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Tag: Florida Gators

  • Florida’s Martin gets second chance at a championship

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    SAN ANTONIO, Texas  — Alijah Martin never really liked talking too much about his first Final Four experience because of the heartbreaking way it ended with Florida Atlantic two years ago.

    Now in what will be the graduate transfer guard’s only season with Florida, he will get to play in the national championship game. He has already had an emphatic and electrifying impact for the Gators in this Final Four.

    “This one means a lot. Because something I hadn’t done before was win a semifinal game in an NCAA Tournament,” Martin said Sunday. “And it was kind of a get-back for the FAU team and how we lost.”

    In Florida’s 79-73 national semifinal victory over Southeastern Conference rival and No. 1 overall seed Auburn, the game was tied midway through the second half Saturday night when Martin beat All-American post Johni Broome to a loose ball for a momentum-turning steal and breakaway one-handed slam.

    Martin later added another breakaway rim-rattling dunk, with two Tigers in the air around him. He finished with 17 points.

    “The best thing he does for us is just those momentum plays,” Australian post Alex Condon said.

    “I was in front of him a little bit, I thought he was going to pass the ball,” Gators guard Will Richard said of the second dunk. “Once I saw him loading up, I was like, let me try to clear a little path for him. … We’ve been waiting on him to get a dunk like that all year, so it’s good to see him get it in the Final Four.”

    The Gators (35-4), in their first NCAA title game since back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007, take on Big 12 champion Houston (35-4) on Monday night.

    Martin played the past four seasons at FAU, and was part of the Owls’ unlikely run to the Final Four in 2023. They had a 14-point lead against fellow mid-major San Diego State before Lamont Butler’s buzzer-beating jumper gave the Aztecs a 72-71 semifinal victory. Martin had 26 points and seven rebounds in that game.

    When deciding to go into the transfer portal last year, after coach Dusty May left FAU for Michigan, Martin said he “wanted to go somewhere where I felt wanted and needed.”

    The 6-foot-2 guard from Mississippi got to stay in Florida. While the Gators had the most returning players among his potential options, Martin had an immediate impact for a team that was coming off a first-round NCAA tourney loss.

    “The mentality and the edge that he brought to this team from his first week on campus, I feel like that has risen our level of competitiveness and just the will to win on our team,” Richard said.

    Condon, a sophomore, remembers what Martin was telling the team during conditioning work last summer.

    “He was talking about, you know, you guys don’t know like what it takes to really get to the Final Four and win games in March,” Condon said. “We all kind of took a step back from that. … By the end of it, we had a lot of trust that he really knew what he’s talking about and wasn’t going at anyone really. He was just saying, like, you guys need to trust me and just know what it’s going to take for us to get there.”

    The national championship will be Martin’s 38th game for the Gators, and the 162nd in his college career. His 14.6 points per game trail only All-America guard Walter Clayton Jr. on the team this season. He averages 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

    “Everybody on this team plays a significant role,” Martin said. “So I knew what I was bringing. I knew that I was going to be able to hold guys to a higher standard. and just raise the bar on those expectations.”

    That bar gets no higher than a national title.

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  • Florida advances to NCAA men’s basketball championship

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    SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending the Gators to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.

    The All-America guard for the Gators (35-4) had a driving layup with 2:24 left, on the possession right after Australian big man Alex Condon drew a charge against Johni Broome, the other All-America player in this national semifinal — and who was dealing with an injured right elbow.

    After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament, seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds.

    The Gators will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC’s first title since Kentucky in 2012, the only one since they won in back-to-back seasons. Florida takes an 11-game winning streak into the title championship game in the Alamodome against either Duke or Houston.

    “We’re just all together, on the court and off the court,” Clayton said.

    Even at the end of the first SEC matchup in a Final Four, Clayton chased a loose rebound and tipped it back inbounds to keep the clock running out on the win. When he started to walk back on the court, teammate Alijah Martin was standing watching him at the end line nodding with a smile to greet him.

    The Tigers (32-6), in their second Final Four with coach Bruce Pearl, were the top overall seed and had an eight-point halftime lead.

    “Auburn had us on our heels in the first half but we came out with a great start and we didn’t look back,” said 39-year-old Florida coach Todd Golden, who joined Pearl’s first staff at Auburn in 2014.

    Clayton became the first player with consecutive 30-point games in the Elite Eight and semifinals since Larry Bird for Indiana State in 1979, according to ESPN Stats. Clayton got over 30 with his three-point play with 1:33 left, scoring on a layup while being fouled and adding the free throw.

    Martin, who played in the Final Four with FAU two years ago, added 17 points for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.

    Florida opened the second half with a 13-3 run, with Clayton capping an 11-0 run with a layup after Rueben Chinyelu’s steal. That put the Gators up 51-49 with 15 1/2 minutes left.

    Chad Baker-Mazara, with his left hand partially wrapped because of a thumb issue, led Auburn with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Broome finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds — he had only three points after halftime.

    Even before the final buzzer sounded, Broome was hunched over and then was surrounded by cameras to capture his reaction. He eventually stood up to shake hands, then walked off the court with his eyes red from crying — pulling up his jersey to wipe his face as cameras continued to follow his exit.

    Broome and Baker-Mazara both were injured in the win over Michigan State last Sunday that sent the Tigers to the Final Four. Broome’s right elbow bent awkwardly during a hard fall in the second half, and in the Final Four he wore some kind of brace on his arm covered by a sleeve.

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  • Broome says there’s no pain in elbow, will be ready to face Florida

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    SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Auburn forward Johni Broome returned to practice for the Tigers on Thursday and said he has no pain in his right elbow and “no limitations” ahead of the Tigers’ Final Four matchup with Florida.

    Broome, a unanimous first-team AP All-American, is the Tigers’ leading scorer and emotional leader. Auburn got a major scare when he injured his elbow in the Tigers’ win over Michigan State to get to the Final Four.

    He returned to that game but had been held out of practice until the team arrived in San Antonio.

    “Ready to go. Taking it day by day, but set for Saturday,” Broome said. “No limitations.”

    Broome wore two layers of sleeves on his right arm and said he made sure to test the elbow by pushing and shoving with teammates in game situations. The idea was to “make it mad a little bit” to see how it would respond.

    It went well. Broome said it is having no pain.

    “Coach sat me out for precaution, but Saturday, I’ll be 100%, for sure,” when the Tigers (32-5) face the Gators (34-4).

    “I’m glad he feels that way,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Today was the first day he moved in practice.”

    Broome’s status and pain tolerance for the elbow have been the biggest injury questions of the tournament so far.

    He had 25 points and 14 rebounds against Michigan State but briefly left the game in the second after a hard fall as the elbow bent at an awkward angle.

    Broome stayed down on the court, grimacing and holding his arm. He left the court for a medical check, but returned from the locker room five minutes later to cheers from the Auburn crowd.

    He swished a 3-pointer after he returned but also looked uncomfortable as he grabbed several rebounds with one arm after the injury.

    Broome has fought back from injury before. He missed two games earlier this season with an ankle injury. Auburn won both games against Mississippi State and Georgia.

    Florida is also on pain watch.

    Gators forward Alex Condon, who will likely match up with Broome, said his sore right ankle is “80 to 90% right now” and should be ready to play Saturday.

    Condon rolled his right ankle in the Gators’ Sweet 16 win over Maryland and played just 13 minutes in that game. Two days later, he played 28 minutes and seven points and seven rebounds in Florida’s 84-79 win over Texas Tech to get to the Final Four.

    “I’m just trying to get it right, and you know, not tweak it again,” Condon said.

    At Duke, the Blue Devils (35-3) are hopeful that forward Maliq Brown is healthy enough to contribute when they meet Houston (34-4) in the other semifinal.

    Brown was an important defender for the Blue Devils during much of the season but has been in and out of the lineup since mid-February after a dislocated left shoulder. He missed most of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and the first two games of the NCAA Tournament before returning for just a few minutes in wins over Arizona and Alabama.

    Brown said Thursday his shoulder feels better than last week and he’s been able to do more rehab and practice reps. He was not sure if he’s going to need surgery after the season.

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  • Gators have knack for coming through in crunch time

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Beware: these Gators bite, especially when they feel threatened.

    Florida, which has shown a knack for wearing down opponents all season, has become the ultimate closer in the NCAA Tournament. Late-game rallies against two-time defending national champion UConn in the second round and against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight have the Gators (34-4) believing that no hole is too deep for this gritty group.

    Coach Todd Golden pointed to confidence and maturity as the keys to his team’s penchant for comebacks. He also joked that having All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. on the floor makes a huge difference.

    “It’s our ability to not get too high or too low,” Golden said Tuesday.

    Golden clearly would prefer to have his team get off to a better start when it faces fellow Southeastern Conference foe Auburn (32-5) — the Gators won their first meeting in February — to open the Final Four in San Antonio on Saturday. But he’s seen enough to know there’s no reason to panic if Florida falls behind.

    After all, these Gators have looked fairly harmless for the first 20, 30 or even 35 minutes of games before attacking with a frenzy.

    Just ask UConn or Texas Tech. Or Alabama, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina. The Gators overcame daunting deficits against all of them.

    “Undying belief,” Clayton said. “It goes to show how together we all are. Many times (we) could easily just break, start pointing the finger, blaming each other for this and that. But we just stayed together through the end and stayed the course.”

    None of Florida’s rallies have been as impressive as its latest one. The Gators trailed Texas Tech 71-61 with 5:30 to play when Clayton took over. The senior made three 3-pointers, a layup and two free throws down the stretch. He also dished out two assists by finding Thomas Haugh for open 3s.

    “Instead of letting our emotions get the best of us or pointing fingers, we did a good job staying the course,” Golden said. “Obviously our guys did a good job understanding it’s now or never and made every big play down the stretch.”

    Added Haugh: “When you’ve got guards like these guys, the game’s never over. It’s just wild.”

    Florida ranks second in the country in second-half scoring margin, a clear indication of the team’s coaching/talent/depth combination. The Gators wore down against Alabama and Tennessee in the SEC tournament last month and did the same to the Huskies and Maryland in NCAA play.

    UConn led much of the game until Clayton stepped up in the closing minutes. The Terrapins held tough early — they trailed 40-38 at halftime — before Florida made a few adjustments at the beak and dominated the second half.

    It’s hardly anything new for Golden’s group, either.

    The Gators nearly beat Missouri in mid-January despite trailing by 19. They rallied to shock South Carolina a week later after being down 14 in the second half. Although less dramatic, they did something similar at LSU in late February. Down eight in the second half, Florida flipped a switch and routed the Tigers the rest of the way.

    Golden’s squad nearly pulled off another stunner three days later. After trailing by 26 in the first half, Florida fought back to take a lead at Georgia before Cain Blue hit a dagger 3 with a minute to play.

    “Again, the consistency, the maturity and their belief in each other is a big part of that,” Golden said.

    Golden has spent three years rebuilding Florida, which is in the Final Four for the first time since 2014. He ended up with three senior guards — Clayton, Will Richard and Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin — who comprise the core of the team. Each of them has made plays to spark comebacks, although Richard and Martin have so far taken a backseat to Clayton in the postseason.

    Still, the trio is the main reason these Gators have won 10 in a row and have a shot at a third national title and first since going back-to-back in 2006-07. And all of them have the potential to chomp, especially in crunch time.

    “Guys could just break apart during those moments,” Clayton said. “We all stay the course, stay together. And I think that just goes to show the togetherness of the team, the love we have for each other to get through those tough times.”

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  • No. 1 seed Gators reach Final Four

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    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. rescued top-seeded Florida with two late 3-pointers, and the Gators rallied from nine points down late to reach the Final Four with an 84-79 victory over Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final on Saturday.

    The Gators (34-4) trailed 75-66 with less than three minutes to play before staging a furious rally against the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-9), who had done the same in the Sweet 16 against Arkansas.

    Clayton dribbled out of the paint and hit a fadeaway 3 with 59 seconds left to give Florida a 78-77 lead, and the Gators held on from there to advance to their first Final Four since 2014 in coach Todd Golden’s third season. Florida will face the South Region champion — either Auburn or Michigan State — next Saturday in San Antonio.

    The comeback provided a happy ending to Golden’s return to the Bay Area, where he played in college at Saint Mary’s and got his start as a head coach at San Francisco.

    As the final horn sounded, Golden turned to the Gators fans and demonstrably pumped his fist as his players rushed out to the court to celebrate a victory that looked improbable just a few minutes earlier.

    Clayton, who began his college career at Iona, scored 30 points to lead the Gators. Thomas Haugh added 20 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

    Haugh started the comeback with two 3-pointers. Clayton then tied it with his shot from long range after Texas Tech missed a second straight front end of a one-and-one.

    After Darrius Williams scored down low for Texas Tech, Clayton’s last 3 put Florida ahead to stay, and the Gators sealed it at the foul line.

    Williams missed two 3s late. He had sank the game-tying basket late in regulation and game-winner in the closing seconds of overtime against Arkansas on Thursday night.

    Texas Tech fell just short of its second Final Four trip ever after being on the wrong side of a late-game comeback. The Red Raiders rallied from 13 points in the final five minutes to beat the Razorbacks in the Sweet 16.

    Williams scored 23 points to lead Texas Tech and JT Toppin added 20.

    The game was tight most of the way with neither team able to build a lead bigger than six points for the first 30 minutes as Texas Tech capitalized on turnovers and second-chance points and Florida repeatedly got to the foul line. Clayton got fouled twice on 3-pointers early in the second half, leading to five points on the six foul shots.

    The Red Raiders went on a 12-2 run to go up by 10 but couldn’t hold on late.

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  • Top-seeded Florida runs away from Maryland, 87-71

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    SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Florida’s three standout seniors and its deep bench kept bringing energy until it became too tough for Maryland’s “Crab Five” to keep up.

    Coach Todd Golden could see his Gators wearing the Terrapins down.

    Will Richard scored 15 points, Alijah Martin added 14 points and seven rebounds, and No. 1 seed Florida played a steady second half to run away from fourth-seeded Maryland and into the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final with an 87-71 win Thursday night.

    Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 13 points and four assists as Florida’s senior leaders and their deep supporting cast took down Maryland’s hardworking starters — one of Terrapins coach Kevin Willard’s concerns coming into this matchup.

    “We come in with great energy,” said Florida reserve Denzel Aberdeen, who scored 12 points in 19 minutes. “Just everybody being ready, whoever’s name is called, I think that’s what we did.”

    Freshman sensation Derik Queen scored 27 points to lead Maryland (27-9) in what might have been Willard’s final game guiding the program.

    “I think their bench really wore us down,” Willard said.

    Florida (33-4) advances to play Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s late game at Chase Center between third-seeded Texas Tech and No. 10 seed Arkansas.

    The Gators, in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and seeking the program’s first Final Four berth since 2014, committed 13 of their 17 turnovers in the first half but took better care of the ball over the final 20 minutes. Florida already eliminated two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in the second round and is 10-1 in regional semifinals.

    “The message was simple: We have to take care of the ball,” Golden, the Gators’ third-year coach, said.

    The “Crab Five” — featuring WNBA star Angel Reese’s brother Julian, who had his sister in the stands to cheer — roared back in the first half when it seemed Florida might pull away. Queen, who hit a buzzer-beater in a 72-71 victory Sunday over Colorado State in the second round, shot 8 for 17 and made all 10 of his free throws.

    Clayton, Martin and Richard combined for 42 points and three others scored in double figures for Florida. The senior trio had scored 56 of the Gators’ 77 points in the two-point victory against UConn last Sunday. That sent coach Golden back to the Bay Area, where he played for Saint Mary’s and coached at the University of San Francisco before taking the Florida job.

    Now, they get to extend their stay into the weekend.

    “It’s surreal, to be honest. The thing that I keep kind of going back to, selfishly, personally, I just don’t want it to end,” Golden said. “We have a uniquely tight group. … It’s been an amazing run.”

    What’s next for Willard?

    Willard’s future was unclear as he has been linked to the Villanova job and also publicly expressed concerns last week with the direction of the Terrapins program, calling for “fundamental changes.”

    Fans booed the coach as the team departed its hotel earlier in the day.

    Golden had described the Terrapins as “freaky talented” coming into the game.

    Clayton from deep

    Willard had compared Clayton to Stephen Curry when it comes to shooting off the dribble.

    Clayton had been 22 for 43 from 3-point range — 51.2% — over his five postseason tournament games coming in. He wound up 2 of 6 from deep.

    Takeaways

    Maryland: The Terrapins were outrebounded 5-1 early before Reese’s offensive rebound, putback and three-point play at the 15:21 mark of the first half — and Maryland forced 10 turnovers over the opening 13:30 to get back in the game.

    Florida: The Southeastern Conference Tournament champion Gators used their depth to generate a 29-3 advantage in bench points, with Maryland getting its first bench point with 1:15 to play. … Sophomore forward-center Alex Condon limped off to the locker room with an injury to his troublesome right ankle at the 12:16 mark of the first half and underwent a precautionary X-ray, then returned with 13:29 left.

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  • Golden returns to San Francisco area with No. 1-seeded Gators

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    SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Todd Golden knows he might need to leave NCAA Tournament tickets for a couple of VIPs, his special longtime mentors and former coaches at nearby Saint Mary’s College.

    That’s just how it can work sometimes come March when you’re the youngster and part of a coaching tree with extra-long limbs.

    While Randy Bennett and Kyle Smith were both busy monitoring the transfer portal Wednesday for potential additions to their respective teams — Smith just completed his first season as Stanford’s head coach — Golden got to work preparing top-seeded Florida for a Sweet 16 matchup against Maryland on Thursday night.

    It certainly felt like reunion day at Chase Center. As the Gators took the practice floor, Golden said a quick hello to Smith, who sat along one baseline catching up with Golden’s father, Scott — and former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo stopped to chat them up, too.

    “This is why he is the way he is,” proud dad Scott said, referring to all of those who influenced his son’s cross-country journey from San Francisco to Gainesville. “It’s been beyond surreal, the year they’ve had. This year’s been beyond belief. Hopefully it keeps on going.”

    Golden has provided his players with some glimpses into what his life looked like here. He served as an assistant to Smith at the University of San Francisco before replacing him as head coach in 2019 when Smith took over at Washington State — the step that ultimately led Smith back to the Bay Area and the Stanford job last spring.

    The Gators visited iconic Crissy Field along San Francisco’s waterfront Wednesday morning to see the Golden Gate Bridge in all its splendor.

    After practicing in Golden’s old gym at USF in what he called “a full-circle moment,” they managed to get their large group into Golden’s favorite Original Joe’s in the North Beach neighborhood for dinner Tuesday night. The coach had prime rib because “being here in San Francisco you can’t go wrong.”

    Initially, the restaurant told Golden it couldn’t accommodate his group of about 35 people.

    “It’s been amazing. When the bracket came out and we saw we were the 1 seed in the West and obviously you see that the regionals in San Francisco, you can’t help but think about how awesome it would be to be able to experience that,” Golden said. “But there’s two games before that that you have to find a way to advance.

    “And once we were able to get past UConn on Sunday, it kind of all hit me and (wife) Megan and our family that we’d have a chance to come back to the Bay Area. Just landing in San Francisco yesterday and just kind of driving back through the city, I had to pinch myself a little bit.”

    The Gators (32-4) hope to make it an extended stay by getting through No. 4 seed Maryland (27-8) on Thursday. Florida, which ended UConn’s bid for a third straight NCAA championship in the second round, is seeking its first Final Four berth since 2014.

    Golden even has one of Smith’s former Washington State players starting, Rueben Chinyelu.

    However long this NCAA run lasts, Golden will have huge fans in Bennett and Smith. Seeing the 39-year-old Golden on the big stage brings a smile to Smith’s face. He finds it remarkable that Golden “doesn’t age.”

    Golden recalled Smith constantly challenging him to be tough as a mid-major player in the East Bay suburb of Moraga. They’ve both come so far.

    “It’s awesome,” said Smith, who had dinner with the team Tuesday and never saw a bill. “I think part of why they’re successful and why they’ve been able to get good quickly is because Saint Mary’s is one of the tougher programs in the country and Todd did five years. He had to bring it every day and prove himself.”

     

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  • Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. plays with patience, shoots with confidence

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s practice court is nearly empty. Sweat-soaked jerseys and towels are piled near the doorway. The coaching staff and most of the players are scurrying around the facility as their bus awaits.

    They need to shower, pack and eat before hitting the road for airport and the NCAA Tournament.

    Walter Clayton Jr. is still in the gym. He has two team managers waiting for the last basketball, which will join the others that are already stuffed into an equipment bag and slung over a shoulder.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida will take on Maryland in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night

    • Walter Clayton Jr. hit key 3-pointers late against UConn on Sunday to help ensure the Gators would advance

    • The point guard scored 23 points in the final 8 minutes of that game

    • Coach Todd Golden and his teammates say Clayton Jr. puts in a lot of extra work so he can come through for Florida consistently

    Clayton is in no hurry. It’s reminiscent of the way he plays.

    The All-American guard never panics, rarely presses and usually performs with a subtle smoothness that’s hard to find at the collegiate level. He’s chill personified.

    And he’s no doubt the main reason the top-seeded Gators (32-4) advanced to the Sweet 16, where they will face No. 4 seed Maryland (27-8) in the West Regional on Thursday.

    Clayton scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes Sunday, helping Florida rally to beat two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in Raleigh, N.C. He hit two 3-pointers with defenders in his face that epitomized the best of his skill set: he patiently took advantage of a mismatch against Alex Karaban for the first one, giving the Gators their first lead of the second half, and drained the second one while waiting for a double team to disappear.

    “I’ve hit some big shots in my life,” Clayton said. “Those were probably two of the biggest.”

    Added coach Todd Golden: “He’s a beast. People don’t understand. They’re kind of like, ’Oh, he’s never emotional, looks like he’s not trying.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s because the game comes easy to him.’ I just love it.”

    ‘This guy is legit’

    Clayton also scored 23 in the team’s tournament opener against Norfolk State.

    The 6-foot-2 senior from Lake Wales has now topped 20 points in six of Florida’s past seven games, raising his scoring average to nearly 18 points a game. He’s been better than anyone expected, especially after making the move from shooting guard to the point in his final college season.

    “Everybody was on my (butt) all summer about the point-guard play,” Golden said. “I’m like, ‘This guy is legit.’ Even though he was great for us last year, people didn’t understand how elite of an offensive player he was.”

    It’s a development few saw coming years ago.

    The Sunshine State’s top basketball programs passed on Clayton coming out of high school; Stetson and Florida A&M were the only in-state schools that wanted him. Clayton instead landed at Iona in New Rochelle, N.Y., far from his Florida family and friends and under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.

    Attorney and Florida booster John Frost, whose firm is based in Bartow — where Clayton finished high school — saw something in Clayton that Florida’s Mike White, Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton and Miami’s Jim Larrañaga seemingly missed. Frost invited Golden to dinner shortly after he got the Florida job in 2022 and mentioned Clayton as a player to watch and potentially recruit.

    Having never heard of Clayton, Golden went home that night and looked him up on an analytics website.

    “He had great numbers as a freshman,” Golden said. “A freaking shot-maker.”

    An Easter surprise

    Golden tracked Clayton as a sophomore, and he ended up being named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s player of the year. When Pitino took the St. John’s job, it became clear that Clayton planned to leave Iona, too.

    It came down to following Pitino or returning to his home state to play for Golden and the Gators.

    “We have him on a visit, and we think we’re getting him,” Golden recalled.

    And then Clayton’s mom called crying on Easter morning.

    “She was worried he was going to stay up there at St. John’s,” Golden added. “She wanted him down here, not more than we did, but equal for sure.”

    Golden called the athletic department to secure Florida’s jet, grabbed assistant coach/recruiter Korey McCray and headed to New York to “figure out how we’re going to get this to the finish line.” They met Clayton at a local restaurant only to learn that he had invited Steve Masiello — Pitino’s right-hand man — to dinner.

    Bad news? Bidding war? Golden and McCray kept looking at each other with no idea what was happening. Clayton left the Florida duo in suspense. Then, after some awkward silence — and just before Masiello arrived — he dropped the news.

    “I’m coming to Florida,” Clayton said. “I just want you guys to be able to ask (Masiello) any questions about me that you might have. I’m coming home.”

    Added Golden: “It was a crazy day. I’d say that Easter was very important to the return of Florida basketball.”

    ‘It’s amazing to watch’

    With everyone having left the practice court, Clayton is getting up extra shots. 3-pointers. Free throws. Even a layup or two. The managers wait, then slip the last ball into the bag and hustle it to the bus.

    Clayton takes his time getting ready; the Gators won’t leave town without him. Everyone knows how important he is to Florida’s offense, whether it’s finding teammates on the break, running half-court sets, hitting shots from mid-court logos or taking over in crunch time.

    “What makes him such a great player is his ability to score it from anywhere on the court,” teammate Will Richard said.

    He showed that knack all season, including when the Gators needed it most against UConn.

    “Super clutch, man,” teammate Alijah Martin said. “That’s Walter Clayton Jr. for you right there. He put us on his back — just so proud of him. I see the work he puts in every day. It’s amazing to watch.”

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  • No. 1 seed Florida rallies, survives upset bid by UConn

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. and Florida ended UConn’s pursuit of a third straight national championship, with Clayton burying two key 3-pointers in the final three minutes of a scintillating 77-75 victory for the top-seeded Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

    Clayton, a first-team All-America guard, finished with 23 points as Florida (32-4), one of the favorites for this year’s title, survived a strong challenge from coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies (24-11), who came in with modest expectations as a No. 8 seed but led for most of the second half.

    Florida advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will play Colorado State or Maryland in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco.

    UConn was seeking to become the first team to three-peat since UCLA’s run of seven straight titles from 1967-73.

    The Huskies won the 2023 title in Houston and last year in Glendale, Arizona, joining Duke (1991-92) and Florida (2006-07) as the only schools to win back-to-back since the Bruins’ run under John Wooden.

    Florida entered the game ranked No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency by scoring 128.9 points per 100 possessions, and the Gators of the powerful Southeastern Conference joined fellow 1-seed Duke as the only teams to rank in the top 10 on both sides of the ball, making them a popular pick to cut down the nets.

    But the Huskies’ defense stymied the Gators for most of the game, holding Florida to 35% shooting through the first 30 minutes to build a 52-46 lead.

     

    The Gators chipped away and Clayton came alive. He made a 3 from the right wing with 2:54 left to put Florida ahead 62-61, and teammate Will Richard followed with a steal and dunk. Clayton’s 3 from the same spot with 1:06 left made it 70-64 — part of a 14-3 run that gave Florida an eight-point advantage with 40 seconds left.

    UConn twice fail to corral offensive rebounds off missed Florida free throws down the stretch, leading to points for the Gators. But even when Florida seemed to have the game in hand, UConn kept fighting. Thomas Haugh’s two free throws with 5.9 seconds left pushed the lead to five.

    Hurley watched, arms folded, standing on the sideline as Liam McNeeley’s 3-pointer at the buzzer sailed skyward and dropped through the net as the horn sounded.

    McNeeley led UConn with 22 points, and Alex Karaban scored 14. Alijah Martin contributed 18 points for UConn and Richard had 15.

    Takeaways

    UConn: A major rebuild is in store for the Huskies, who struggled to replace losing four starters to the NBA last season.

    Florida: The Gators took a huge step forward. Coach Todd Golden has resurrected the program in a span of three years, but he had never won a March Madness game before this year.

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  • No. 1 seed Florida rolls past Norfolk State, 95-69

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    RALEIGH, N.C.  — First-team All-American Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points and Florida defeated Norfolk State 95-69 on Friday, ensuring all four No. 1 seeds made it out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament unscathed.

    Alijah Martin added 17 points for the Southeastern Conference champions, who built a 32-point lead in the first half en route to their seventh straight win. This one set up a potential second-round showdown with two-time defending national champion UConn, should the No. 8 seed Huskies get past ninth-seeded Oklahoma.

    Christian Ings scored 16 points and Jaylani Darden added 15 for 16th-seeded Norfolk State (24-11).

    This one was over early as Clayton knocked down a 3 and was fouled for a four-point play, giving the Gators (31-4) a double-digit lead five minutes into the game that they would never relinquish. The lead ballooned to 53-21 with four minutes left in the first half, even as Clayton took an occasional breather on the bench.

    Norfolk State showed some life by closing the first half on an 11-0 run sparked by Ings, but the Spartans never made it close.

    Takeaways

    Norfolk State: Spartans coach Robert Jones was upset Thursday about his team being a 28 1/2-point underdog against the Gators, asking “are we that bad?” His team ended up outscoring Florida over the final 23 minutes to cover the spread.

    Florida: The Gators made 18 of their first 30 shots to end any chances of an upset, dominating the smaller and less talented Spartans.

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  • Central Floridians Clayton Jr., Broome make AP All-America 1st team

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    FLORIDA — Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. and Auburn Tigers forward/center Johni Broome on Tuesday became the first players from their universities to be named first-team selections to The Associated Press men’s college basketball All-America teams.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. and Auburn’s Johni Broome became the first AP All-America first-team picks for their programs

    • Clayton Jr. led Bartow to two Class 6A state championships, and Broome took Tampa Catholic to two 4A semifinals

    • Fellow first-team selection Cooper Flagg of Duke played multiple seasons at Montverde Academy and is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

    • The other two members of the first team are Alabama’s Mark Sears and Purdue’s Braden Smith

    Clayton, who took Bartow to two Class 6A state championships in high school, and Broome, who played two seasons at Plant City High School before transferring to Tampa Catholic and leading that team to the Class 4A semifinals twice, led their college basketball teams this season to No. 1 seedings in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Broome’s Tigers hold the No. 1 overall seeding for the tournament and sit atop the South Region, while the Gators are seeded No. 4 overall and are No. 1 in the West Region.

    The other first-team members are Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who is from Maine but played multiple seasons at Montverde Academy in Lake County; Alabama guard Mark Sears, who was a second-team pick last year, and Purdue guard Braden Smith.

    Clayton averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and recorded 11 games with at least 20 points on a Gators team that captured the Southeastern Conference Tournament title. He helped Florida climb as high as No. 2 in the AP rankings during the season and seeks to help the Gators win a championship.

    “Whatever path, I like my guys,” said Clayton, who started college at Iona. “Me and my guys against whoever.”

    Broome averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and over 2 blocks per game this season.

    Only Broome, a third-team pick a year ago, and Flagg were among the first five on the ballots of all 61 national media members who vote for the weekly AP Top 25. 

    “I’ve proved a lot individually through my career but my main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship,” said Broome, who played two seasons at Morehead State before spending the past three with the Tigers. “When the team shines, everyone shines individually. Coming from where I came from, it means a lot to me.”

    Flagg, who is widely expected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft if he decides to turn pro after the season, averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

    The second and third All-America teams stacked up as follows:

    Second Team

    JT Toppin, Texas Tech out of Dallas, Texas

    Kam Jones, Marquette, out of Cordova, Tenn.

    John Tonje, Wisconsin, from Omaha, Neb.

    PJ Haggerty, Memphis, of Crosby, Texas

    RJ Luis Jr., St. John’s, from Miami

    Third Team

    Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, of St. Louis, Mo.

    Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee, out of Long Island, N.Y.

    Eric Dixon, Villanova, from Willow Grove, Pa.

    LJ Cryer, Houston, of Katy, Texas

    Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, out of Alexandria, Va.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Gators win their 1st SEC Tourney title since 2014

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Todd Golden knows exactly what he expects out of his fourth-ranked Florida Gators.

    “We have a chance to win a national championship,” Golden said as his Gators accepted the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship trophy Sunday.

    Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points as Florida won its fifth SEC Tournament title and first since 2014 Sunday, beating the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers 86-77.

    “I came here because I believed in that vision,” Clayton said of winning titles at Florida. “See it come to fruition, it actually happening, is great.”

    The Gators (30-4) lost in this game a year ago. This time, they showed off their depth going through No. 21 Missouri, No. 5 Alabama and now the Vols. The result is finishing their 12th appearance in this game all-time to add another title to the list that started with three straight between 2005-07.

    “When we are playing like this, I think we are the best team in America,” Golden said.

    Will Richard added 17 points for Florida. Alex Condon had 13, Thomas Haugh 11 and Alijah Martin 10.

    Richard wore one of the nets around his neck talking to reporters, and the senior made clear he doesn’t want his first to be his last. This is just more motivation.

    “Cutting down the nets is a great feeling, but we want to be able to do that in the NCAA Tournament as well,” Richard said.

    Fourth-seeded Tennessee (27-7) goes home still looking for its first title in this event since 2022. The Vols have five SEC championships, but dropped to 1-3 under coach Rick Barnes with this the Vols’ fourth final in the past seven tournaments.

    “We came with the idea we wanted to win this tournament,” Barnes said. “Disappointed that we didn’t. We get to go again next week. Hope that we can survive and keep moving on.”

    Jordan Gainey led the Vols with a career-high 24 points. Zakai Zeigler had 23 and Chaz Lanier added 11 before fouling out.

    “The experience we’ve had, playing the best of the best in this conference is going to help us in March, and that’s the biggest goal,” Tennessee senior Jahmai Mashack said of balancing the disappointment of the loss.

    These teams split during the season with each winning routs defending their home courts. The Vols had enough fans that this felt like a home court. Yet they led only briefly, the last less than two minutes in at 6-5.

    Florida took over from there. The Gators jumped out to a 34-22 lead and took a 39-30 edge into halftime thanks to a buzzer-beating deep 3 from Denzel Aberdeen. Tennessee never got closer than five in the second half.

    Net time

    Clayton also had a net around his neck, and he got to cut down a net at Iona in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference where he was the league player of the year before transferring to Florida. He recalled his first title back in high school where no one was allowed to cut nets for a simple reason.

    “They had games after us,” Clayton said with a big smile.

    Who’s MVP?

    There was some momentary confusion during the postgame ceremony when Richard first was announced as the MVP, then Clayton.

    Takeaways

    Tennessee: Playing this tournament in the Volunteer State doesn’t help the Vols. They are 1-5 all-time in SEC title games in this state. They go home with the last tournament title won in Tennessee back in 1936 in Knoxville.

    Florida: The Gators have played a program-record seven games this season with both teams ranked in the Top 10. They now are 5-2 after going 6-16 before this season.

    Key moment

    Tennessee got within five four times in the second half. After the final time, Clayton’s 3 with 6:48 left started an 11-2 spurt to seal the win.

    Key stat

    The Gators dominated the boards 39-25 and 15-5 on the offensive glass.

    Up next

    No. 1 Florida will play No. 16 Norfolk State on Friday at 6:50 PM

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  • Clayton scores 22 as Florida beats Alabama in SEC semifinal

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points, and No. 4 Florida pulled away from No. 5 Alabama for a 104-82 victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

    Alijah Martin and Will Richard each had 16 points for the Gators (29-4) in their fifth consecutive win.

    Next up for Florida is Sunday’s SEC championship game against No. 8 Tennessee, which beat No. 3 Auburn 70-65 in the first semifinal.

    The second-seeded Gators led the Crimson Tide 47-45 after a first half that featured 10 lead changes. But Clayton and company really turned up their play down the stretch.

    Chris Youngblood had 14 points for third-seeded Alabama (25-8). Clifford Omoruyi and Mouhamed Dioubate each had 12.

    Clayton went 6 for 11 from 3-point range. The senior guard added six assists.

    Takeaways

    Alabama: The loss derailed the Crimson Tide’s hope of winning the program’s third SEC tournament title in the last five seasons. With 10 wins over AP Top 25 opponents this season, a program record for most in a single season, Alabama has a strong case for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.

    Florida: The Gators were impressive in the defensive end, holding the high-scoring Crimson Tide to just 82 points. Entering Saturday, Alabama had scored 90 points or more in 18 games this season, the most in Division I.

    Key moment

    Richard hit a 3-pointer with 9:24 remaining in the second half to give Florida a 21-point lead and put the game out of reach for Alabama.

    Key stat

    After a tightly contested first half, Florida outscored the Crimson Tide 57-37 over the final 20 minutes.

    Up next

    Florida and Tennessee split the two-game season series, with both teams winning on their home courts. The Crimson Tide wait to learn the team’s first opponent in the NCAA tourney.

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  • Florida beats Missouri 95-81 to reach SEC semifinal

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    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr scored 18 points, Will Richard and Alijah Martin added 17 apiece and the No. 4 Florida Gators defeated the No. 21 Missouri Tigers 95-81 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals Friday night.

    The second-seeded Gators (28-4) never trailed and advance to the semifinals on Saturday against either Alabama or Kentucky. Florida shot 62% from the floor, including 38% from 3-point range.

    Tamar Bates scored 16 points to lead the seventh-seeded Tigers (22-11). Bates was Missouri’s high scorer in both of its SEC Tournament games. Anthony Robinson II and Tony Perkins each scored 13.

    Florida began the game with a 10-0 run and held a 50-37 lead at the half.

    Missouri junior and leading scorer Mark Mitchell did not play with coach Dennis Gates electing to hold him out to rest a knee injury and be ready for the NCAA Tournament. Mitchell had seven points in 12 minutes played in Thursday’s victory over tenth-ranked Mississippi St.

    Takeaways

    Missouri: Playing without Mitchell, the Tigers fell behind early and hung fairly closely with Florida but could only draw as close as four in the second half before the Gators put the game out of reach.

    Florida: The Gators lost the only regular season matchup against Missouri 83-82 on Jan. 14 in Gainesville, Florida’s only home loss this season.

    Key moment

    With 9:01 remaining in the second half, Martin gave Florida a 10-point lead on a dunk off of a long pass from Richard.

    Key stat

    Missouri kept the game close largely in part to forcing 16 Florida turnovers and scoring 22 points off of those turnovers.

    Up next

    The Gators play either Alabama or Kentucky in the semifinals Saturday, while the Tigers wait to learn their next opponent on Selection Sunday.

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  • No. 5 Florida wins to strengthen case for No. 1 seed

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points on senior night, Alex Condon notched his second straight double-double and No. 5 Florida beat Mississippi 90-71 in the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday.

    Fellow senior Alijah Martin chipped in 13 points for the Gators, who closed out the regular season by winning nine of 10 and strengthening their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida (27-4, 14-4 Southeastern Conference) already clinched the No. 2 seed in next week’s league tourney.

    Coach Todd Golden’s team put this one away with a 14-0 run early in the second half, turning a three-point game into a lopsided affair. Clayton, Condon and Martin did most of the scoring in the spurt.

    Condon finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Clayton, Martin and Will Richard were honored before their home finale.

    Sean Pedulla led the Rebels (21-10, 10-8) with 22 points.

    Takeaways

    Mississippi: Give coach Chris Beard credit for trying to muck up the game. Beard mixed in zone and press in hopes of affecting Florida’s attack. It worked for a while.

    Florida: The Gators finished 15-1 at home this season and improved to 29-2 in the O’Connell Center over the last two years, creating one of the best home-court advantages in the SEC.

    Key moment

    Richard brought down the house when he was introduced last on senior day. Richard, a transfer from Belmont, was Golden’s first signee at Florida in 2022.

    Key stat

    Clayton extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 53. He hit back-to-back 3s in each half.

    Up next

    Mississippi will be the No. 8 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament and play the South Carolina-Arkansas winner Thursday. Florida has a double bye and will play Friday.

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  • Condon helps No. 5 Florida top No. 7 Alabama 99-94

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    TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alex Condon had 27 points and10 rebounds to lead No. 5 Florida to a 99-94 win over No. 7 Alabama on Wednesday night.

    The Gators (26-4, 13-4 Southeastern Conference) also got 22 points and eight assists from Walter Clayton Jr. Florida strengthened its NCAA Tournament resume with a second road win over a top 10 team, after beating No. 1 Auburn on earlier this season. It’s the first time in program history the Gators have done it twice in one season.

    Mark Sears led Alabama (23-7, 12-5) with 30 points, six rebounds and five assists. Alabama also got 19 points from Labaron Philon, 11 from Clifford Omoruyi and 10 points each from Grant Nelson and Aiden Sherrell.

    Takeaways

    Florida: The win could put the Gators ahead of Tennessee in the race for the final No. 1 seed. Florida entered Wednesday one spot ahead of the Volunteers in the NET rankings that are heavily considered by the selection committee, and put the Gators alone in second place in the SEC.

    Alabama: The Crimson Tide are rarely beaten on the glass, but Florida outrebounded Alabama 50-35, including a 16-10 edge on the offensive end.

    Key moment

    Walter Jr. connected with Condon on two dunks within a minute of each other in the second half; the second one put the Gators up 12 with under eight minutes to go. Alabama was unable to bring the deficit to five points until the final 90 seconds of the game, and never got within a single possession.

    Key stat

    Clayton Jr. and Condon combined for 36 of Florida’s 72 shot attempts from the field and 15 of its 29 free-throw attempts, carrying the Gators offensively.

    Up next

    Alabama finishes the regular season at No. 1 Auburn on Saturday, after the Tigers took just their second loss of conference play at Texas A&M on Tuesday. Florida hosts Ole Miss on Saturday.

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  • Georgia recovers from No. 3 Florida’s comeback for upset win

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    ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia guard Blue Cain sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining after No. 3 Florida took its first lead by scoring 13 unanswered points, and the Bulldogs defeated the Gators 88-83 on Tuesday night.

    Florida, which trailed by 26 points in the first half, rallied from a 78-67 deficit with the 13-0 run to lead 80-78. Cain’s 3-pointer ended the run.

    Georgia (17-11, 5-10 Southeastern Conference) boosted its hopes for its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015. The Bulldogs ended Florida’s 12-game winning streak in the series and gave coach Mike White his first win against his former Florida team. White had been 0-6 against the Gators.

    Will Richard scored a career-high 30 points, but Florida (24-4, 11-4) fell short of pulling off its second comeback in four days. The Gators rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit to beat LSU 79-65 Saturday night.

    Silas Demary Jr. led Georgia with 21 points. Asa Newell had 15.

    Georgia fans obliged repeated requests from the public address announcer to give Florida’s team and officials 90 seconds to leave before charging the court. Fans then flooded the court.

    Takeaways

    Florida: Sophomore forward Alex Condon, who missed four games with a low ankle sprain, scored nine points.

    Georgia: The Bulldogs’ last win over Florida was a 61-55 victory on March 2, 2019. Tyrin Lawrence had 14 points after missing three games with a hamstring injury.

    Key moment

    Thomas Haugh’s layup with 1:28 remaining gave the Gators their first lead at 79-78.

    Key stat

    The Gators’ 15 steals led to a 29-12 advantage in points off turnovers.

    Up next

    Both teams return to action on Saturday night, when Florida plays host to No. 12 Texas A&M and Georgia visits Texas.

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  • ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ to return to University of Florida in March

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida will be hosting ESPN’s pre-game show, “College GameDay,” on March 1, officials announced Saturday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The University of Florida will be hosting ESPN’s pre-game show, “College GameDay,” on March 1

    • The show will take place ahead of the No. 2 Florida Gators men’s basketball team’s game vs. No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies

    • Admission for the event is free, and no tickets are required, university officials said

    • Get additional information on the UF men’s basketball website


    The show will take place ahead of the No. 2 Florida Gators men’s basketball team’s game vs. No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies.

    Admission for the event is free, and no tickets are required, university officials said. Gates at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center will open at 8:30 a.m. for students and 8:45 a.m. for the public. Parking for the show will be first-come, first-served in Lot 25 and Garage 7 located next to the arena.

    March 1 will mark the show’s sixth visit to Gainesville and the Gators’ 10th time playing in the GameDay-featured game. The last time UF hosted the show was in 2017.

    Rece Davis, Andraya Carter, Seth Greenberg, Jay Williams and Pete Thamel will be on site with Jay Bilas joining the show remotely, officials said.

    Get additional information on the UF men’s basketball website.

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  • No. 2 Florida steamrolls Oklahoma 85-63

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Walter Clayton Jr. scored 18 points, Will Richard added 14 and No. 2 Florida steamrolled Oklahoma 85-63 on Tuesday night for its fifth consecutive victory.

    Alijah Martin chipped in 14 points off the bench for the Gators (23-3, 10-3 Southeastern Conference), who tied a season-low with six turnovers and improved to 13-1 at home.

    Clayton, Richard and Martin — Florida’s top three scorers — combined to make 15 of 31 shots, including nine 3-pointers. They scored 25 of the team’s first 37 points as the Gators opened a double-digit lead and never looked back.

    Florida played its second game without starting forward Alex Condon and backup Sam Alexis. Both wore protective boots, although Condon participated in the shootaround without one.

    Micah Handlogten, in his second game back since breaking his left leg last March, finished with two points, five rebounds, two assists and a block.

    Jeremiah Fears led the Sooners (16-10, 3-10) with 22 points and five rebounds.

    Takeaways

    Oklahoma: The Sooners’ fifth consecutive loss came amid a daunting stretch that included games against four ranked teams. Each of those losses came by at least 18 points.

    Florida: The Gators have handled their most adversity of the season without a hiccup. They played at times without Clayton, Martin, Condon and Alexis during their current streak.

    Key moment

    The Gators hit five 3-pointers — including three on consecutive possessions over a span of 1:18— to highlight a 17-3 run that turned a six-point game into a lopsided affair in the first half.

    Key stat

    Florida hit 12 of 32 shots from behind the arc, giving coach Todd Golden’s team double-digit 3s in five straight games.

    Up next

    Oklahoma hosts No. 21 Mississippi State on Saturday; Florida plays at LSU later that day.

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  • Gators climb to No. 2 in men’s hoops rankings; Auburn remains No. 1

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    Auburn’s win at Alabama assured the Tigers would keep the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for a sixth consecutive week.

    Meanwhile, Alabama lost its hold on the No. 2 spot, which is now occupied by Florida.

    The Tigers (23-2) received 59 of 60 first-place votes in Monday’s poll, reclaiming nearly all the support lost when they fell at home to Florida on Feb. 8. Auburn had been the unanimous No. 1 for three consecutive weeks before that loss, but remained at the top last week despite seeing nearly half of those first-place votes go primarily to Alabama, with a few to Florida and Tennessee.

    The Tigers won Saturday in a 1-vs.-2 road matchup against the rival Crimson Tide, hours after the committee that will choose the 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament put Auburn as its No. 1 overall seed in its preliminary rankings.

    The top tier

    The two teams to beat the Tigers sit right behind them. Florida and Duke were tied for third last week, and the Gators inched past the Blue Devils to break that tie and take the No. 2 spot while claiming the remaining first-place vote.

    Alabama fell to No. 4, followed by Houston, Tennessee, Texas A&M — with its highest ranking since December 2017 — Iowa State, Texas Tech and St. John’s to round out the top 10.

    Of that group, the Red Raiders represented the only change from last week’s set of teams, climbing three spots to replace Purdue for their first top-10 appearance in three years. Grant McCasland’s squad, which has lost just twice since the start of 2025, was unranked until cracking the poll at No. 22 on Jan. 27.

    Rising

    Michigan had the week’s biggest jump among ranked teams, climbing eight spots to No. 12 after beating Purdue last week and pushing its win streak to six games.

    No. 15 Missouri jumped six spots, while No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 18 Clemson and No. 20 Maryland each rose five spots.

    In all, 12 teams moved up from their position last week.

    Sliding

    Memphis took the biggest tumble of the week, falling eight spots to No. 22 after its overtime loss at Wichita State ended an eight-game winning streak.

    No. 13 Purdue, No. 19 Arizona and No. 23 Kansas — the preseason No. 1-ranked team — all fell six spots, while No. 24 Mississippi tumbled five.

    Ten teams fell from last week’s poll.

    Welcome back

    No. 25 Louisville was the week’s lone new addition, returning to the poll for the second time after a two-week stint in January. First-year coach Pat Kelsey has guided the program to its first 20-win season since 2019-20, with the Cardinals having lost just once since mid-December.

    Farewell (for now)

    Creighton (No. 24) fell out of the rankings for the second time this season. The Bluejays were ranked for the first four weeks, then returned last week for what turned out to be a one-week stay.

    Conference watch

    The Southeastern Conference had a national-best nine teams, including three of the top four and five of the top 10. The Big 12 and Big Ten each had five teams, though the Big 12 had three in the top 10 while the highest-ranked Big Ten team checked in at 11th.

    The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, followed by the Big East with two and the American Athletic Conference with one.

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