Last season, Florida senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. shot a go-ahead half-court heave in the final seconds of the NCAA Tournament’s first round in hopes of keeping UF’s postseason run alive. When it missed, Clayton Jr. buried his head into his jersey in agonizing defeat. However, the anguish of that loss was a key component in Florida returning its core of players.
Nearly one year later, the Gators will have a chance at vengeance, with a helping hand coming from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee on Sunday evening. There were talks surrounding Florida being in the driver’s seat for the top-seed line leading up to Selection Sunday. Though, three straight wins by Florida in three days en route to an SEC Championship victory only helped its case.
Just a little over three hours later, the Gators were named the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. Florida is set to play No. 16 seed Norfolk State in the first round of March Madness in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.
You’d be hard pressed to find a better resume in college basketball this season than Florida’s. The Gators notched eight wins over ranked opponents this season, two of which came against the No. 1 team in the country. UF will enter The Big Dance on nothing short of a heater, defeating three straight ranked opponents in the SEC Tournament.
It’s just the third time in program history the Gators have secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida’s trips to March Madness on the top-seed line resulted in favorable finishes historically. After winning the National Championship in 2006, UF entered March Madness in 2007 as a No. 1 seed, ultimately claiming back-to-back national titles.
In 2014, Florida totaled the most single-season wins in program history (36) and was ranked the No. 1 team in the nation in the final AP Poll that season. UF was awarded the No. 1 overall seed and went on to reach its fifth Final Four in school history before falling short to UConn in the semifinals.
Although UF has won 12 of its last 13 games, the Gators can’t overlook its No. 16-seeded opponent. It took 33 years for a No. 16 seed to take down a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, but that occurred when Virginia lost to Maryland Baltimore County in the first round in 2018. Moreover, it happened for a second time just five years later when No. 1 Purdue fell to Fairleigh Dickinson in the Round of 64 in 2023.
Norfolk State will make its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with its first run in 2012 leading to a matchup against none other than Florida in the Round of 32. The Gators were victorious in that matchup, claiming a lopsided 84-50 victory to advance to the Sweet 16. Norfolk State made two more trips to March Madness in 2021 and 2022, faltering in the Round of 64 both seasons.
Contact Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a senior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose to further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time.
