Florida Gators Overcome More Than Just Expectations To Win National Championship

There are 364 Division I teams in college basketball, with two of them delivering another Final Four classic to end the season, as Florida defeated Houston 65-63 to win the national championship on Monday night in San Antonio, Texas. 

While the Gators looked like a squad that would fold under the pressure of the suffocating defense from Houston that had them up 12 points in the second half, it was Florida that landed the final punches that put the SEC on top after the conference landed a record 14 schools in the tournament. 

This was clearly a game that was going to center around Walter Clayton Jr., especially from a defensive standpoint for Houston. It was the Cougars mission to cause chaos for the Gators leading scorer, which seemed to work for a majority of the game. 

That was until Florida decided to stop shooting itself in the foot with careless fouls, which included two technicals. While it looked as though Houston was in a comfortable spot in the second half, leading by twelve points at the midway mark, Florida would not go away. 

Even without Walter Clayton Jr. hitting incredible shots from the perimeter, or through the lane, Gators guard Will Richard was the one who stepped up in the biggest moment. '

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 07: Walter Clayton Jr. #1 of the Florida Gators shoots a layup against Terrance Arceneaux #23 of the Houston Cougars during the second half in the National Championship of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on April 07, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The plan worked for Houston, at least when it came to stopping Walter Clayton Jr., but they weren't counting on someone like Will Richard being the guy interesting the final dagger. How Houston beat Duke on Saturday night was the same plan used against Florida, but the Cougars problem on Monday night was that they could not put the Gators away when they had a chance. 

Chipping away in the latter part of the second half, Florida took their second lead of the game with :47 seconds remaining, after leading 8-6 at the 15:47 mark of the first half. 

And while Houston might've had a home-crowd advantage, the Gators had a fierce group of players that have been through the ringer, and still found a way to wreak havoc throughout the season. 

Referees Were Atrocious In Biggest Game Of Season

After calling just four fouls in the first half, combined the officials must have gotten together at halftime and decided they would call the second half in a totally opposite way. 

During the first 12 minutes of the second half, the referees had already called 16 fouls, completely changing the game. It's one thing if you're going to call it for the entire 40 minutes, but this was a travesty when it comes to officiating, and it showed countless times. 

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 07: The Florida Gators huddle during the second half in the National Championship of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Houston Cougars at the Alamodome on April 07, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

On the biggest stage, in the biggest game of the college basketball season, the officials decided that physicality was not going to be tolerated in the second half. This was obviously a major talking point on social media, and rightfully so. A ridiculous 25 fouls were called in the second half, which is unacceptable, especially when you compare it to the first half. 

There was a point in the first month of the season where Florida fans were wondering if they would have a permanent coach by the new year. 

Florida Overcomes Coach Being Investigated, To Winning National title

During the opening month of the season, Todd Golden was being investigated for potential Title IX violation, which included harassment. But, the Gators head coach vehemently denied the accusations, never once wavering during a tense time on the campus in Gainesville. 

Even while their head coach was being scrutinized on a daily basis, the Florida basketball team never let the outside noise get to them in a way that would derail the season. In January, the investigation ended, with the Gators coach staying a steady rock to his team, even if folks outside the building weren't as confident. 

From that moment in January, it looked as though this Gators basketball team was playing on a much different level, which led to them being the hottest team entering the postseason. 

Not only did Florida run through the SEC Tournament, it finished the season on a 12-game winning streak, putting the final touches on what will be remembered as one of the wildest seasons for a basketball program. 

"I mean, I'm super proud obviously. But I'm just a piece of this puzzle," Todd Golden said postgame. "I've been able to put together an incredible staff and recruit great student-athletes over these last three years.

"We've stayed the course all year and worked really hard. My best answer is I'm just really proud. I'm proud to be the head coach of Florida. I'm proud of the way our players performed. I'm proud of the way our staff prepared our guys to become national champions."

"We got the natty!," Todd Golden said postgame. 

Todd Golden became the youngest head coach (39 years old) since Jimmy Valvano to win a national championship, winning a title in just his third year at the helm in Gainesville. Both coaches beat Houston to win the title.  

Now, he will get to add to the collection, as the Gators will only rebuild from here. 

On this final night of the college basketball season, after entering the NCAA Tournament with high expectations, the Florida Gators were crowned national champions. 

Looks like the SEC finished their own story, thanks to the Gators.