(1) Florida Men’s Basketball (35-4, 14-4 SEC) vs. (1) Houston (35-4, 19-1 Big 12)
Florida Game Notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2025/4/6/2025.04.07_vsHouston_NCAATournament.pdf> | 2024-25 Media Guide<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/10/21/2024-25_Media_Guide.pdf> | Courtesy Photos & Press Conferences<https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rb8ojhaf9ygpi6d0k3c9e/ANF6-ow4Wppu1j1zjAsnMXA?rlkey=g1esu5ww8r31yd8dyekcik5iw&st=3b1ht5u5&dl=0>
Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas
Monday, April 7, 2025 | 8:50 p.m. EDT
* NCAA Tournament Digital Media Hub<https://sites.google.com/view/d1mbbchamp/home>
* Press Conference Transcripts<https://asaptext.com/ncaatranscripts/>
TV/Streaming
CBS | March Madness App
Play-by-Play: Ian Eagle | Analysts: Bill Raftery & Grant Hill | Reporter: Tracy Wolfson
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: Kevin Kugler | Analysts: Robbie Hummel & P.J. Carlesimo | Reporter: Andy Katz
The Tip-Off
* Florida plays in its fourth national championship game and its first since 2007, seeking its third national championship. Todd Golden is the second Florida coach to lead the Gators into the national final, with Billy Donovan coaching UF to the previous three.
* The Gators earned their way into the final with a 79-73 Final Four win over top overall seed Auburn, led by Walter Clayton Jr.’s career-high 34 points along with 17 from Alijah Martin and 12 from Thomas Haugh.
* Florida’s Final Four win was its eighth this season after trailing by nine points or more. UF bounced back from a 49-40 second-half deficit with an 11-0 run.
* First-team All-American and West Regional Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. has set Florida’s single-season scoring record (702) and single NCAA Tournament scoring record (123). Clayton has made a 3-pointer in a Florida-record 61 consecutive appearances.
2024-25 Highlights at a Glance
* Florida advanced to the Final Four with a breathtaking rally vs. #9 Texas Tech, coming back from nine points down with an 18-4 run over the final three minutes. Thomas Haugh hit a pair of 3-pointers to cut Florida’s deficit to three before Walter Clayton Jr. hit a pair on 3s to tie and take the lead. The Gators’ trio of seniors each took a 2-for-2 trip to the line over the final minute to seal the victory.
* Florida imposed its will on the glass in the Sweet 16 vs. #11 Maryland, posting a 42-20 rebounding advantage as 15 offensive boards led to a 21-9 edge in second-chance points. UF also enjoyed a 29-3 bench scoring advantage with both Thomas Haugh and Denzel Aberdeen going for double figures.
* 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. .
* 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.
* 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).
