In the chaos of Florida’s historic postseason run, walk-on graduate student guard Bennett Andersen made his way under the bright arena lights, as his two minutes of play would later resonate beyond the court.
It started from the end of the UF bench when Andersen was subbed in with one minute left on the clock to finish UF’s SEC Tournament semifinals victory against No. 5 Alabama. The Gators were ahead 102-80 against the Crimson Tide as all eyes locked on Andersen. That’s when he drove straight past Alabama freshman guard Labaron Philon for a smooth layup.
The Gators’ bench exploded as he capped off the victory that sent Florida to the SEC Championship. Almost two weeks later, Andersen did it again, as UF head coach Todd Golden summoned him during the Gators’ Sweet 16 victory 87-71 against No. 4-seeded Maryland.
In the closing minutes of the NCAA Tournament matchup, the graduate student grabbed an offensive rebound, spun around a defender and scored on a driving layup. The Chase Center crowd roared as Florida’s sideline came to its feet, celebrating his second “Bennie Buckets” of the postseason.
Andersen’s journey to playing on one of college basketball’s biggest stages, however, looks a little different than anyone else’s on Florida’s roster. It didn’t feature recruiting stars, but instead a laundry basket.
“I would have never thought I would have played in March Madness, especially when I was coming to UF not even knowing I was going to be a manager at this point," Andersen said. "So, it’s just awesome, it’s just a dream come true.”
The three-time intramural champion earned his spot on the roster after spending three seasons working behind the scenes as a team manager. He was in charge of various duties such as doing the team’s laundry or ordering a player’s takeout order, but he did it with a strong work ethic and humble mindset.
Golden introduced a high school recruit to Andersen in Summer 2023 as a team manager, but what Golden said afterward was something Andersen never expected.
“This is Bennett, he’s one of our managers,” Golden said. “We might give him a jersey next year, we’ll see.”
The Tampa native found himself with the opportunity of a lifetime, joining the team as a walk-on. He had been a Florida fan for as long as he could remember, with both his parents being alumni.
In December 2023, Andersen ran out of the tunnel in a Florida jersey, making his collegiate debut and scoring his first points as a Gator. The senior capped off a 96-57 victory against Grambling State with a baseline cut to the basket for a reverse layup.
The entire UF bench stood on its feet, jumping up and down to cheer for the walk-on, recognizing all the hard work he put in to reach that point.
“It was more self-motivation,” Andersen said. “I kind of just wanted to be a part of the program and do as much as I could.”
He appeared in four games during his first season, scoring on his lone attempt. This year, he played in nine games, recording his pair of memorable postseason baskets.
At the Gators’ practice facility on April 1, Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux founder Brandon Landry introduced himself to the team and told his story as a Louisiana State University walk-on basketball player.
Landry emphasized how his company celebrates the heart of a walk-on. All eyes turned to Andersen. A walk-on stepping on the court in a Sweet 16 game was practically unheard of, and Andersen was honored for such.
“I just wanted to come and personally congratulate you and thank you for being an inspiration for so many walk-ons,” Landry said directly to Andersen. “We also give scholarships, and you just got one.”
Andersen received an NIL deal and a $10,000 scholarship from the organization. His teammates swarmed him, shouting and jumping in celebration.
Off the court, Andersen’s achievements are just as impressive. In March, the industrials and systems engineering graduate was named to the 2025 SEC Men’s Basketball Community Service Team.
Andersen serves on the executive committee for the Gainesville chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, overseeing fundraising. The organization builds and delivers beds to local children and families in need. In 2024, he helped raise more than $50,000 and assisted in the hands-on building and delivery of beds.
On April 4, he was recognized as the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Elite 90 winner, which is awarded to the student athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships. The now-graduate earned a 3.98 GPA in his undergraduate studies and is currently in UF’s master of science in management program.
“It means a lot. I am just really grateful to have gone to the University of Florida,” Anderson said. “And to get to be a part of basketball — it’s a dream come true.”
From cheering on the Gators at home to being a part of a national championship team, Andersen has taken the basketball world by storm.
Contact Hailey Hurst at hhurst@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haileyjhurst.
Hailey is one of two Spring 2025 Assistant Sports Editors and a third-year journalism sports & media major. This is her fifth semester on the sports desk for the Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and cheering for Miami sports teams.
