Of the 10-15 packages that had the best influence on males’s faculty basketball over the previous couple of many years, maybe none entered the post-COVID world with a extra unsure long-term future than Florida.
From 2014 by means of 2o24, Florida participated in a complete of simply 5 NCAA Tournaments. It was by no means seeded higher than fourth, and it made the event’s second weekend only one time.
There was a basic perception that UF was a program that had skilled a couple of good moments through the years, caught lightning in a bottle for a quick stretch within the mid-2000s, and now was poised to reside out the rest of its basketball existence as a notable also-ran.
Such an existence wouldn’t have been atypical for Florida.
On a football-crazy campus, Gator basketball was at all times preventing an uphill battle when it got here to attempting to seize the whole consideration of its fan base earlier than late December. Earlier than Billy Donovan arrived in Gainesville in 1996, the game wasn’t even a post-holiday interest.
Regardless of taking part in in an influence convention because the inception of the SEC in 1932, Florida had performed in simply 5 NCAA Tournaments in its historical past. It had superior previous the opening weekend simply twice earlier than Donovan was employed.
The hiring of Donovan, who was simply 31-years-old and (regardless of his slicked again hair) seemed like he might have handed for 21, didn’t make a lot of an influence within the faculty basketball world initially. Donovan was a reputation, certain, however that was extra from his taking part in days at Windfall and his tight-knit relationship together with his faculty coach, Rick Pitino. After spending 5 seasons as an assistant at Kentucky beneath Pitino, Donovan was employed as the pinnacle coach at Marshall the place he went 35-20 over two seasons and by no means flirted with an NCAA Match look.
Regardless of the shortage of something resembling an preliminary splash, the hiring of Donovan ushered in an period of success in Gainesville that nobody noticed coming.
Below the path of “Billy the Child,” Florida made 14 journeys to the Huge Dance, gained six SEC championships, superior to the Last 4 4 occasions, and till 12 months in the past, was the latest program to win back-to-back nationwide championships (2006-07).
Because it tends to do, all that success got here hand-in-hand with rumors of larger and higher issues for the person accountable. Openings at packages like Kentucky and UCLA and a quick dedication by Donovan to turn out to be the brand new head coach of the Orlando Magic pressured Florida followers to return face-to-face with the query of what their nationwide powerhouse of a basketball program would seem like with out the person receiving the lion’s share of the credit score for its speedy ascension.
They acquired to face that world head on when Donovan was lastly lured away by the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder in 2015. The departure got here after a woeful 16-17 marketing campaign, Donovan’s first shedding season as a head coach since his second 12 months in Gainesville.
Florida handed the keys to its automobile to Mike White. Like Donovan earlier than him, White had been a head coach at only one cease previous to UF (Louisiana Tech), and had by no means coached a recreation within the NCAA Match. That was nearly the place the similarities ended.
This system didn’t fall off a cliff within the years instantly following Donovan’s departure, but it surely didn’t soar both. White took Florida to the NCAA Match in 4 straight years from 2017-2021, profitable at the least one recreation within the Huge Dance every time. However there was only one journey previous the second spherical, the staff was by no means a critical contender for an SEC championship, and the Gators had been simply 10-15 within the month of March between 2017 and 2022. That’s when White pulled a “you’ll be able to’t hearth me, I stop” and bolted for Georgia.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin shortly turned his consideration to Todd Golden, a head coach with a well-known profile.
Golden was 36, seemed considerably youthful, and had a forward-thinking method to the sport at basketball. At San Francisco, Golden had preached “Nerd Ball,” a time period coined by earlier USF head coach Kyle Smith, whom Golden labored beneath for 3 seasons. Emphasizing analytics and inner “hustle stats” particular to this system, Golden gained 57 video games in three seasons with the Dons, main them to the NCAA Match as an at-large choice in 2022.
Questions from Gator followers about whether or not or not the method might work on the energy convention stage weren’t initially met with a comforting reply. Florida went 16-17 in 12 months one, shedding within the first spherical of the NIT. They made the NCAA Match as a 7-seed a 12 months later, shedding to Colorado within the first spherical.
The 2024-25 season was alleged to be one other small step ahead for Golden and firm. The Gators had been No. 21 within the preseason AP high 25 ballot, and picked to complete sixth within the SEC.
In an period of unprecedented roster turnover, Golden banked on roster retention being the important thing to a season of overachievement. He had been capable of persuade the five-player nucleus of his 2023-24 staff, together with All-American Walter Clayton Jr., to return to Gainesville for at the least yet one more season.
“For us going from years two to a few, one of many benefits that we thought we had going into the low season was that we had some good younger guys in our program,” Golden mentioned at SEC Media Day earlier than the season. “Nevertheless it all begins with the retention, and all of it begins with that continuity, and any staff that’s capable of construct continuity inside their program I believe goes to be a greater likelihood of being profitable.”
Golden added that if his staff might advance within the NCAA Match and end the season ranked increased than its preseason rating of 21, it will be a pleasant option to present the followers that this system is again heading in the right direction. They did way over that, profitable a school-record 36 video games, rolling to the nationwide championship, and making Golden the youngest head coach because the legendary Jim Valvano to chop down the nets.
With the historic win over Houston within the title recreation, “soccer college” Florida turned one in all simply 10 males’s faculty basketball packages to win three or extra nationwide championships, and joined UConn as the one two packages within the sport to win greater than two titles during the last 20 years.
However might the lightning be saved within the bottle a bit longer this time?
Golden misplaced the three main scorers from his nationwide title staff to commencement, however was capable of persuade all three members of his stellar frontcourt to return to Gainesville for one more 12 months. The additions of switch guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) struggled to gel early within the season however discovered their stride throughout convention play. The Gators gained 11 consecutive video games to finish the common season and, in the end, earn a No. 1 seed within the NCAA Match for a second straight 12 months. The dream of back-to-back titles for the second time in twenty years got here crashing to a halt with a shocking 1-point loss to Iowa within the second spherical.
Any concern that the window on Florida’s second run of elite success is perhaps closing acquired shut down nearly instantly after the staff’s event exit.
Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and Thomas Huagh — extensively thought-about to be the very best frontcourt trio within the nation — all introduced that they might be spurning the NBA and the switch portal in favor of returning to Florida for yet one more shot at a second title. Fland, who was stellar for the Gators down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, additionally introduced that he was returning, citing “unfinished enterprise.” Golden can also be bringing again high reserve guard City Klavzar, and although he wants a waiver to play, can also be probably getting again guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve on the 2025 championship staff who spent final season at Kentucky.
This unprecedented stage of roster retention within the switch portal/NIL period has made the Gators practically everybody’s “approach too early” No. 1 staff for the 2026-27 season.
Golden isn’t the one head coach to speak concerning the significance of roster retention on this courageous, new world of faculty hoops, however he’s executed the concoction of that “secret sauce” higher than anybody within the nation has over the previous three years. The result’s Florida basketball probably being positioned for its finest run of sustained success ever, one that would push it even additional up the all-time faculty basketball totem pole.
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