Over 30,000 feet in the air, Todd Golden received a call. While donning a blue shirt that coated his chest in bold white lettering, he smiled. He expected this — maybe even spoke it into existence in his first press conference as Florida’s men’s basketball coach: “We have everything we need here to compete at the championship level.”
When Golden got off the phone, he turned to his team, which was traveling back to Florida from Nashville, and smirked. What was at least size-72 font on his shirt provided a message — “CHAMPS.” That’s what the Gators became only hours earlier in the SEC Championship, defeating No. 8 Tennessee 86-77.
It had been nearly a decade since UF basketball could claim such a thing when Golden arrived in Gainesville. He knew that. But his expectation for where he could guide Florida never wavered, and in his third SEC Tournament, that vision turned into reality.
When the 39-year-old coach spoke on UF’s private jet’s PA system, his joy was palpable. Florida basketball had earned a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2014. However, only months earlier, Golden was one of few that knew this could happen.
On Oct. 15, Golden took the podium at SEC media day in Birmingham, Alabama. Senior guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin joined him when he made an assertion.
“We feel like these three kind of older leaders are guys that can take us to the next step of our program," Golden said, referring to the aforementioned pair and senior guard Will Richard.
In the over 13 minutes the coach addressed the media, he detailed exactly what he expected from his team this year. It was going to pursue championships, achieving things it hadn’t for years. To do so, its veterans had to be the difference, leading a squad that represents what college basketball has become.
To pursue his championship aspirations, Golden turned to a mixed and matched group of returning stars, up-and-coming youth and well-evaluated transfers. Years ago, that formula wouldn’t have been successful anywhere and definitely wouldn’t have made its way into the SEC. But Golden does things differently.
Throughout Florida’s maze of victories, which concluded with a 30-4 record, it has leaned into the analytics. During media availability opportunities, he frequently gives five-minute explanations, laying out the stats that defend his decision making processes.
“The best coaches are able to use analytics without making it all about the numbers,” Golden said.
However, the numbers seem to favor Golden. In the last 10 years, no team has won the NCAA Tournament with an offensive efficiency or defensive efficiency national ranking below No. 22. Florida is in the top 10 in both. Additionally, in that same period, every national champion has had a higher-ranking offense than defense. After a weekend at the SEC Tournament, where UF averaged 95 points per game, it now tops the nation in a variety of offensive ratings. That’s not to say Golden’s defense is a slouch either.
Colorado guard KJ Simpson is a name seared into the minds of many Florida fans, and for good reason. His last-second jumper in Florida’s 102-100 loss in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament was gut-wrenching, but it presented a much larger problem.
Entering his second season in Gainesville, Golden’s team needed an identity, becoming an offensive juggernaut. But with the offensive focus, Florida’s defense suffered, falling all the way to 94th in the nation. That came to an abrupt end with Simpson, but it’s something UF knew it needed to change to take its next step.
“If we don't improve defensively, we have the opportunity to stay in the same spot we did last year,” Golden said. “So [we] really made a concerted effort to be more balanced in practice as well as address what we needed to through the portal.”
The Gators have jumped 84 slots — the largest improvement in the nation — to No. 10 in defensive efficiency, per KenPom. That leap coincided with Florida taking its next step forward.
The Florida head coach likely began preparing for his next opponent: No. 16 seed Norfolk State. The Gators will head to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday with a chance to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 2021. With a win, Florida will be back on the hardwood two days later and look to advance past the Round of 32 for the first time since 2017.
When the Gators landed back in Gainesville, the “CHAMPS” shirt probably didn’t mean as much to them anymore. The moment passed, and in the coming weeks, Florida will continue to get the chance to check boxes. UF expected to win. Now, the program’s long-term plans are showing results.
"Coach Golden has a vision," Clayton Jr. said after the SEC Championship game. "I came here because I believed in that vision. To see it come to fruition, it actually happening, is great. It's just going to get better from here for the University of Florida."
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.
