13-04-2025
Two walk-ons from South Florida are part of the Gators' run to a men's basketball national title
When Cooper Josefsberg was in the seventh grade, he and his family went on an African safari where they watched — from up close — as a lion hunted a zebra.
During the past couple of weeks, Josefsberg had another incredible up-close view as the walk-on basketball player from Miami's Riviera Prep watched his Florida Gators win six straight NCAA Tournament games, earning their first national title since 2007.
Of Florida's three walk-ons this season, two of them are from Dade/Broward, including Weston Cypress Bay graduate Kevin Pazmino. Both of them are 6-4 sophomore guards.
Josefsberg and Pazmino barely played – a combined total of seven minutes all season. But while they produced zero points, they each finished the season with a national-championship ring and hundreds of awesome memories.
'This was an experience I will always remember,' Pazmino told The Herald on Thursday. 'I wish I could slow down and embrace each moment, but things are happening so fast.'
So, how good were the Gators this season, and what was it like to be a walk-on player for the nation's top college squad?
First, the Gators finished 36-4, including a 15-1 home record. They also went 14-4 in the Southeastern Conference and an impressive 14-0 at neutral sites.
Ranked just 21st in the Associated Press preseason poll, the Gators won their first 13 games and rolled to their fifth SEC tournament title.
Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. became a first-team All-American, and Alex Condon, a 6-11 power forward from Australia, was named to the All-SEC third team.
In addition, Todd Golden, whose only previous head coaching stop was at San Francisco for three years, led Florida to the national title in his third season in Gainesville.
The only other coach to lead the Gators to a national title was Billy Donovan, who did it twice (2006, 2007).
Besides Clayton and Condon, the other Gators starters in their 65-63 national championship win against Houston on Monday were 6-2 guard Alijah Martin; 6-4 guard Will Richard; and 6-10 center Rueben Chinyelu.
Josefsberg, a sports management major who could someday become a coach or general manager, said Martin was a key addition due to his experience helping Florida Atlantic reach the 2023 Final Four.
'He changed our mentality,' Josefsberg said. 'He brought a dog mentality, making everyone play harder.'
Pazmino, who plans to work in agriculture when he is done playing basketball, said the Gators talked about winning the national title from the moment this group got together last summer.
'That was our goal, and we realized in practice that we were really good,' Pazmino said. 'When we got to the tournament, we felt nobody could beat us the way we were playing.'
Added Josefsberg: 'We knew right away that this team was special. One of the keys to a team is chemistry. But not just regular chemistry — we felt like brothers from Day 1.'
Despite their walk-on status, Josefsberg and Pazmino are accomplished basketball players.
As a senior, Josefsberg ranked second on Riviera Prep in scoring (11.6), leading the Bulldogs to their first state title.
'He's a winner,' Riviera Prep athletics director Courtney Young said.
Indeed, Josefsberg was what is known as a 'preferred walk-on,' which means he was recruited but not given a scholarship.
Indiana, LSU and Florida were his final three schools.
'After I left my visit to Indiana, I told my parents, 'This is the one,'' Josefsberg said. 'Three days later, I visited Florida, and it just felt right. I didn't take any more visits.'
Pazmino, who averaged 13.6 points as a senior at Cypress Bay, had a more difficult road to the Gators as compared to Josefsberg.
After high school, Pazmino had zero true offers for college basketball, so he walked on to a junior college in Gainesville (Santa Fe). After redshirting in his first season, Pazmino averaged 10.3 points in 2023-2024.
After that season, Pazmino picked up some Division II scholarship offers, but the chance to walk on at Florida was enticing.
Santa Fe assistant coach Brandon Buckman was the one who sent Pazmino's game film to Florida, and that ultimately led to a roster spot.
'In the back of my mind, I'm thinking: 'I'm getting a spot at UF, and I can't say no to that,'' Pazmino said. 'I ended up taking that walk-on spot, and now we're national champs. It's crazy to think about.'
One of Pazmino's many memories of this year at Florida was the preseason conditioning drills, including running up and down the steps of UF's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium a dozen times.
'Up and down counted as one,' Pazmino said. 'My legs were burning.'
While at Cypress Bay, Pazmino was on the varsity all four years, according to coach Jason Looky.
'He's always been a great shooter with a good frame,' Looky said. 'He went to Florida because he wanted the best training so he could get better.'
Even so, the main role of the walk-ons at Florida is to prepare the rotation players for their next opponent.
In practice, each member of the scout team would impersonate a rival player from Florida's upcoming opponent. The scout team would also run the opposing team's favorite plays.
Pazmino said he's had to guard Clayton a time or two in practice.
'He has [Stephen] Curry range,' Pazmino said, 'and if you go out too far, he attacks you.'
Pazmino also said Gators practices are highly physical. Fouls aren't going to be called often.
'I remember shooting a floater from the baseline,' Pazmino said. '[Chinyelu] is our strongest guy [at 255 pounds]. He lightly contested my floater, and I bounced off his body and fell backward. He just stood there.'
Once practice is over, though, Pazmino and Josefsberg's roles change, and they had that up-close view as the Gators did some big-game hunting of their own.
In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Florida knocked off two-time reigning national champion Connecticut, 77-75, as Clayton scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes.
To get to the Final Four, Florida rallied from a nine-point deficit with less than three minutes left to eliminate Texas Tech, 84-79. Clayton scored a game-high 30 points.
Against SEC rival Auburn in the NCAA semifinals, Clayton scored a game-high 34 points as Florida prevailed, 79-73.
The Gators capped their magical season by rallying from a 12-point deficit against Houston. Clayton was held to 11 points, but he made the game's key defensive stop on Houston's final possession, preserving Florida's two-point lead.
Pazmino said he was nervous at times in those do-or-die games, especially against Texas Tech.
'We had to play perfect down the stretch,' Pazmino said. 'But there was confidence because we know how good we are.
'Against Houston, my heart was pumping because this was for the national championship.'
Pazmino also described how during timeouts, Florida's coaches and players have separate huddles initially.
'[Clayton] is our captain, and he gives his perspective,' Pazmino said. '[Richard] will elaborate. Then our coaches come in and draw up a play or go over three or four things we need to do better.'
Josefsberg considers himself to be Florida's 'energy guy' on the bench, keeping everybody focused.
In addition, he talks trash to opposing players, trying to get them off their games, and, during timeouts, he tells his on-court teammates what he sees.
'Even when we're losing, nobody is blaming a teammate,' Josefsberg said. 'Nobody panics. We just say: 'We've been down before. Let's stay the course and finish the job.''
While Pazmino has not yet decided whether to return to Florida next season or seek more playing time elsewhere, Josefsberg is sure.
'I want to come back and do what our past legends accomplished [in 2006-2007],' Josefsberg said. 'I want to help bring that greatness back to Florida with consecutive national championships.'
So, for the guy who watched lions up close in Africa, what was it like to be have a courtside seat for a national-championship run?
'It's pretty crazy,' Josefsberg said. 'You're right there in front of the action, watching the best players in the country. It's special.'
