Florida Gators Crowned National Champions—Cougars Sent Home
- Joel Piton
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
They actually pulled it off. In one of the more surprising finishes in recent memory, we saw the Florida Gators and Houston Cougars square off for the NCAA men's basketball championship. In a tug of war matchup, the Florida Gators ended Houston’s dominant 18-game win streak and walked away with a 65-63 upset to claim their first national title since 2007. The Gators were supposed to win—but against a Cougars team that had formerly looked untouchable, this win came restlessly. Florida led for a total of 64 seconds throughout the entire game, and judging by the box score, you'd wonder how it was the defense that managed to keep this game close.
Florida’s core trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Alex Condon managed a combined 29 points—far from the stat lines you’d expect in a championship bout. But somehow, despite the odds, despite the underwhelming shooting and the lack of flashy highlights, Florida found a way. So how did they pull it off? How did a team that looked outmatched on paper manage to come out on top against four powerhouse No.1 seeds?
In truth, this win starts with Walter Clayton Jr., despite his quiet 11/7/5 performance. Throughout this tournament, Clayton has been the engine behind Florida’s grit—calm under pressure, poised in big moments, and relentless on both ends of the floor. His leadership and decision-making set the tone for everything else. Closing up the NCAA season with 17 points per game, 4 assists, and three rebounds, Clayton's usage rate across his thirty games played has been ridiculous. Golden trusted him to initiate the offense Monday night, and it paid off big.
Of course, Will Richard's 18 point finish makes him the true MVP of San Antonio's game. The 22 year old Belmont transfer bought into Todd Golden's system in 2023, and has now finished his college career in the greatest way possible.
"I trusted him (Golden) from the start," Richard stated Monday. "Just seeing how much he puts into the team."
Without Richard's offense, this game could have taken a turn for the worst. Alijah Martin and Clayton Jr. didn't exactly fill it up offensively, and where points were needed, Richard was there. Athletic finishes, mid-range jumpers, and a crucial three late in the second half helped Florida stay within striking distance. While others struggled to find a rhythm offensively, Richard was the steady hand, keeping the Gators afloat when the Cougars looked just about ready to pull away.
As for Houston, they went through hell to get here, only for their championship berth to come crashing down in the final three minutes. What went wrong?
It started with the one thing that had rarely failed them all season—execution. Up by five with under three minutes to go, the Cougars looked poised to seal the deal. But mental lapses and missed opportunities piled up at the worst possible time. On their penultimate possession, Emanuel Sharp turns the ball over. With just seconds remaining, Houston looked lost. In a scrambled sequence with no real set and no clear option, Cryer gives the ball to Sharpe for a last minute three pointer to seal the game, but with Clayton Jr. flying at him at 100 miles per hour, he pulls the shot down and releases the ball, losing his opportunity to pick it back up and subsequently turning it over to Florida. The Cougars didn’t just lose the title—they let it slip through their fingers.
Sure, fans might not have gotten the Hollywood ending they were hoping for—a Cooper Flagg-led Duke domination. But what we got instead was arguably better: upsets that shook the bracket, underdogs refusing to back down, costly mistakes that added drama, and a Florida team with heart clawing its way to the top. If March Madness is about chaos, tension, and unexpected glory, then this tournament delivered in full. As for Cooper Flagg, it’s hard to imagine he’ll return to college ball with his draft stock sky-high—so if this was the last we saw of him in a Duke jersey, the hype was real, even if his tenure was short. All in all, this year’s tourney had storylines, heartbreak and triumph—everything you could ask for. Was it the fairytale ending you pictured, or were you left wanting more? Let us know in the comments below!
As always, until next time✌️
Thanks for reading!
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JP
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