(1) Florida Men’s Basketball (33-4, 14-4 SEC) vs. (3) Texas Tech (28-8, 15-3 Big 12)
Florida Game
Chase Center | San Francisco, Calif.
Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 6:09 p.m. EDT
TV/Streaming
TBS/truTV | March Madness App
Play-by-Play: Kevin Harlan | Analysts: Dan Bonner & Stan Van Gundy | Reporter: Lauren Shehadi
Radio
Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley | Analyst: Lee Humphrey | Producer/Engineer: Steve Egan
Westwood One
Play-by-Play: Ryan Radtke | Analyst: P.J. Carlesimo
The Tip-Off
* Florida plays Texas Tech in its 10th all-time Elite Eight and its first since 2017, advancing past Maryland in the Sweet 16 with six players contributing double figures led by Will Richard’s 15 points. This will be Florida’s eighth Elite Eight appearance over the last 20 years.
* Florida imposed its will on the glass vs. Maryland, posting a 42-20 rebounding advantage as 15 offensive boards led to a 21-9 edge in second-chance points. The Gators’ depth also stood out as UF enjoyed a 29-3 bench scoring advantage with both Thomas Haugh and Denzel Aberdeen going for double figures.
* Six Gators scored in double figures in the Sweet 16 win vs. Maryland, just the second time Florida has had six with 10+ points in NCAA Tournament play (3/16/2007 vs. Jackson State).
* Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard have all scored 500+ points in 2024-25. They are the second Florida trio to hit 500 points (Clayton, Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel last season).
* First-team All-American Walter Clayton Jr.’s 1,271 points over his two seasons at UF trail only the legendary Neal Walk’s scoring output over a two-season span (1,312; 1967-69). His 201 3-pointers trail only Lee Humphrey (226, 2005-07) for most by a Gator over two seasons. Clayton has made a 3-pointer in a Florida-record 59 consecutive appearances.
2024-25 Highlights at a Glance
* UF’s second-round win vs. UConn was powered by its senior backcourt trio. Walter Clayton Jr. scored 13 of his 23 in the final eight minutes, while Will Richard scored 13 of his 15 in the second half. Alijah Martin powered the Gators in the first half, when he scored 14 of his 18 points.
* Florida raced to a 51-19 lead vs. Norfolk State and cruised to a 26-point win, paced by Walter Clayton Jr.’s 23 points. The Gators made 27 of their 33 free throw attempts, and 21 offensive rebounds led to 24 points.
* The Gators captured the 2025 SEC Tournament championship, the team’s fifth and its first since 2014. Walter Clayton Jr. averaged 20.7 points and 4.7 assists and hit 13 of 26 3-point attempts to take home MVP honors. Will Richard earned All-Tournament Team honors with 16.7 points per game.
* Florida set an SEC Tournament record with 104 points in the semifinal win vs. #5 Alabama. Six Gators scored in double figures, led by Clayton’s 22 with six 3-pointers.
* UF earned a 99-94 road win at #7 Alabama, marking the first time in program history the Gators posted two top-10 road wins in a single season. Todd Golden’s three such wins are the most all-time by any UF coach. Alex Condon had a career night in the win at Alabama with 27 points, 10 rebounds. He is just the fifth player this century to hit those marks in a top-10 road win.
* UF won at Mississippi State to earn ranked road wins in back-to-back games for the first time in program history. Denzel Aberdeen poured in 20 points, while Thomas Haugh stuffed the box score with 16 points, nine rebounds, a career-best eight assists, two blocked shots and two steals.
* Florida earned its first all-time road win at a #1 team at Auburn, as Walter Clayton Jr.’s 19 points led five Gators in double figures. Alex Condon had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Thomas Haugh scored 16 off the bench. The Gators became the fifth team all-time to post wins vs. two different #1 teams in a season.
* Will Richard’s driving layup with 4.8 seconds left at South Carolina gave Florida its winning margin, as well as its first lead of the game to cap off a rally from 14 points down with 12 minutes to play.
* Florida earned its third all-time win vs. #1 and first in a regular season game with a 73-43 rout of top-ranked Tennessee. The Gators allowed just 12 field goals, the fewest by a #1 team in the shot clock era. Alijah Martin led Florida with 18 points, Denzel Aberdeen added 16, and Alex Condon posted a double-double (12/12).
