Many Florida Gators fans would not have imagined playing for a national title in Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden, but here they are.
After going 16-17 in his first season and then 24-12 last year, Florida is now 35-4, has won the SEC Tournament, and currently sits one win away from reaching the pinnacle of college basketball.
The Gators will take on the Houston Cougars on Monday night in a battle of 35-4 teams, each coming off a win over a No. 1 seed in the Final Four.
Many Florida Gators fans would not have imagined playing for a national title in Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden, but here they are.
After going 16-17 in his first season and then 24-12 last year, Florida is now 35-4, has won the SEC Tournament, and currently sits one win away from reaching the pinnacle of college basketball.
The Gators will take on the Houston Cougars on Monday night in a battle of 35-4 teams, each coming off a win over a No. 1 seed in the Final Four.
On Monday morning, several hours before the game, Florida took to social media to share a two-word statement.
“THE finale,” the Gators wrote.
It’s been a long journey for Florida this season. The Gators went undefeated through a fairly easy non-conference schedule, with their best win coming against North Carolina.
However, once SEC play began, the competition level rose significantly, and that didn’t slow them down. Florida picked up notable wins over Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Ole Miss.
The Gators then knocked off Missouri, Alabama (again), and Tennessee (again) to win the SEC Tournament.
The competition didn’t get any easier in the NCAA Tournament. Florida’s road to the national championship game included: No. 16 seed Norfolk State, No. 8 seed UConn, No. 4 seed Maryland, No. 3 seed Texas Tech, and No. 1 seed Auburn (again).
Now, the Gators have an opportunity to win the program’s third national title. Tip-off against Houston is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. ET on CBS.
