As the Sweet 16 matchup between No. 10 seed Arkansas and No. 3 seed Texas Tech came down to its deciding moments, college basketball fans settled into their sofas and bar stools for what was seemingly about to become a regional final between two SEC behemoths.
Florida had already punched its ticket with a 16-point throttling of No. 4 seed Maryland behind a stellar outing in the second half on Thursday. Keeping composure with a lead in the NCAA Tournament is invaluable, and the Gators did just that. The Razorbacks, on the other hand, watched their season crumble in overtime.
The Red Raiders ripped off a 16-3 run in the final four-plus minutes of regulation en route to a gritty victory over Arkansas, while the Gators were likely paying close attention as they awaited their opponent in the Elite Eight. A large factor in Florida’s second-half trouncing against the Terps was the contributions it received from its bench. Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen was at the forefront of those efforts, tallying 12 points on a 5-for-7 clip in just 19 minutes.
“We used our depth to our advantage,” he said. “[Walter Clayton Jr.], he does what he does. [Will Richard] does what he does. And [Alijah Martin] do what he do. But having people back them up, help them on the defensive end, I think that's a great thing for us.”
It was this exact all-around team effort that allowed UF to inch just one win away from the most coveted setting in all of college basketball. Now, No. 1 seed Florida (33-4, 14-4 SEC) will take on Texas Tech (28-8, 15-5 Big 12) in the West Regional final in San Francisco on Saturday for the right to go to the Final Four in San Antonio.
Any team that finds itself as one of the last eight standing in The Big Dance is capable of cutting down the nets. The Red Raiders have looked sharp as of late, winning their first two March Madness games by double digits before their overtime thriller against the Hogs.
Florida will be the first single-digit seed Texas Tech has played in the NCAA Tournament following victories over the No. 14, 11, and 10 seeds in the West Region. However, a brutally tall task awaits against a Gators team that hasn’t lost a single game to a non-conference opponent this season. The stakes will be incredibly high, though UF sophomore center Rueben Chinyelu believes the Gators are poised for the moment.
“We're just taking pride in what we have been doing all year,” he said. “Just coming in and going in and cleaning the boards, and doing whatever it takes to get our teammates going, which is like getting a rebound, every opportunity we have to get it. Just being able to embrace that.”
This next opportunity will come against Texas Tech. Moreover, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Red Raiders notched nearly 30 wins this season, with four players averaging double-digit scoring marks. Sophomore forward JT Toppin leads the way, averaging a near double-double with 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game at an exceptional 56 percent clip from the field.
Senior guard Chance McMillan and junior forward Darrion Williams each add over 14 points per game. McMillan has been a lethal marksman from behind the 3-point line, posting 69 made 3-pointers on a 44% rate. Rounding out Texas Tech’s versatile scoring threat is freshman guard Christian Anderson, who averages 10.8 points per game with 71 3-pointers. Defensively, Anderson won’t be shy to pick the Gators’ pockets, tallying 41 steals (1.1 per game) this season. The Red Raiders aren't afraid to share the wealth either, posting 16.2 assists per game, good for fourth in the Big 12.
An eye-opening potential storyline can be found in the point differentials between UF and Texas Tech. Florida scores 85.5 points per game, a number that vastly exceeds the 68.0 points per game Texas Tech allows. Something, or some team, will have to give on Saturday. Perhaps it could be the battle on the boards, with both squads boasting a physical brand of rebounding. In the last 10 games, the Gators have grabbed 37.9 boards per game, while the Red Raiders have crashed at a rate not far behind at 34.7. On the defensive end, Texas Tech has allowed 70.4 points per game over the last 10 and could have just what it takes to muck things up for a high-flying Florida offense.
It will be UF’s 10th all-time trip to the Elite Eight, marking the program’s first since 2017. The Elite Eight will feature Florida’s fourth-ever matchup against Texas Tech, with the Gators boasting a 2-1 record in the first three bouts. Florida fans likely remember the most recent meetup all too well, which resulted in a 69-66 loss that sent the Gators home in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
“It's been an amazing run,” UF head coach Todd Golden said. “We've kind of had a great rip through the best league in college basketball over the last 20 years. Won an SEC championship. Now we're playing well at the right time and have an opportunity on Saturday to play our way into the Final Four.”
Tipoff between Florida and Texas Tech in the West Regional final is set for Saturday in San Francisco at 6:09 p.m. ET.
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.
