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The 2024–2025 season ended perfectly for the Florida Gators. Led by head coach Todd Golden, the Gators emerged as the surprise team in a stacked SEC. Not only did they exceed all preseason expectations, but they also forced the nation to take notice after a dominant 30-point win over No. 1 Tennessee.
Florida went on to win the SEC Tournament, once again defeating the Tennessee Volunteers. That victory earned them the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators advanced past UConn in the second round and eventually reached the championship game after taking down the defending champions. After securing the national title, many believe Florida has a real shot at going back-to-back—just like the Huskies.
“The expectation now is to go back-to-back... They went back-to-back in '06-'07. Why wouldn't they think they're gonna run the table again?” said Isis Young.
While the Gators are losing team leader Walter Clayton, he left fans with a strong message during the championship celebration.
“I’m a real Florida boy so I know what it means… Gator boys stay hot, and it’s gonna continue,” Clayton said.
Florida made a major addition from the transfer portal in Xaivian Lee, a move that reportedly contributed to Denzel Aberdeen’s departure. Aberdeen’s father publicly criticized Golden for never giving his son a fair opportunity.
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With the new season still months away, Golden and his staff have plenty of planning ahead. The head coach has already hinted at a bold lineup strategy for next year.
“Thomas Haugh is a core player. We’re going to play him more at the three this year. We hope we get his running mate Alex Condon back and if we do we’ll play really big this year,” Golden said. “We’ll start Haugh at the three, Condo at the four, and one of the other bigs at the five.”
With their imposing size, Florida is shaping up to be a matchup nightmare from the opening tip. Haugh stands at 6-foot-9, while the other starters are an inch shy of seven feet.
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