This story was updated on March 30.
SAN FRANCISCO — You could see the panic in Todd Golden’s eyes with three minutes left. Everyone in the Chase Center probably could, too. Surely, the University Avenue bars of Gainesville, congested with agitated fans, did as well.
A historic season, cementing the turnaround of a dormant college basketball power, was disappearing with every second, every shot. The hearts of Florida fans everywhere slowly sank.
That was until Walter Clayton Jr. rose.
With a Final Four berth on the line, trailing 77-75 despite a 9-2 run in the last two minutes, Florida’s senior AP All-American gathered himself. Underrecruited, underrated and now amid the biggest moment of his life, he had never been calmer. With one swift motion, turning his back to the basket, he whipped around, releasing a flawless shot. One reminiscent of the NBA legend, Stephen Curry, whose shots grace the Chase Center’s court any other given night.
As the ball traveled through the air, Golden turned and faced the fans — his facial expression had changed. He was confident, and with the crowd’s roar, he was justified.
Despite trailing by 10 points in the final six minutes, top-seeded Florida, behind the sheer will of Clayton Jr. and his 30 points, outlasted third-seeded Texas Tech 84-79. It was a physical, back-and-forth Elite Eight contest featuring seven lead changes, 34 total fouls and, most notably, the Gators outscoring the Red Raiders 18-4 in the game’s final three minutes. With its improbable comeback, Florida now advances to its sixth Final Four in program history, and its first since 2014. The rematch with top-seeded Auburn will also mark Florida’s fifth Final Four since 2000, the third-most of any Division I program in the last 25 years, solidifying a historically efficient rebuild.
“I’m incredibly proud to be able to be here in year three,” Golden said. “And to get Florida back to the Final Four is something that's incredibly special. When I was fortunate enough to get this position three years ago, I'm not sure this was something that [I thought could happen].”
The consensus All-American, Clayton Jr., scored eight points during Florida’s game-defining run to end the evening, earning himself the NCAA Tournament West Region MVP award. Moments before his game-sealing turnaround 3, the senior had knocked down another that suffocated Texas Tech’s second-half lead to a 75-75 tie.
“There's not another player in America you would rather have right now than Walter Clayton with the ball in his hands in a big-time moment,” Golden said. “The biggest thing in those moments is you need to have somebody that wants to take those shots. They're obviously difficult plays, but someone that has the confidence to step up and make incredible individual plays. Walter did that for us.”
Prior to Clayton Jr.’s heroics, sophomore forward Thomas Haugh, who comes off of Florida’s bench, had been its primary offensive contributor, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds. With the clock dwindling under three and half minutes left and the Gators trailing 75-66, Haugh knocked down a much-needed three — the first shot of Florida’s closing run. Seconds later, he added another that pulled the Gators within three points of their opponent, sparking a growing hope that reached 2,300 miles back to Gainesville.
With the win, Florida will yet again venture from the Sunshine State, traveling to San Antonio, Texas, April 5 for the Final Four. That, in itself, is notable, but Florida debuting in the national semifinal for the first time since 2014 is even more so.
When Golden arrived at Florida, it was amid a four-year drought of Final Four berths, one of its longest streaks since its NCAA Tournament debut in 1987. In the span of three seasons, that has abruptly changed.
As Golden’s press conference opened, a line of Florida coaches followed him out of the blackout curtains coating the media cave underneath the arena. With the vague ring of “It’s great to be a Florida Gator” chants denoting their entrance, a significant portion of the 39-year-old’s staff joined him — an ode to how Florida landed in San Francisco.
In three years, Golden revived a college basketball program that less than 20 years ago was on top of the nation, and he did it with his people. With a Picasso painting of a roster featuring a mixture of transfers, senior returnees and sparsely recruited underclassmen, Florida has been built to survive any game.
“Guys could just break apart during those moments,” Clayton Jr. said after defeating Texas Tech. “We all stayed the course, stayed together. And I think that just goes to show the togetherness of the team, the love we have for each other to get through those tough times.”
San Francisco is coated in a fog of Gator confidence after March 29’s improbable 84-79 win, and now, having out-drawn the Red Raiders in their duel, Florida will take the court in San Antonio, Texas, in less than a week against Auburn. It won’t be the first time the Gators have faced the nation’s top team this year.
In early February, Florida traveled into Alabama for a matchup with No. 1 Auburn, taking down the Tigers 90-81 to solidify itself among the nation’s top teams. Since then, the pair have gone in different directions.
While the past two months have seen Florida earn a top seed after winning the SEC Championship amid a 10-game win streak, Auburn has been on a different trajectory. Despite earning the top-overall seed, the Tigers lost three of their last four games before the NCAA tournament. However, through the first four rounds of the tournament, the Tigers haven’t won a game by fewer than six points.
When Florida takes the court against Auburn April 5, it’ll be a rematch of SEC offensive giants in a Final Four entirely made up of No. 1 seeds. The Gators will look to advance to their fourth national championship, seeking their third NCAA Title.
“It's crazy. I feel like I'm dreaming. I was watching the round of 64 in the eighth grade sneaking my phone into science class watching it,” Haugh said. “Now to say I'm playing in the Final Four is wild.”
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.
