Jeff BorzelloApr 7, 2025, 11:19 PM ET
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- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of College of Delaware.
SAN ANTONIO — With 4 seconds at the clock, all of the Alamodome stood nonetheless. Each Florida and Houston paused.
Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp had long past as much as shoot a possible profitable 3 with 4.9 seconds left however was once compelled to regulate when Walter Clayton Jr. got here flying out to contest. Sharp dropped the ball with 4.2 seconds left, hoping a teammate would select it up and bail him out. However no person moved, no longer a Houston participant nor a Florida participant.
Gators ahead Alex Condon after all dove at the ball with 2.0 seconds left, securing it and tossing it towards Clayton. The buzzer sounded, Clayton slammed the ball at the floor, and Houston trainer Kelvin Sampson regarded on in surprised silence.
The Florida Gators have been nationwide champions, erasing a 12-point second-half deficit ahead of protecting on for a 65-63 win over Houston.
“I used to be roughly simply fascinated about what to do, if I will have to opt for it and depart my guy,” Condon informed ESPN. “However as soon as he roughly sponsored off and attempted to protect off Walt, I spotted he isn’t going to pick out up the ball. So I dived as challenging as I may just and were given the ball. It was once nice.”
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It was once a becoming finishing for a recreation that flipped narratives. Monday’s identify recreation was once billed as a matchup between two of probably the most dominant devices within the game this season: Florida’s offense as opposed to Houston’s protection. However it was once the Gators’ protection that made the adaptation down the stretch.
Houston had simply 4 turnovers within the first 36:35 of Monday’s recreation however gave it away 5 occasions within the ultimate 3:24 — together with 3 times within the ultimate minute. Throughout one stretch in the second one half of, Florida were given stops on 9 immediately Houston possessions.
“We have now been a top-10 protection all 12 months additionally. We have now been in a position to get up in opposition to in reality just right offensive groups and give you the chance to get stops,” Florida trainer Todd Golden stated. “We held them scoreless the closing 2:20. Walter, nice closeout, and Rental, nice hustle play to win the sport. That is what made this staff particular all 12 months, that we will win other ways, and we confirmed that once more this night.”
Since Sampson took over at Houston, the Cougars’ identification has been toughness, physicality and bullying groups into submission on the defensive finish and at the offensive glass. On Monday, the staff enforcing its will — particularly in the second one half of — was once Florida. The Gators had fewer offensive rebounds than Houston however extra second-chance issues. They compelled extra turnovers after halftime than the Cougars.
And after Houston was once compelled to move with a four-guard lineup as a result of foul hassle, Florida dictated the phrases of the sport.
“We have been beginning to put on them down,” Florida affiliate head trainer Carlin Hartman informed ESPN. “This is very extraordinary for a Kelvin Sampson-like staff as a result of they are those that usually do the dressed in down and the punking and so on. However the truth that we’ve 4 in reality just right bigs that may play other types, but in addition be very bodily and be very disruptive, I believe it simply wore the ones guys down. And I checked out them, and with about 5 mins to move, I used to be like, they are dressed in down. They are drained.
“It is profitable time. Let’s do what we do.”
For the 0.33 immediately recreation, Florida had to triumph over a vital second-half deficit. Within the Elite 8, Texas Tech led by means of as many as 10 in the second one half of and 9 with 3 mins to move. Within the Ultimate 4, Auburn had a nine-point lead early in the second one half of. And on Monday, Houston led by means of 12 in the second one half of — giving the Cougars a 93.9% probability to win, in keeping with ESPN Analytics — ahead of the Gators got here again. It is tied for the third-largest deficit conquer to win a countrywide championship recreation.
“You need to have the psychological toughness so as to resist slightly adversity,” Golden stated. “Our guys knew that it wasn’t going to be simple. Did not panic when it were given difficult. As Will [Richard] mentioned, they did an ideal process of by no means getting too excessive, by no means getting too low. After we went down 12 in the second one half of, we stayed the route. We did not level hands, did not get started to check out to make hero performs, playing defensively. We were given rewarded as a result of that toughness that we displayed.”
“Our again is in opposition to the wall,” Alijah Martin informed ESPN. “However we revel in it. Each and every time our backs are in opposition to the wall, we reply as champions, as pros. And it confirmed up at the largest level. And we are nationwide champs.”
There’s a case to be made that Florida did not play a whole recreation within the NCAA match after it beat Norfolk State within the first spherical. And it is a testomony to the Gators’ resilience that they have been in a position to overcome the country’s perfect protection with out getting any other unbelievable efficiency from All-The usa guard Clayton.
The leadup to Monday’s identify recreation targeted nearly totally round Clayton, who was once on a run no longer noticed since Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier carried UConn to a couple of titles within the early 2010s.
It was once obvious straight away that Houston’s scouting file did, too.
After scoring a mixed 64 issues in his earlier two video games, Clayton did not ranking his first level in opposition to the Cougars till the 14:57 mark of the second one half of. He did not make his first box objective till there was once 7:54 left within the recreation. Houston made existence depressing for Clayton, aggressively hard-hedging on ball displays, no longer permitting him to get in a rhythm going left, which is the place he is at his best. However his frustration by no means confirmed, his demeanor by no means modified.
Clayton took what Houston’s protection did give him, racking up seven assists ahead of he scored his first level. Throughout a moment half of that briefly devolved right into a recreation of whistles, an unending parade of gamers going to the unfastened throw line, the famous person guard got here to existence. He had two three-point performs in lower than a minute, then hit an enormous 3-pointer with 3:14 left to tie the sport at 60. He additionally made more than one defensive performs, getting a thieve that ended in issues when Florida trailed by means of 10 after which guarding Sharp past due within the recreation, forcing him into the game-sealing turnover.
He completed with 11 issues, 5 rebounds and seven assists, profitable the Ultimate 4’s Maximum Exceptional Participant award.
“He is put in combination the best particular person marketing campaign within the historical past of Florida basketball, and it is a marketing campaign for the document books,” stated Jonathan Safir, Florida’s director of basketball technique and analytics. “He did it with a ludicrous show of shotmaking, aura, and the most efficient a part of all of it is the closing ownership of the sport. He did it with protection. It is in reality a testomony to him, his paintings ethic, his personality, and he merits to have his jersey retired within the O’Connell Heart.”
Monday marked Florida’s 0.33 nationwide championship since 2006 and made the 39-year-old Golden the youngest head trainer to win a identify since Jim Valvano guided NC State to a championship in 1983.
After the overall buzzer and the slicing down of the nets, Golden was once some of the first Florida coaches again on the locker room. With a internet draped round his neck, he stood outdoor looking forward to everybody else to enroll in him. He high-fived and hugged each and every participant and team of workers member ahead of they went within the locker room to the sounds of Leader Keef’s “Faneto” and 50 Cent’s “Many Males.”
Golden constructed a staff this season predicated on offense, a gaggle that would push the ball with tempo and shoot a variety of 3-pointers. However on Monday, it was once the whole lot else that allowed them to win the identify.
“I do assume what separates us and has separated us all season lengthy is our staff skill, how our guys have performed in combination and for every different all 12 months,” he stated. “On account of that, we will name every different nationwide champions for the remainder of our lives.”
