SAN FRANCISCO — It was a homecoming for Florida’s first 24 hours in San Francisco. Head coach Todd Golden, who spent years in The Bay playing at Saint Mary’s College and coaching the University of San Francisco, took it all in.
The Gators practiced at USF’s (the California one) facilities on Tuesday, spent the evening at Original Joe’s — a historic San Francisco eatery — and traveled to Crissy Field on Wednesday morning to see the Golden Gate Bridge.
That was Florida’s first day in California. At 1:10 p.m. PST on Wednesday, its focus shifted as media availability began.
“We're trying to stay locked in on the moment,” Florida senior guard Alijah Martin said, explaining UF’s mindset over 2,300 miles from home. “Take it game by game, and when we get there, we'll get there.”
UF’s next game is its biggest yet. The Gators will face 4th-seeded Maryland on Thursday, opening their visit to the Golden State in hopes of continuing it in the Elite Eight on Saturday. Amid a match featuring two metric darlings (top 10 in KenPom and Torvik) and historically strong programs experiencing a breath of new life, Florida will aim to take the next step in its basketball rebirth.
Here are three quick storylines to watch as the No. 1 seeded Gators face the Terrapins at 7:39 p.m. EST out west.
Keeping the paint capped
It took late-game heroics from Florida and Maryland to reach the Sweet Sixteen. For the Terrapins, it was freshman center Derik Queen who showed up.
On the final play against Colorado State in the Round of 32, Queen caught the ball and took a couple of dribbles (and steps) to the left before rising and dropping a tear off the backboard to seal a 72-71 victory. That sequence is impressive when you learn he’s a freshman, but maybe not with his list of accolades this year.
The former top-15 recruit leads all freshmen in double-doubles with 15 while also averaging an efficient 16.2 points per game on 52.9 percent from the field. As the season has progressed, he’s budded into Maryland’s star and adjusted the trajectory of a program that only has two Sweet Sixteen berths since 2000.
"Derik Queen is one of the most talented players in college basketball," Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. "The way he can play with the ball in his hands, he has incredible ball handling skills, great feel, great touch around the rim.”
The 6-foot-10 center, who looks like he could seamlessly transition to offensive tackle, is supported in the front court by Julian Reese, a fifth-year senior forward averaging 13.3 points per game. The pair lead a Maryland offensive attack that focuses on running sets through the post and does so successfully with a nation-leading five double-digit scorers.
Containing Queen and Reese will be a group task for Florida. The Gators trot out a rotation of four in the frontcourt, with sophomores Alex Condon, a forward, and Rueben Chinyelu, a center, starting the vast majority of Florida’s games. The group of four averages nearly a block apiece, contributing to UF’s astronomical rise from 94th in defensive efficiency last year to 10th this year.
Their improvement in the paint will be tested on Thursday against a familiar foe for some.
"I played against him a good bit on the Under Armour circuit," Florida sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said. "He’s a really good player, he moves super well for his size. Reese, just watching film, he’s a really good player too, our forwards are going to need to step up. I think we’re gonna be good for the challenge.”
Running
Florida is one of the fastest teams in the nation, and it works to its benefit. The Gators are top 65 in adjusted tempo, using an increased pace to take more shots per game than most other programs. That covers up a sub-top-70 3-point percentage and helps ease an average-at-best 152nd free throw rate.
There’s an argument to be had that, at some point, the system might doom the Gators. Failing to hit shots against a team that slows the game to a crawl isn’t a recipe for success. However, it probably won't be Maryland that strains the Gators on that front.
The Terrapins run a similar tempo as the Gators while primarily leaning on just five players. Maryland’s starting five averages 70 points per game — the most in the nation — and doesn’t struggle to stay on the court, averaging only 15.3 fouls per game as a team.
Against a team like Florida, that system may be difficult to continue running. The Gators have nine consistent rotation players, seven of which score over six points per game, and lean on their depth to run such an aggressive tempo. It may play to their advantage against Maryland’s absent bench.
"We're going to have to play all four bigs," Maryland coach Kevin Willard said. "There's just no way Derik and Ju are going to be allotted 36 minutes against this team. They run consistently. They're fresh. They're as good a basketball team as I've seen on film all year.”
Who will shoot?
This is short and sweet, but with two teams whose offenses are very similar, Thursday’s Sweet Sixteen contest may depend on who can shoot better.
UF, as noted, hasn’t been the pinnacle of offensive efficiency from beyond the arc, hitting at a 35.6 percent clip (74th nationally). As of late, the Gators have been better. In 10 of Florida’s 16 games since the beginning of February, it has shot above its season average, including a 9-of-19 clip (47.4 percent) against UConn.
Maryland is much more prolific from 3, knocking down 37.5 percent (23rd) of its lowly 723 attempts this year (Florida's attempted 949). However, the majority of those shots have been from its three starting guards: junior Ja’Kobi Gillespie, sophomore Rodney Rice and senior Selton Miguel. Queen and Reese have taken a combined 32 3-pointers this season. They’ve hit six.
With an offensive showcase expected in The Bay on Thursday, which team can lean into its high-powered offense will likely advance to the Elite Eight.
Contact Noah White at nwhite@alligator.org. Follow him on X @noahwhite1782.
Noah is a Spring 2025 Assistant Sports Editor and Copy Desk Chief. He's a second-year journalism major who enjoys reading and shamefully rooting for Tennessee sports teams. He is also a Liberty League Women's Soccer expert.
