The Florida Gators are back to the top after beating Houston 65-63 in one of the best national title games of the century. Floyd’s merciless comeback after chasing up to 12 points against the Cougars We concluded one of the best, if not the best, if not the best, of college basketball history.
Florida’s first national title team theme since 2007 has returned to win in comeback fashion. In the second round against UCONN in the NCAA Tournament, Florida was pushed to the brink by two champions, then concluded the match with a strong run. In the Elite Eight against Texas Tech, the Gators dragged as many as 10 points with less than five minutes left before Thomas Howe and Walter Clayton Jr. took over.
In the Final Four against Sec Foe Auburn, it was the same thing. Florida had to overcome a nine-point deficit to advance to the title game. The Gators were the first national champions in the last 20 years, overcoming at least nine points deficits in the Elite Eight, National Semi-Finals and title games.
The new crown champion has something to do to put together another top-level roster. Clayton, Aliya Martin and Will Richard have exhausted all their qualifications. Haugh and fellow Big Man Alex Condon have NBA draft decisions to reflect on.
So, what’s next for the Gators? There are three storylines to help you look to head into the offseason.
Who will stay, who will go?
When Florida won its first national title in 2006, star players Jokim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer bypassed the NBA draft and returned to school, and the decision paid off a big time. All three players were all three from the NBA draft board on the first 10 picks. And they won another championship ring to boot.
Details of Florida’s title victory
Florida’s top three scorers (Clayton, Martin and Richard) are not eligible. Two key players, Condon and Hau, have their own decisions to decide about their future. Both could go to the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and their decision will be one of the biggest stories of the college basketball offseason. Condon has increased the number of draft buzzes that appear in the NCAA Tournament, but Haugh has shot several draft boards thanks to his electric postseason play. He was Floyd’s best forward/center throughout the NCAA tournament.
Both players will be running as potential preseason national candidates. Florida has incredible depth to the frontcourt, so even if Golden loses Condon or Hau to the NBA draft, Rueben has the option of both Chinyely and Micah Handlogten returning.
Another name to note is the reserve guard Denzel Aberdeen. If he returns, he could be in the opening night starting lineup. Aberdeen averaged 7.7 points in 39 games.
Florida used unconventional blueprints
As CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter pointed out, Florida is the first team in the modern era to win a national title without a single Top 100 recruit. The Gators have at least three players (Clayton, Condon and How) on their roster that will play in the NBA this year and again this year, but none were considered Blue Chip recruits. This is a strategy that will be difficult to replicate in the future.
There are no top 100 recruits, but at least three NBA players? How is the secret source behind the rise of Florida?
Isaac Trotter
Winning the national championship will give you momentum on the Golden Recruit Trail, but the Gators still have two commitments in their 2025 recruitment class. The Gators built their roster by winning by margin and identifying studs in the transfer portal. Clayton and Martin were both mid-stars Iona and Fau, respectively. Condon and Haugh were three-star recruits and had little important interest.
All eyes will be Florida doing in the transfer portal in the coming weeks.
Golden must replace multiple assistant coaches
With the 2024-25 season officially over, assistant coaches Kevin Hoffde and John Andrzek will take over the reins at Columbia and Campbell, respectively. Hovde and Andrzejek accepted the head coaching job last month and chose to stay in Florida for the rest of the season, placing double obligations throughout the postseason.
Andrzejek ran Florida’s defense as defensive coordinator, while Hovde was an offensive coordinator.
With the season over and Hovde and Andrzejek departing, Golden pauses the celebration of winning the national title to find a replacement for them. One of them is Jonathan Saffiel, current director of basketball strategy and analysis for Florida.
