Sports | Basketball - The Independent Florida Alligator

Florida fans decked in merch stand outside of Cantina Añejo following the NCAA Final Four game on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

18 years in the making: A flashback to UF’s ‘06, ‘07 NCAA championship wins

By Avery Parker | Apr. 7

Surrounded by a stadium packed 51,000 strong, the Gators gathered in Atlanta for the 2007 NCAA Championship game, prepared for a face off against Ohio State. Back in Gainesville, fans crowded into the popular bars of the day, anxious to see if the Gators could pull off their second — and consecutive — NCAA championship win, a feat no team had managed to achieve since the early ‘90s.

The Florida Gators student section celebrates during a basketball game against the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Natty numbers: How do Florida’s and Houston’s stats compare going into the championship?

By Zoey Thomas | Apr. 7

Florida and Houston are facing off in the men’s basketball National Championship at 8:50 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas. Both teams pulled upsets in their Final Four games Saturday night. Houston erased Duke’s nine-point lead in the last two minutes to win 70-67, while Florida outlasted Auburn 79-73.

James poses out the window of the bar Ballz following the Gators win at the NCAA Final Four game on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Gators gone wild: Gainesville celebrates Auburn win

By Alligator Staff report | Apr. 7

When UF’s Final Four matchup against the Auburn Tigers ended in triumph, Gainesville roared. Students stormed the streets. Bar floors shook. Fireworks exploded. The Gators had just advanced to their first National Championship since 2007.

Florida Gators guard Alijah Martin (15) flies through the air before a dunk during a basketball game against the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Florida ascends into National Championship

By Noah White | Apr. 7

In a rematch of SEC titans, Walter Clayton Jr. toppled top-seeded Auburn with a career-defining 34-point performance in San Antonio. With the win, Florida advances to its first national championship since 2007.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) drives with the ball during a basketball game against the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida outlasts Auburn en route to National Championship berth

By Noah White | Apr. 5

In a rematch of SEC titans, Walter Clayton Jr. toppled top-seeded Auburn with a 34-point, career-defining performance in San Antonio. With the win, Florida advances to its first national championship since 2007.

The Gators will face the Auburn Tigers in San Antonio Saturday for a Final Four match Saturday night.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Live from Gainesville: UF watches Gators men’s basketball in the Final Four

By Alligator Staff report | Apr. 5

The Gators returned to the Final Four for the first time since 2014 after a nail-biting Elite Eight performance against Texas Tech. If Florida advances Saturday evening, it will be the first National Championship the team has made since 2007.

Florida Gators fans talk on the concourse of Capital One Fan Fest during Final Four weekend in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

By air, by land, (not) by sea: Florida fans follow historic NCAA Tournament run

By Noah White and Juliana DeFilippo | Apr. 5

Final Four Saturday night when Florida will take on Auburn in the Final Four tonight at 6:09 p.m. EST. So will thousands of other Gators. Between mass carpools and emotional ties, here’s how they got there and what it means.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) drinks water during a timeout in a basketball game against UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Inside the numbers of Florida basketball’s Final Four run

By Noah White | Apr. 5

Florida basketball is numbers driven, and in the final moments of last Saturday’s 10-point comeback in the Elite Eight, it never had been more so.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) shoots a free throw in a basketball game against Auburn University on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Auburn, Ala.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida looks to reach national championship with win over Auburn in Final Four

By Max Tucker | Apr. 5

Florida basketball is back in the Final Four against a familiar opponent in Auburn. Here’s a preview of what’s to come between the Gators and Tigers with a national championship berth on the line.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) takes a layup during a basketball game against UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida basketball’s top five NCAA Tournament teams

By Max Tucker | Apr. 2

After 11 years, Florida basketball is back in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at how this year’s dominance stacks up against other all-time great teams in program history.

Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dunks the ball during a basketball game against Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Thomas Haugh achieves childhood dream with Final Four berth

By Noah White | Apr. 1

Thomas Haugh watched Tim Tebow as a child and a dream formed. Now, having pushed Florida to the Final Four, he’s living out a lifelong goal.

University of Florida Gators Women’s Basketball plays against the Oklahoma Sooners for their senior night on Thursday, Feb. 27th, 2025.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida women’s basketball season ends in WBIT Semifinals

By Max Bernstein | Mar. 31

At the beginning of March, the season looked all but over for the Florida women’s basketball team. It had a 14-15 record and sat at 5-10 in SEC play. But after the Gators’ senior night loss on Feb. 27 to Oklahoma, head coach Kelly Rae Finley remained optimistic, saying, “It’s not the end of our season by any stretch of the imagination.”

Florida Gators plays against Texas Tech for the WBIT on Thursday, March 27th, 2025.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Laila Reynolds looks to usher in a new era of Florida women’s basketball

By Amanda Roman | Mar. 31

As Florida women’s basketball’s only sophomore, Laila Reynolds plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the program, inspiring and leading the next batch of players.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) dribbles the ball in a basketball game against Texas A&M on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida advances to Final Four after Clayton Jr.'s late game heroics

By Noah White | Mar. 29

In Florida’s most notable game of the last decade, Walter Clayton Jr. put together the strongest performance of his career, including a dagger three in the final seconds, to send the Gators to the Final Four.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) poses with a young fan during ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Drawing historic comparisons, Walter Clayton Jr. launches into spotlight

By Noah White | Mar. 29

Walter Clayton Jr. got three college basketball offers out of high school and commanded a sub-65 transfer ranking two years later. As of Tuesday, he is a finalist for the highest single-player award in college basketball.

Florida Gators guard Will Richard (5) dunks the ball during a basketball game against UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Gators gearing up for Elite Eight contest against Texas Tech

By Max Tucker | Mar. 28

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 Gators guard Alijah Martin (15) celebrates after a dunk during a basketball game against UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida dominates second-half and boards, advancing past Maryland

By Noah White | Mar. 27

Florida’s season has been filled with firsts. The Gators earned their first one seed in over a decade. They ran out their first AP All-American in program history. They won the SEC for the first time since 2014. Now, Florida advances to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

Florida women’s basketball staves off underdog Texas Tech, advances to WBIT semifinals

By Jack Meyer | Mar. 27

The Florida Gators women’s basketball team narrowly escaped with a win in the WBIT quarterfinals to punch its ticket to Indianapolis for the tournament’s penultimate round.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

An offensive showcase: key storylines for Maryland

By Noah White | Mar. 27

Having traveled across the country to San Francisco, Todd Golden is in familiar territory. His team isn’t, though. Here are three storylines entering Florida’s first Sweet Sixteen game in nearly a decade.

Florida Gators gymnastics Assistant Coach Jeremy Miranda mimics Taylor Clark during the end of her floor routine in a gymnastics meet against the Kentucky Wildcats in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, March 14, 2025.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Jeremy Miranda steadies Florida gymnastics with NCAA Regionals on the horizon

By Liana Handler | Mar. 25

Jeremy Miranda’s closet of 150 button up shirts is synonymous with the man he is: playful, organized and always ready to support Florida gymnastics.