25. Todd Golden has been saying the Gators are as good as anyone in the country for weeks now. While it might have sounded boastful back in January, nobody can argue the point these days and times. Think of Golden’s proclamations as warning shots across the bow of both the SEC and nation. “I don’t worry about being humble with this group very much,” Golden said. That might sound like a coach who’s a bit full of himself to some, but as the late, great Dizzy Dean used to say, “It ain’t bragging if you done it.”   The only question heading into the NCAA Tournament is how is it that the Gators aren’t the overall No. 1 seed? Auburn, which lost in the semifinals in Nashville to the same Tennessee team the Gators disposed of Sunday, is the overall No. 1. The Gators beat them on the road when they held down the No. 1 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls. The ACC is so pathetic that Duke won the ACC Tournament without Cooper Flagg. The Blue Devils are the No.2 overall seed even though they played only two ranked teams after December 4. Houston, the No. 3 overall seed? Won the Big 12 but the Cougars also count losses to Auburn and Alabama on their resume. So the Gators are No. 4 and heading West to San Francisco if they get past the first weekend. San Francisco is a mere 2,747 miles away if you’re planning to see the USA in your Chevrolet. Not exactly good for Florida fans, but when it comes to this team, it really doesn’t matter where the Gators are playing. In any venue and any bracket, Florida is the best team in the country. Bar none. With five guards who can go into shooter’s comas with only a nanosecond of notice and five bigs, all of whom are 6-9 or taller, there isn’t a team in the country that can match Florida’s depth. Florida is probably the only team in the country that has had 10 different players score in double figures. The Gators can outrun any team in the country. Just ask Alabama, the nation’s highest scoring team, which was left holding its shorts and gasping for air Saturday. Slow it down, try to make it a half court game and the Gators are all too happy to spot up the shooters or else let the big guys bludgeon opponents into submission. Try to stop the shooters and the bigs have their way. Stop the bigs and run the risk of Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin catching fire. It helps that the Gators have the best college basketball player in America in Walter Clayton Jr. No offense to Johni Broome of Auburn and Cooper Flagg of Duke, both of them enjoying All-America seasons, but Clayton should be the national player of the year. In racking up MVP honors in Nashville, Clayton scored 62 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out 14 assists. He hit 13-26 from the 3-point line, stole the ball six times and even found time to block a shot. Sunday, when the Vols were threatening to completely erase what was once a 13-point lead, Clayton did what first team All-Americans are supposed to do. He hit a pair of free throws with 7:30 left in the game that sort of tapped the brakes on the Tennessee rally. With 6:49 left he nailed a 3-pointer to stretch Florida’s lead to 70-64, probably the single most important shot of the entire game. Once he plunged that stiletto in the hearts of the Vols, it was just a matter of counting down the minutes and seconds until the clock flatlined at all zeroes. For good measure, Clayton made the pass that got a 3-pointer from Tommy Haugh with 4:42 left that made it a 12-point game, 76-64. The icing on the Clayton cake was a pair of free throws with 3:01 left. Clayton’s Sunday battle damage assessment: 22 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. And to think, Clayton made first team All-America and SEC Tournament MVP yet one or more SEC coaches didn’t vote him first team on the All-SEC team. Go figure on that one. Now Clayton didn’t have to do it alone Sunday. Will Richard, who joined Clayton on the All-Tournament team, had 17 points to go with two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alex Condon scored 13, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out an assist and got a steal. Haugh had 11 points, six rebounds and an assist. Alijah Martin had 10 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Denzel Aberdeen’s nine points included a buzzer beater 3-pointer from close to 30 feet out to send the Gators into the halftime locker with a 39-30 lead. Golden sent nine players onto the floor Sunday, eight of whom played at least 16 minutes. It takes a lot of trust to give quality minutes to that many players, but Golden does this every single game. He has the most complete team in the country and Sunday the most complete team played a complete game to win not just any conference, but the SEC, the country's deepest and best league by a wide margin. With an SEC Tournament title in tow, it’s on to the NCAA where there are no mulligans. Win six and the Gators win it all. Lose along the way and the season concludes. “ Our team talent is exceptional, and that's why I think we have a chance to make a deep run,” Golden said. The first step on a quest to go 6-0 starts Friday at 6:50 p.m. in Raleigh against Norfolk State.

Make no mistake, winning is fun no matter when or where, and it is a boon for a program.

Micah Handlogten (3) blocks Mark Sears' shot (UAA Photo) In the first minute of the second half Saturday in Nashville, the Florida Gators threw up four SCUDs, came down with three offensive rebounds and missed two free throws. The Gators were leading Alabama by just two points at the time, so each clank of the rim was greeted by collective moans. Florida fans couldn’t believe the Gators couldn’t put the ball in the basket. Alabama fans couldn’t believe the Crimson Tide couldn’t corral a rebound. What neither fan base could comprehend was that 4th-ranked Florida was about to drop the hammer and turn an expected fight to the finish into another blowout win. The rebounding was the dead giveaway. When the Gators are dominating the backboards and getting second or third shots for their teammates, the other team is in trouble. Very deep trouble as it turned out. Once Alabama claimed its first possession of the second half, Chris Youngblood nailed a 3-pointer with 18:46 left in the game for a 48-47 lead. That was the last time Florida trailed the Crimson Tide. Florida answered with an Alijah Martin 3-pointer 15 seconds later. That had the effect of the call to post by the bugler at Churchill Downs. The Gators were off to the races on a 17-2 flurry over the next 5:50 that should have ended any speculation that Florida isn’t deserving of a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. “I think we secured a 1-seed today,” Florida coach Todd Golden said after the Florida’s 104-82 blowout win in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals that left Bama (25-8) belly up, legs stretched to the heavens like dead roaches.   The Gators (29-4) certainly are a No. 1 seed. What they should have secured with two blowout wins in the Southeastern Conference Tournament is the No. 1 seed for the entire NCAA Tournament. For some odd reason, bracketologists Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm have Auburn as the overall No. 1 with Duke and Houston the next two. The NCAA selection committee, which announces the tournament field tonight, might not agree with Mr. Lunardi and Mr. Palm. Auburn has lost three of its last four and lest we forget, lost at home to Florida in a game that wasn’t nearly as close nine points would seem to indicate. Prior to Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship over 13th-ranked Louisville, Duke hadn’t played a ranked team since December 4 when it got a home job win over Auburn at Cameron Indoor Stadium. To put it mildly, the ACC stinks. As for Houston, the Cougars have lost to both Auburn and Alabama. “ We have four losses, 29-4 right now,” Golden said. “We've won I think 11 out of the our last 12 or 10 out of our last 11, something along those lines. I think we have the best collection of high-level wins in college basketball across the board … Our conference schedule is different. We had to play some really good teams on the road, and we didn't get them at home.” The Gators have also had to endure a rash of injuries, the likes of which would have derailed lesser teams. Whether at full strength or having to play quality teams with a patchwork lineup, the Gators have kept on winning because the guys Golden brings off the bench deliver quality minutes. Walter Clayton Jr. (22 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals against Alabama)  went down with an ankle injury at Tennessee that caused him to miss the Vanderbilt game, which the Gators won with Denzel Aberdeen in the starting lineup. Alijah Martin (16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal) missed three games with a hip pointer suffered in the Vandy game. Aberdeen was the starter while Martin recovered. He’s back to being efficient off the bench as he proved against Alabama (11 points, 2 assists, 0 turnovers). Will Richard (16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal) has been playing most of the season on a bad toe that requires injections to keep him on the court. Joining Aberdeen in the front court rotation has been Urban Klavzar (4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), who has played well enough to carve out some playing time every game. Alex Condon (8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot) sprained an ankle that caused him to miss all but 30 seconds on the road at Mississippi State and the next three games. In the same game, Sam Alexis suffered a high ankle sprain that has kept him in recovery ever since. He is expected to be ready to go next week in the NCAA Tournament. Those injuries have increased the playing time of Tommy Haugh (11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot), who should have been SEC Sixth Man of the Year. Micah Handlogten (4 points, 10 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal) missed the first 24 games while recovering from a devastating leg fracture suffered in the SEC Tournament championship game in 2024. He’s been the missing link in the front court rotation since he elected to burn a medical redshirt to get the Gators over the hump. In some respects, the injuries have been a blessing because they forced Golden to give minutes to Haugh, Aberdeen, Klavzar and Handlogten. Their contributions off the bench against Alabama meant no starter played more than 30 minutes. The Gators will enter the NCAA Tournament with the deepest team in the country, five deep in the backcourt, five deep up front. The depth came in handy in the second half against Alabama. “I simply think our depth wore them out in the second half … We were able to get into their bench a little bit,” Golden said. “Our bench stepped up, allowed us to get some rest for our starters. We kept coming in waves in the second half. Thought we did an incredible job wearing them down. That's one of the best teams in America we played today.” Alabama was able to hang with the Gators for a half. Alabama got off to a good start shooting the ball and it took awhile for the Gators to get their legs under them. The Gators shot the ball okay – 18-38 (47.4 percent) overall, 6-15 (40 percent) on 3-pointers – but they gave up 11 second chance points and eight offensive rebounds. The offensive rebounds had plenty to do with the Gators scoring only two fast break points in the first 20 minutes. Florida’s shaky lead ballooned from 47-45 to a max of 24 in the second half. The same Alabama team that scored 99 and blew out Kentucky Friday night couldn’t keep up with the Gators. The depth will be tested today at 1 p.m. when the Gators face Tennessee (27-6) in the SEC Tournament championship game. Saturday, the Vols won a rock fight of a semifinal game with Auburn, 72-67. Both Lunardi and Palm seem to think Tennessee could be the second SEC team as a No. 1 if the Vols can beat the Gators. That is all the more reason why Florida needs to win the tournament for the first time since 2014. The Gators don’t have to take a backseat to anyone after 16 wins in the best conference in the country, perhaps the best conference in history. The SEC is so deep it should get a record 13 teams in the NCAA Tournament, 14 if the selection committee eases Texas in. Whether it’s 13 teams or 14, Florida should be the No. 1 team from the SEC. This is a very special team that is just now starting to play at a peak level. “We have good individual players,” Golden said. “What makes this team special and gives us a chance to play deep into March and hopefully early April is our unselfishness, our willingness to make the extra pass. When it's opportunistic for other guys to take the shots, to move the ball to them. We just have a very mature, unselfish group that way." SEC Bracket Busting No. 5 Alabama (25-8): Joe Lunardi has Alabama No. 2 in the East in Cleveland while Jerry Palm has the Crimson Tide No. 2 in the East in Lexington. Alabama is No. 6 at kenpom.com .   Arkansas (20-13): Lunardi still has Arkansas No. 10 in the Midwest, first game in Lexington. Jerry Palm has the Razorbacks No. 10 in the Midwest in Cleveland. The Razorbacks are No. 40 at kenpom.com .   No. 3 Auburn (28-5): Both Lunardi and Palm have the Tigers No. 1 in the South. Auburn is No. 4 at kenpom.com .   No. 4 FLORIDA (29-4): It’s really strange that Lunardi and Palm have the Gators No. 1 in the West, first game in Raleigh. The Gators are No. 2 at kenpom.com .   Georgia (20-12): Jerry Palm has the Bulldogs No. 9 in the Midwest at Wichita. Georgia is No. 34 at kenpom.com .   No. 15 Kentucky (22-11): Lunardi has the Wildcats No. 3 in the South in Milwaukee while Palm also has them starting in Milwaukee as the No. 3 in the West.   Mississippi State (22-12): Jerry Palm has the Bulldogs No. 7 in the West at Providence while Lunardi has them No. 9 in the East at Raleigh. Mississippi State is No. 32 at kenpom.com .   No. 21 Missouri (22-11): Both Lunardi and Jerry Palm have the Tigers No. 7 in the South. Lunardi has them starting in Cleveland while Palm has them starting in Wichita. Missouri is No. 15 at kenpom.com .   Oklahoma (20-13): Jerry Palm has the Sooners in the East as a No. 9 in Raleigh while Lunardi has them No. 10 in the West in Providence. The Sooners are No. 37 at kenpom.com .   Ole Miss (22-11): Jerry Palm has the Rebels No. 5 in the West at Seattle while Lunardi has them No. 6 in the East in Providence. The Rebels are No. 25 at kenpom.com .   No. 8 Tennessee (27-6): Both Lunardi and Jerry Palm bracket Tennessee at No. 2 in the Midwest, with Lunardi sending them to Lexington and Jerry Palm to Cleveland. The Vols are No. 5 at kenpom.com .   Texas (19-15): The Longhorns are in the first four out for both Lunardi and Jerry Palm. Longhorns are No. 43 at kenpom.com .   No. 14 Texas A&M (22-10): Both Lunardi and Palm have the Aggies No. 4 in the Midwest. Lunardi starts them at Seattle while Palm starts them at Denver. The Aggies are No.17 at kenpom.com .   Vanderbilt (20-12): Jerry Palm has the Commodores starting in Lexington as No. 10 in the East. Lunardi has them in a No. 11 play-in game with the winner going to the Midwest at Milwaukee. The Commodores are No. 50 at kenpom.com .

Alijah Martin slams home an alley-oop dunk (UAA Photo) Friday night in Nashville, the Florida Gators had one of their least memorable games in the last month. The Gators turned the ball over 16 times which Missouri converted into 22 points. Usually one of the best rebounding teams in the country, the Gators gave up 18 offensive rebounds which Missouri converted into 20 second chance points.   And despite these rather critical deficiencies, the 4th-ranked Gators (28-4) walked away with a 95-81 win over Missouri (22-11) in the quarterfinal round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena.   The Gators will play No. 6 Alabama (25-7) in the semifinal round today at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN). In the first semifinal game, No. 1 Auburn (28-4) will face 8th-ranked Tennessee (26-6) at 1 p.m. (ESPN).   “I think an area where we did a poor job was being organized after made baskets,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “We had a couple different guys taking outlets. We weren't getting our spacing right, getting set. We had some careless and uncharacteristic turnovers. We stepped out-of-bounds twice in the corner. Back foot, one-handed passes. Things we generally do a really good job of we just didn't do a good enough job of tonight. ”   The Gators rank among the top teams in the country in rebounding, but for the first 30 minutes, Missouri held the upper hand. It wasn’t until the final 10 minutes when Tommy Haugh and Alex Condon literally took over the paint that the Gators turned what seemed surefire white knuckles into a frenzy of body blows and counter punches that left Missouri in a battered heap.   “We weren’t at our best on the glass today,” Golden said, an understatement if ever there was one. “We were not at our best taking care of the basketball, but we did a lot of great things as well.”   Great teams find ways to compensate when they encounter issues in vital areas. The turnovers and rebounding problems would have done the Gators in if they hadn’t countered by shooting 61.8 percent overall from the field and outscoring Missouri 27-12 from the 3-point line. Missouri, which relies heavily on 3-point shooting, was 4-16.   When Missouri beat the Gators 83-82 at the O-Dome back on January 14, the Tigers went 11-29 from the 3-point line with Caleb Grill hitting 6-10 as part of a 22-point night. Stopping Grill and knockdown shooter Jacob Crews were priority items on Florida’s plan to win.   “ Tonight we obviously made a clear emphasis to try to limit their 3-point shooting, specifically 31, Grill, 35, Crews,” Golden said. “We thought if we limited their attempts that we'd be in really good shape or give ourselves the best chance to win. “We did do that. We held them – I think they were 0-4 combined in the first half. Grill got going in the second half with a couple of big shots. We fouled him on one 3-point attempt. We wanted them to try to beat us inside the 3-point line. A part that did not help us that way was our inability to get rebounds defensively tonight … Limiting their three-point shots definitely gave us the best chance to win tonight, and our guys did a great job of taking that away from them. Although the Gators didn’t dominate Missouri on the backboards the way they did the previous three opponents (Florida had 140 rebounds in wins over Texas A&M, Alabama and Ole Miss), Tommy Haugh and Alex Condon owned the paint and the backboards in the final 10 minutes.     It was those last 10 minutes when the Gators simply overwhelmed Missouri. Up until that point, Missouri had all the momentum and the Gators seemed way out of sorts at both ends of the court. With 10:17 to go the Gators hit rock bottom. It began with a shot clock violation, then 15 seconds later the issue was compounded when Rueben Chinyelu committed his fourth foul to put the Tigers in the one-and-one. The Gators were struggling and Mizzou had a clearcut advantage both offensively and defensively.   Oddly enough, the game turned on a missed free throw. With a chance to whittle Florida’s 70-64 lead down to four, Mizzou’s Peyton Marshall missed the front end of that one-and-one, Condon rebounded and shook off whatever was affecting them.   Just like that, the Gators found their mojo.   It began with an Alijah Martin layup on a pass from Condon. Thirty seconds later Martin rattled the rim with a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Will Richard to put the Gators back in front by 10, 74-64. Missouri called time out to regroup with 9:02 remaining but their confidence was clearly shaken. Although they got back within five at the 7:02 mark, the Gators were just catching fire.   Missouri was running on fumes and had no answers when Condon and Haugh began slicing and dicing up the Tigers on both ends of the floor. Until that point, Missouri had managed to hold its own although undersized. When Condon and Haugh elevated their games, the Tigers didn’t have the size nor the talent to slow down the Gators, who outscored Missouri 20-6 the rest of the way.   This was a good win for the Gators, but every win at the SEC Tournament is a good win, even those that you don’t execute at the highest levels. Three days from now no one will remember the shooting percentages, the rebounding totals or the number of turnovers. Not many will remember the final score, but all wins look like blowouts when it comes to the won-lost records.   Game notes: All-American Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators with 18 points. He also had three rebounds, six assists, blocked shot and two steals … Will Richard had 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal while Alijah Martin had 17 points, two rebounds and three assists ... Haugh had 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal … Condon had nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots.   SEC Basketball Friday quarterfinals No. 3 Auburn (28-4) 62, Ole Miss (22-11) 57 No. 8 Tennessee (26-6) 83, Texas (19-15) 72 No. 4 FLORIDA (28-4) 95, No. 22 Missouri (22-11) 81 No. 6 Alabama (25-7) 99, No. 15 Kentucky (22-11) 70   Saturday semifinals No. 8 Tennessee (26-6) vs. No. 3 Auburn (28-4), 1 p.m., ESPN No. 6 Alabama (25-7) vs. No. 4 FLORIDA (28-4), 3:30 p.m., ESPN   SEC Bracket Busting No. 6 Alabama (25-7): Alabama made a case that it should be a No. 1 with a blowout win over Kentucky Friday night. Now the Crimson Tide has to face Florida, which has beaten them three straight times dating back to last season. Currently, Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Crimson Tide as No. 2 in the Midwest, playing the first game in Lexington. Jerry Palm of CBS is sending them to Lexington as well, only as No. 2 in the East.   Arkansas (20-13): Both Lunardi and Jerry Palm have Arkansas in the East. Jerry Palm has them No. 10 playing in Lexington, which should send numerous Kentucky fans to the ER complaining of apoplexy. Lunardi has Arkansas a No. 10 in Cleveland.   No. 3 Auburn (28-4): Both Lunardi and Jerry Palm have Auburn as No. 1 in the South, starting NCAA play in Lexington.   No. 4 FLORIDA (28-4): Lunardi and Jerry Palm have the Gators No. 1 in the West, starting NCAA Tournament play in Raleigh.   Georgia (20-12): Lunardi has Georgia going to Wichita as a No. 9 while Jerry Palm has them going to Milwaukee as a No. 10.   No. 15 Kentucky (22-11): Prior to getting blown out by Alabama in the SEC quarterfinals, Lunardi had Kentucky as No. 4 in the South, first game in Denver. Palm placed the Wildcats No. 4 in the Midwest, first game in Providence.   Mississippi State (22-12): Jerry Palm has the Bulldogs No. 9 in the East in Milwaukee. Lunardi has them No. 9 in the East opening in Raleigh.   No. 22 Missouri (22-11): Jerry Palm has the Tigers No. 6 in the South, their first game in Providence. Lunardi has them No. 7 in the South playing in Providence.   Oklahoma (20-13): The Sooners’ first NCAA game will be in Raleigh as a No. 9 seed per Jerry Palm. Lunardi has them a No. 10 in the West, first game in Cleveland.   Ole Miss (22-11): Two wins in Nashville elevated Ole Miss to No. 6 in the Midwest for Lunardi, opening in Milwaukee. Jerry Palm has the Rebels on his No. 5 in the West starting in Denver.   No. 8 Tennessee (26-6): The Vols are on the No. 2 line for both Lunardi and Jerry Palm. Lunardi has them in the East opening in Cleveland. Jerry Palm has them No. 2 in the Midwest, first game also in Cleveland.   Texas (19-15): The Longhorns are squarely on the bubble after losing to Tennessee in the SEC quarterfinals. Lunardi has them the first team out and Jerry Palm has them No. 4 in his first four out.   No. 14 Texas A&M (22-10): Lunardi dropped the Aggies down to No. 4 in the Midwest, first game in Denver. Jerry Palm has them in Denver, but as a No. 3.   Vanderbilt (20-12): The Commodores are in danger of getting bumped if there are some upsets today and tomorrow. Currently Jerry Palm has the Commodores No. 10 in the West, first game in Wichita while Lunardi has dropped them down to No. 11 in the East, first game in Providence.

Todd Golden and the Gators hope to go on a 9-0 run starting tonight (Photo by Chris Spears) ——— Make your official GatorBait picks and earn money in our brackets with Ernie.com . Cash prizes. ——— From a purely mathematical standpoint, the odds don’t favor the Florida Gators winning the NCAA championship.   “Even the best team in America has a less than 10 percent chance to win it going into the tournament,” Florida coach Todd Golden said Wednesday before the Gators left for Nashville to play in the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville. “That’s just the math behind it.”   The math doesn’t begin to tell how difficult it is to be the last team standing when “One Shining Moment” is played, officially bringing the college basketball season to conclusion. Just getting to the championship game is a feat. The pressure is enormous. Win and advance. Lose and the season comes crashing to a halt. Way too often the team with the most talent and the best record succumbs to the pressure, eliminated from the 3-weekend chase for a championship.   As Golden alluded, the math says the best team has just a one in ten chance. Golden has reason to believe this year’s Florida team has what it takes to emerge as the national champ. The Gators are tall, talented and they have serious depth – five guards, five big guys. There isn’t a team in the country with as many quality parts as the Gators.   “I think we can win a national championship,” Golden said while admitting “It’s definitely not going to be easy.”   Because they have a 2-day bye in the SEC Tournament, the 4th-ranked Gators play for the first time tonight (7 p.m., SEC Network) against Missouri (22-10). Back on January 14, the Tigers built a 19-point lead in the first half then held on for dear life as Florida rallied furiously only to fall, 83-82. Beat Missouri and the Gators advance.   Lose and they get a mulligan.   A loss at the SEC Tournament might cost the Gators a No. 1 seed, but it won’t derail the championship aspirations. Win all three games at the SEC Tournament and the Gators could wind up as the No. 1 overall seed. However, once in the NCAA Tournament there are no more do overs. Lose in Nashville and you play again. Lose in the NCAA Tournament and the curtain comes crashing down on the season.   Win six games after Nashville and you’re the national champ.   “Our goal is to win nine in a row, right now,” Golden said. “To be honest, whatever happens in Nashville, we’re not going to let it negatively affect us. If we win three in a row we’ll have positive momentum. But just like Alabama last year, if we lose our first game, our goal of winning a national championship will still be in front of us. Just try to take it day by day, game by game, see what the opportunities are and the variables are, but we are trying to gear up and play realty well this weekend and carry it to next year, as well.”   Anticipated starting lineups No. 4 FLORIDA (27-4): 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)   No. 21 Missouri (22-10): Mark Mitchell (6-9, 230, JR); Josh Gray (7-0, 260, SR); Tamar Bates (6-4, 200, SR); Tony Perkins (6-4, 200, SR); Anthony Robinson (6-3, 180, SO)   SEC BASKETBALL Thursday’s scores Ole Miss (22-10) 83, Arkansas (20-13) 80 Texas (19-14) 94, No. 14 Texas A&M (22-10) 89, 2 OT No. 21 Missouri (22-10) 85, Mississippi State (21-12) 73 No. 15 Kentucky (22-10) 85, Oklahoma (20-13) 84   Friday’s games Ole Miss (22-10) vs. No. 3 Auburn (27-4) Texas (19-14) vs. No. 8 Tennessee (25-6) No. 21 Missouri (22-10) vs. No. 4 FLORIDA (27-4) No. 15 Kentucky (22-10) vs. No. 5 Alabama (24-7)   SEC Bracket Busting No. 5 Alabama (24-7): To get back to the No. 1 line, the Crimson Tide is going to have to win three in a row in Nashville, starting tonight against Kentucky. Alabama is No. 6 at both kenpom.com and the NCAA NET rankings. The Crimson Tide have 10 Quad 1 wins.   Arkansas (20-13): The Razorbacks should have walked away with a win against Ole Miss, but even so they’ll be dancing. They’re No. 39 in the NCAA NET rankings, No. 40 at kenpom.com . Lunardi and Jerry Palm have the Razorbacks on their No. 10 line.   No. 3 Auburn (27-4): Three wins in Nashville could get Auburn back to the overall No. 1 seed. The Tigers have more Quad 1 wins than anybody (15). They’re No. 2 in both the NCAA NET rankings and kenpom.com   No. 4 FLORIDA (27-4): The Gators get their chance to avenge the regular season loss to Mizzou in tonight’s quarterfinals. The Gators are No. 4 at both kenpom.com and the NCAA NET rankings. The Gators are 8-4 against Quad 1 opponents.   Georgia (20-12): The loss to Oklahoma Wednesday night won’t hurt the Bulldogs. They will hear their name called Sunday, probably on either the No. 9 (Lunardi) or No. 10 (Jerry Palm) line. Georgia is a No. 34 in the NCAA NET rankings despite only four Quad 1 wins.   No. 15 Kentucky (22-10): The Wildcats got their 12th Quad 1 win when Otega Oweh beat Oklahoma with his last second shot. The Wildcats are No. 12 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 15 at kenpom.com . Lunardi has the Wildcats at No. 3, while Jerry Palm has them on his No. 4 line.   Mississippi State (21-12): Lunardi has the Bulldogs on the No. 8 line, which is about where they should be. The Bulldogs are 7-10 against Quad 1 opponents. They’re No. 32 in both the NCAA NET rankings and kenpom.com .   No. 15 Missouri (22-10): Lunardi has the Tigers on his No. 7 line, probably because the Tigers have a 6-10 record in Quad 1 games. They are No. 20 in the NCAA NET rankings, No. 17 at kenpom.com .   Oklahoma (20-13): The Sooners lost a last second heartbreaker to Kentucky, but they have a 7-11 Quad 1 record. They are a No. 9 for Jerry Palm, a No. 10 for Joe Lunardi. At No. 43 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 37 kenpom.com , they are solidly in the NCAA Tournament.   Ole Miss (22-10): With its win over Arkansas, Lunardi moved the Rebels up to a No. 5 seed. The Rebels are No. 26 at kenpom.com , No. 27 in the NCAA NET rankings.   No. 8 Tennessee (25-6): The Vols are No. 5 in both the NCAA NET rankings and kenpom. If they win the SEC Tournament, a No. 1 seed isn’t out of the question. Right now, they’re a No. 2 for both Lunardi and Jerry Palm.   Texas (19-14): Lunardi has Texas as his last team in following the double overtime win over the Aggies. Will simply getting in the NCAA Tournament save Rodney Terry’s job? The Longhorns are No. 41 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 44 at kenpom.com .   No. 14 Texas A&M (22-10): Losing to Texas probably means nothing more than a No. 4 seed. The Aggies are No. 17 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 29 at kenpom.com .   Vanderbilt (20-12): Lunardi and Jerry Palm have the Commodores comfortably in. The Commodores are No. 48 in the NCAA NET rankings, No. 47 in kenpom.

The smile of a man who loves going to work, especially when he gets to write basketball. Stay tuned for a way you can join him making your picks and earn money in our brackets with Ernie.com . Cash prizes. March Madness is here, and so is the Ernie Tourney—the first-ever intercollegiate bracket challenge! Think you’ve got the best bracket? Prove it against Bama, Auburn, Georgia, and the entire SEC. The school with the most points takes home the Ernie Cup, and the highest-scoring bracket wins $5,000! Florida fans, this is your shot to show the country who runs the SEC. Don’t let the rivals take the crown—rep your school and bring the Ernie Cup home! Download the Ernie app or go to Ernie.com to enter now!" “All love affairs end. Eventually the girl is gonna put curlers in her hair.” – Al McGuire   Every love affair has a beginning but as my friend, the late, great Al McGuire said, so many come to an abrupt and often frivolous end over something rather trivial. My love affair with the Florida Gators began in 1960 when Ray Graves went for two and the Gators beat Georgia Tech, 18-17. That was my first college football game and it sealed me as a Gator for life. When it comes to the Gators, nothing has ever been cause for divorce.   I love Florida football, but I also love any sport in which the Gators are playing. My favorite team is the Florida Gators and whoever Georgia is playing, no matter the sport. I cheer for the Gators every opportunity. The only reason a Gator should ever cheer for the Georgia Bulldogs is if a Georgia win contributes to Florida winning a championship.   Of all the Florida sports, basketball is my favorite, but then again, it is my favorite sport even if the Gators aren’t playing. As I mentioned before, every love affair has a beginning. My love affair with college basketball began December 11, 1963, the night Dick Tomlinson went into a shooter’s coma to score 44 points, leading the Gators to a 108-75 win over the University of Tampa Spartans. It was my first college basketball game that I had attended in person. I had no clue that Tampa was absolutely terrible and would finish the season 2-24.   All I knew is that the Tampa Spartans had no one capable of contending with Dick Tomlinson, who scored practically at will. I sat on the front row of the east side bleachers at old Florida Gym, dead even with the Florida bench, which was in the north end zone. Above the bench was this overhang where Otis Boggs called the play-by-play for WRUF with a hot microphone as I would learn that picked up some of Norm Sloan’s more colorful outbursts.   Fifteen days later – the day after Christmas – the Gators were playing the Manhattan Jaspers at Florida Gym. Because I had gotten a couple of envelopes with Christmas money, I chose to spend some of it to go to my second college basketball game. I was at the end of the ticket line when this very tall guy came strolling in. I immediately recognized him as Dick Tomlinson so I rushed over to congratulate him and told him how exciting it was for me to see him score 44 in my very first college basketball game.   Some players might have brushed me aside, nodded thanks and walked on. Dick Tomlinson listened then asked if I had a ticket. When I told him I was going to buy one and the reason I was there was to watch him play, he said, “Come with me.” We walked down a hallway to where a man was taking up tickets. Dick looked at him and said, “He’s with me!”   Just like that, I was not only going to see my second college basketball game ever, but the same guy who had scored 44 points two weeks earlier got me in for free. I had money for a second drink, a second hot dog and a ticket for the next night when the Gators played Air Force. I didn’t eat the second hot dog or buy the second drink so I could treat myself the next night when the Gators beat Air Force. Three games. Three wins. My 12-year-old ego told me I was Florida’s good luck charm.   Life was good!   This is where my basketball love affair began. In the 61 years since, I’ve watched the game evolve into something no one could have imagined back in 1963. The players are taller, quicker and more athletic. The game is much more physical. There is such a thing as analytics which drives coaches to make decisions about game situations and personnel matters.   No matter how the game changes, though, the game is still about scoring on one end of the floor, stopping the opponent from putting the ball in the basket down at the other end. That will never change.   I played the game, I coached the game and I have spent endless hours writing about it. As I reflect back on this long love affair with the game, I see how so much of what I have seen and written about is intertwined with my Gator roots.   Norm Sloan was the Florida coach back in the 1960s. His daughter Leslie sat on one side of me in Mr. Hoffman’s math class at Westwood Junior High School. When Mr. Dulaney needed someone to snap the ball for his 12-year-old football team, I taught Mike Sloan how to do it. I had played tackle for Mr. Dulaney the year before when we won the county championship. I was his center because I could snap a spiral as a 13-year-old.   We moved to Mississippi where I got my start writing about sports when I was in the eighth grade at McComb Junior High School. Before we moved back to Gainesville in December of 1967, I was writing about high school and college football. I paused writing because I played on the basketball team coached by the late Bennie Kimble, who would give me rides home. Bennie became a junior college basketball coaching legend in Mississippi. When my dad was transferred back to Gainesville, I played basketball as a GHS junior for Garnie Hatch. Our assistant was Edd Poore, who was a sophomore reserve for the Gators on that 1963-64 team. Coach Hatch left after my junior year to become Gary Colson’s assistant at Pepperdine and Coach Poore became our head coach at GHS. I tore a meniscus in the spring of 1968 so I didn’t play my senior season. Just to show how valuable I was, the Purple Hurricanes won the state championship when Eddie McAshan banked in a 30-foot shot at the end of overtime. Eddie fainted when the horn sounded. We thought he had suffered a heart attack! Fortunately, he just passed out briefly.   Franz getting the scoop from Billy Donovan (Photo by Tim Casey) I saw that game and that shot from mid-court. By that time I was working for Jack Hairston and the Jacksonville Journal. How that happened is another story for another day, but my association with Jack was almost father-son and lasted for more than 40 years.   During my family’s 3-year exile in Mississippi, I went to the Press Maravich basketball camp at LSU, 62 miles southwest of McComb. Press had been the basketball coach at North Carolina State but he went to LSU because he couldn’t get Pete into school at NC State. Press was replaced at NCSU by Norm Sloan, who didn’t want to leave Florida and would have stayed if Coach Graves (also the AD) had given him new carpet for his office. That’s a true story.   When we moved back to Florida in December of 1967 I got to see Pete hang 50 on the Gators, two of which came on a layup that he headed into the basket. Had there been a 3-point shot he would have scored 65 per a computer whiz who has superimposed a 3-point line on the film of every college game Pete ever played.   Three years later, Pete was an Atlanta Hawk. The Hawks held training camp in Savannah where I was writing for the News-Press. One of my close friends was Lou Bello, one of the best referees in the country in his prime. Through Lou I got to be friends with Pete. Lou was Pete’s history teacher at Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh. When the Hawks came to train in Savannah, I covered practice daily and saw Pete make unbelievable passes to Lou Hudson, Walter Bellamy and Julius Erving. Julius was a Hawk for about 10 days until the courts made him go back to the ABA. Through Pete these guys became my friends.   In the summer of 1973, I became the sports editor of the Rocky Mount Telegram in North Carolina. During the 1973-74 college basketball season I covered every game North Carolina State played. Norm Sloan was the coach; David Thompson, Tommy Burleson and Monte Towe the star players. I was center court for the greatest college basketball game ever played, the 1974 ACC Tournament championship game, won by State 103-100 in overtime. Both teams shot 60 percent and yet the defense was phenomenal. There wasn’t a single walking call, 3-second violation or charging call. Two weeks later in Greensboro, North Carolina State beat UCLA in double overtime in the semifinals to end Coach Wooden’s string of seven straight national championships. On Monday night, the Wolfpack beat Al McGuire and Marquette for the national title.   Because Al was a close friend of Jack Hairston, my mentor, I developed a marvelous friendship with him starting at that Final Four. Al was an incredible basketball coach, but a better human being who told stories of going into the heart of some of the worst neighborhoods in America to recruit. Usually when he departed, he had made dozens of new friends, especially the moms of the players he was recruiting.   “If you can’t sit on the side of a bed where four kids sleep that doubles as the sofa and drink from a jelly jar in an apartment that’s in a building where you can smell the urine in overflowing toilets, knowing this is the best they have and they’re offering it to you, how are you going to convince a mom who works three jobs that you’ll take care of her son?” Al asked me.   I understood right then and there why Maurice Lucas’ mom thought Al McGuire was an angel sent from heaven.   Al would send post cards from his vacations. He went solo for 30 days every summer, claiming it was what kept his marriage together. Al signed all his post cards the same way: Seashells, balloons, blue skies and rainbows. Al.   That same year, I was there in Chapel Hill to see the greatest 18 seconds of coaching the world has ever seen. North Carolina was down eight points to Duke at Carmichael Auditorium, 18 seconds remaining. Dean Smith had his team huddled around him and as Mitch Kupchak revealed, “He’s telling us how we’re going to win the game.”   Eight points became six, six became four and four became two.   “He’s grinning during time out and asking us ‘isn’t this fun’ and he was serious,” Kupchak said.   Walter Davis hit this 35-foot bomb as the horn went off to send the game into overtime where Carolina won the game.   Dean was a brilliant coach, a better person and a marvelous friend.   At an AAU tournament in 2009 Charlie Scott, the first black athlete to sign a basketball scholarship at UNC, was there to watch his son Shannon play for an Atlanta-based team. Charlie revered Dean Smith, so much Shannon’s middle name is Dean. Charlie told me how Dean Smith picked him up on a Sunday morning to take him to church. Instead of dropping him off at a predominately black church, they took him to the lily white Baptist church and the two of them walked down the aisle to a prominent pew in the front of the church.   “That told me everything I ever needed to know about Coach Smith,” Charlie said.   During the 1970s, Florida’s basketball coach was John Lotz, who had been Dean Smith’s No. 1 assistant. Coach Lotz’s top assistant was Dick Grubar, a former UNC player. When Dick decided to take a lucrative business offer, he left coaching and that was the beginning of the end for Coach Lotz.   Coach Lotz was succeeded by Norm Sloan, who returned to Florida and took the Gators to their first NCAA Tournament bids. Norm’s top assistant was Monte Towe, who I wrote about so many times in 1974 and again in 1975. Monte, who still lives in Gainesville, is only 5-5 but he was an undefeated high school quarterback and while at North Carolina State made All-ACC as a second baseman for two ACC championship teams.   Lon Kruger was Florida’s basketball coach from 1990-96, taking the Gators to the Final Four in 1994. He left UF for Illinois after the 1995-96 season, disillusioned with recruiting after Vince Carter of Daytona Beach signed with North Carolina. Lon was quoted by friends as saying Florida would never win a national championship because the Gators couldn’t attract national championship caliber players.   Shall we say I was pleasantly amused when the Gators beat Lon and Illinois on their run to the NCAA championship game in 2000?   Billy Donovan succeeded Lon Kruger and for 19 years took the Gators to previously unimagined heights. I was there every step of the way in 2006 and 2007 when the Gators won back-to-back national championships. No one will ever convince me the 2007 team, in particular, wouldn’t have beaten any team of the past three or four decades.   At the 2006 NCAA semifinals in Indianapolis, my press seat was beside Jerry Tarkanian. Tark was almost tearful talking about Florida point guard Taurean Green. Taurean’s dad, Sidney, was a UNLV All-American and one of Tark’s favorites. Tark had tears in his eyes when the Gators beat George Mason that day. Seeing Taurean was like watching one of his grandchildren.   Two nights later, I watched Billy Donovan pull off one of the great coaching feats I’ve ever seen. UCLA was convinced the way to shut down the Florida offense was to neutralize Taurean. So, Billy ran the offense through Joakim Noah instead. Jo was Florida’s point center. Someone forgot to memo Ben Howland that Jo was a point guard before his growth spurt.   A year later in Atlanta the Gators repeated. I remember it well because I got to spend time with the late, great John Thompson, the former Georgetown coach. John Thompson and Dean Smith were like brothers. Coach Thompson is the one who told me that Dean Smith had Alzheimers and warned me that when I approached him, he might not recognize me.   I was prepared for the worst, but instead I got a warm smile, a handshake and “Hi Franz, how have you been doing?” I cherish that moment.   When the Oh-Fours held their farewell press conference a couple of weeks later, I sat in the back with Sidney Green. Big Sid was 6-10 and probably 300 pounds. He put his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him and said, “Don’t you go crying on me Sid!” He replied, “Well, we gonna do it together.”   And we did.   I will go to my grave believing the Gators would have won the 2011 national championship. At the Elite Eight game in New Orleans, Butler coach Brad Stevens jumped all over referee Jamie Luckie. It was 10 feet in front of Marty Cohen and me on press row.   “You’re a better official than that,” Stevens said after a very bad call. Luckie lit him up with a T and then proceeded to make the next several calls in Butler’s favor, turning a double-digit Florida lead into a deficit from which the Gators never recovered.   Zebras do affect games when they get a serious case of the red ass. I am friends with enough referees who have admitted that under the promise that I would never give out their names.   I think I am still the only AAU coach to ever get tossed from a game at the nationals. Put me in the same situation with the same zebra and I would do it again. That was in 1981 when I was trying my hand at coaching. My Florida team finished fourth in the nation and would have won it all if the coach had done a better job. On my team were Tammy Jackson, one of Florida’s greatest women’s players, and Roonie Scovel, another former Gator who won six junior college national titles at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City. Always there with the tools of his trade when there's a story about the Gators to be written. (Chris Spears Photo)   I’ll close this lengthy piece about my love affair with basketball with commentary about the current Gators and Todd Golden. I walked away from his introductory press conference in 2022 thinking this guy had something special about him and I haven’t been disappointed. In his three years on the job, he has rekindled my love affair with the game of basketball.   He has done it by treating his players like men and never letting his ego get in the way of letting his coaches coach and teach the game. I see in him a little bit of Bruce Pearl, his mentor who is like a second father. I see things that remind me of Al McGuire, Dean Smith, Bill Self, John Calipari and some other coaches I’ve been able to call friends. The great ones all have one thing in common which is to treat people with respect and never think you have all the answers because you don’t.   I believe the Gators could win the national championship this year but even if they don’t, I’m going to remember how Todd Golden built a team and then got the most out of them. Years from now, few of us will remember the scores, but we will remember the people who made the scores possible.   I guess that’s why I love basketball so much. I’ve seen so many games I can’t count them all. I remember only a handful of scores but I remember the people I got to write about. The people are what matters, particularly if they are Gators.

Safeties coach Vinny Sunseri preaching discipline and technique with the young group. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Safeties coach Vinny Sunseri (all black) (GatorBait photo) While most of the 2024 season was up and down for the Florida secondary, the last four games saw the young group of defenders play some of their best football under Billy Napier.  While Florida made strides at the cornerback position it was the Florida safeties that made one of the biggest improvements over the last four weeks in 2024. This season, the older, stronger, wiser, and more aggressive group is looking to make a larger impact this season.  Coaching the group is new safeties coach Vinny Sunseri who joins the Gators after three years as a player under Nick Saban and coaching stops at Alabama, the New England Patriots, and Washington. Sunseri brings the experience of coaching under legends Saban and Bill Bellichick to a unit that is primed for a big year. Sunseri is already showing a no nonsense attention to detail and a focus on the little things that can be the difference between wins and losses in the fall. Sunseri inherits a talented group that includes, Jordan Castell, Sharif Denson, Dijon Johnson, Bryce Thornton, and Jamroc Gates. The Gators also added highly touted Lagonza Hayward, and Drake Stubbs in the 2025 recruiting class. While Denson, Johnson, Thornton, and Gates will be limited this spring, Castell is a full participant in practices and Heyward has already caught the eye of the coaches and former Gators who have observed several practices. “Those young guys are getting valuable key reps and that’s important”, Napier stated. Although it is early in spring practice Sunseri seems to have a great relationship with the group and will look to duplicate his success at Washington where he was part of a defense that was fifth in passing defense and eighth in passing efficiency defense.  Florida freshman Longonza Heyward Jr. (GatorBait photo) Other Notes: DJ Lagway continues to be limited in practice on what could be deemed a pitch count. He looks to be moving well and is participating in run play timing and other run offense related drills. Napier stated on Thursday that they have a very detailed plan for Lagway's availability and has been pleased with prospective backup Harrison Bailey in his Lagway's absence. Absent from the defensive line group today were Caleb Banks, Brien Taylor Jr., and D’Antre Robinson. Banks has been sidelined with a foot injury while the status of Robinson and Taylor is unclear as Robinson was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice. Jamari Lyons who missed all of 2024 with a broken ankle is in a non-contact jersey but has been seen participating in individual drills.

Walter Clayton Jr. (1) is the first Gator to make first team All-America (UAA Photo) The chip that Todd Golden has been telling us all year is permanently lodged on the shoulders of the Gators continues to grow thanks, in part, to a boost from the other 15 coaches in the Southeastern Conference.   When the SEC coaches announced their all-conference selections back on Monday, Walter Clayton Jr. made first team and Alex Condon made third team. Nobody made the all-defensive team. Tommy Haugh, who most of the serious observers would say is unequivocally the best off the bench in the conference, was snubbed as the league’s sixth man of the year.   That Alijah Martin, Will Richard and Rueben Chinyelu didn’t make the all-defensive team irked Golden.   “ I’d put Will in there,” Golden said Wednesday before the 4th-ranked Gators departed for Nashville, where they will play the winner of Mississippi State-Missouri in Friday’s SEC Tournament quarterfinals. “I’d put Rueben in there for all-defense. We have the second-best defense in the league, top 10 defense in America and we didn't have one player on the all-defensive team. I think him or Alijah would have been a very easy guy to select. Tommy not being the sixth man is a choice. Obviously, Caleb Grill (Missouri) has had a great year. I think that one was a very competitive honor. You have Grill, you have (Tashaad) Pettiford (Auburn), who’s playing fantastic all year, and Tommy. Honestly, all three of those guys kind of deserved, in my opinion. But, with Alijah and Will not making any of the all-league teams and then Alijah and Rueben not getting on all-defense, I think those are things that our team will definitely use as motivation going into this weekend, and that's how we feel about it.”   In other words, the chip got bigger.   Wednesday, Clayton was named first team All-America by The Sporting News. Surprisingly, he’s the first Gator to ever make first team All-America. It is also surprising that the league’s coaches didn’t make Clayton a unanimous choice for first team All-SEC.   Clayton heaped praise on his teammates for helping him make All-America. When it comes to personal achievement, he’s modest because he’s all about the team. Clayton wasn’t happy, however, that teammates other than Condon didn’t receive any recognition from the SEC coaches.   “I definitely think some of my guys got snubbed,” Clayton said. “You know, I think they were well deserving, especially the performance they’ve been putting on. There’s multiple guys you can name, Tommy, Alijah, Will so I definitely feel like that and I’ve been kind of egging it on a little bit, putting it in their ears. Good luck to everybody.”   The last time the Gators won the Southeastern Conference Tournament was 2014. That year the Gators had a perfect record (18-0) in SEC play, then went 3-0 in Atlanta, defeating Kentucky in the championship game. The Gators made it to the Final Four that season.   The Gators made it to the SEC Tournament championship game in Nashville last season. Golden said the Gators will arrive in Tennessee with a chip on their shoulder, intent on scoring a championship.   “If we're able to go into Nashville and win, it would be an incredible honor, and I think it's something that not only our staff would look back on, but our players,” Golden said. “Our players are really, really motivated to play well in Nashville. I think with some of the all-league teams landing where they did, it provided some really good motivation for our guys to go to Nashville and make a statement.   “I told our guys, we have the opportunity if we go and play well, then we're making the right statement, and if we go there and we don't play well, we have nothing to talk about. So our guys are using this trip and this SEC Tournament as an opportunity to continue to play with the chip on our shoulder."   SEC BASKETBALL Wednesday’s scores Arkansas (20-12) 72, South Carolina (12-20) 68 Texas (18-14) 79, Vanderbilt (20-12) 72 Mississippi State (21-11) 91, LSU (14-18) 62 Oklahoma (20-12) 81, Georgia (20-12) 75   Today’s games Arkansas (20-12) vs. Ole Miss (21-10) Texas (18-14) vs. No. 14 Texas A&M (22-9) Mississippi State (21-11) vs. No. 21 Missouri (21-10) Oklahoma (20-12) vs. No. 15 Kentucky (21-10)   SEC BRACKET WATCH No. 5 Alabama (24-7): Bama still holds out hope of getting a No. 1 seed.   Arkansas (20-12): The Razorbacks are in the NCAA Tournament. They are a very dangerous team for Ole Miss.   No. 3 Auburn (27-4): The Tigers lost their last two. They will be a No. 1 but they need a win or two in Nashville to regain their mojo.   No. 4 FLORIDA (27-4): If the Gators win the SEC Tournament it might be difficult to keep them from the overall No. 1 seed.   Georgia (20-12): The Bulldogs really needed to beat Oklahoma. They’re in the NCAA Tournament but they might drop down to a No. 11 play-in game.   No. 15 Kentucky (21-10): Oklahoma-Kentucky will be like a home game for the Wildcats, who are on the No. 3 line by Lunardi.   Mississippi State (21-11): The Bulldogs are in, but they need another win in Nashville to get some momentum going for the NCAA Tournament.   No. 21 Missouri (21-10): Mizzou’s stock has been dropping like a rock. They need a couple of wins to get back in the 5-6 seeding range.   Oklahoma (20-12): Beating Georgia assured the Sooners that they’ll be in the Big Dance even if they lose to Kentucky today.   Ole Miss (21-10): The Rebels need one or two wins in Nashville to get off the No. 7 line.   Texas (18-14): The Longhorns are in a must-win situation today against the Aggies. Win and there’s a good chance they make the NCAA Tournament. Lose and they’re almost certainly to the NIT.   No. 14 Texas A&M (22-9): The Aggies are on Lunardi’s No. 3 line so they have nothing to fear. Their fans will party until the sun comes up if they can beat Texas today and ensure the Longhorns don’t make the NCAA Tournament.   Vanderbilt (20-12): The Commodores have lost three straight. They’re on the bubble and might be going to the Nobody’s Interested Tournament.   UF SOFTBALL: GATORS TUNE UP FOR TEXAS BY BLANKING UCF Freshman Katelynn Oxley struck out the only hitter she faced with runners on first and second in the top of the seventh to help 3rd-ranked Florida (27-2) preserve a 3-0 win over UCF (19-9-1) Wednesday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.   Kara Hammack (7-0) picked up the win, pitching 6-2/3 shutout innings. She allowed four hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out four before Oxley came on to earn her first career save.   “Kara obviously had her best start for us at home, pitched really well at Houston and then in relief against Texas A&M,” Florida coach Tim Walton said. “That's what she does. We didn't play particularly awesome behind her in a couple circumstances, but she rolled up a double play and we miscued that one and then the ground ball to second. Overall, I thought we played pretty well and she did a really good job. Just set that tempo and went toe to toe for us today.”    Florida’s scoring came via home runs by Kendra Falby and Jocelynn Erickson plus a run-scoring single by Falby. The home run for Falby, who has reached base in all 29 games the Gators have played this season, was her second this season, seventh of her career and the first she’s hit out of the park at KSP.   "It was satisfying because they weren't expecting it,” Falby said of her home run. “I don't think anyone was expecting it, but the coolest part was that it was my first home run out of the park as a Gator at our field. That was really exciting for me because I had an inside-the-park home run here my freshman year, but this was my first over-the-fence. So it was that much cooler.”   The Gators, who host 2nd-ranked Texas this weekend in the biggest softball series in the country, have hit 58 home runs this year. Opponents have hit only six off Florida pitchers.

Colby Shelton rounds first base after his 2-run homer in the seventh against FSU (UAA Photo) With their first Southeastern Conference weekend series looming against 2nd-ranked Tennessee, the 7th-ranked Gators got a serious jolt of confidence Tuesday night when they handed 5th-ranked Florida State its first loss of the season, 7-2, at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.   Following a weekend of total domination against a completely outclassed Harvard team, the Seminoles presented Florida’s biggest challenge of the season. The Harvard series was like shooting fish in a barrel as the Gators went 3-0, outscoring the Crimson, 41-6. Despite a significant step up in the level of competition, the results weren’t all that different. Four Florida pitchers mowed down one Seminole hitter after another. At the plate, Florida hitters pushed across six runs after the fourth inning.   Billy Barlow gave the Gators three shutout innings to start the game. He gave up three hits, struck out two and faced only 11 Seminoles before giving way to freshman Jackson Barberi. In Barberi’s three innings, he gave up a fifth inning home run to Drew Faurot, but that was the only hit the Seminoles managed off him. He walked one and struck out three.   Barberi gave way to Luke McNeillie, who bounced back from a shaky outing against Harvard to strike out four in two hitless innings. Alex Philpott came on to pitch the ninth. He gave up a 1-out home run to Myles Bailey but set down the last two hitters he faced.   The final line on Florida’s four pitchers: 9 innings pitched, six hits allowed, two walks and 10 strikeouts. Barberi got the win, the first of his collegiate career.   “The pitching was really good tonight,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. Jackson Barberi , that was his best outing of the year. Luke McNeillie, who really was sharp, and then Alex hadn't pitched in a while, he was not quite himself tonight, but he'll be better this weekend.”   McNeillie needed a strong outing. He has an electric fast ball but he has struggled to consistently get the ball over the plate. He’s a necessary part of O’Sullivan’s middle inning relief so it was good to see him make quality pitches.   McNeillie walked one batter while throwing 24 strikes among his 33 pitches. He pitched with purpose against the Seminoles.   "Yeah, there was some urgency,” O’Sullivan said. “It really comes down to that and comes down to execution. I thought his stuff against Harvard was good. Fast ball and the breaking ball were good. He just made some mistakes with two strikes and then got a little frustrated with himself, but then tonight was a big night for him. He really threw the ball really good."   The way Florida pitchers were throwing the ball, they didn’t need a lot of support. The Gators pushed across a second inning run for a lead that stood until the fifth when they extended the lead to 4-0.   In the second, Brendan Lawson led off and was hit by a pitch. One out later he moved to second on a bad pickoff throw. Luke Heyman drilled a 2-out single up the middle to bring in Lawson with the first run of the game.   Landon Stripling led off a 3-run fifth with a walk. After a wild pitch and an infield hit by Heyman, Ty Evans hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Heyman moved to second on a wild pitch and came home to score on Justin Nadeau’s double down the right field line. The Gators concluded the scoring in the fifth when Colby Shelton hit a 2-out single to center that drove home Nadeau.   Nadeau and Shelton came through in the seventh as the Gators stretched their lead to 6-1. Nadeau reached on a bunt single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Shelton went opposite field to left for his second home run of the season.   Shelton’s willingness to go opposite field has made him a much more dangerous hitter than last year. He hit 20 home runs in 2024, but he struck out a lot. Shelton has only struck out seven times in 72 at bats so far.   “He's worked awfully hard to use the whole field and certainly tonight was another night that,” O’Sullivan said. “… he's got a countless number of hits the other way, and obviously the home run he hit was one of the furthest balls I've seen hit from a left-handed hitter the other way here, at this stadium."   The Gators loaded up the bases in the eighth on a walk and two hit batters, scoring on a ground out by Bobby Boser.   The Gators are expected to send sophomore righthander Liam Peterson (4-0, 0.86 ERA) to the mound to face Tennessee in the first game of the weekend series Friday night. Freshman Aidan King (3-0, 0.55 ERA) could get the start in game two if Pierce Coppola’s blisters aren’t yet healed.