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Miami Herald
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Houston eyes chance to make history against Florida in NCAA Championship
No school has made more Final Four appearances without winning a championship than Houston. During their six previous Final Four forays, the Cougars have lost to legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Patrick Ewing and they've lost in legendary fashion -- specifically Lorenzo Charles' last-second dunk that enabled North Carolina State to stun Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and the rest of Phi Slama Jama in the 1983 NCAA title game. Despite dominating the Big 12 and losing just once since Thanksgiving weekend, Houston (35-4) wasn't necessarily supposed to reach Monday night's NCAA championship game against Florida (35-4) in San Antonio. Houston's chances looked particularly dire when the team trailed by 14 with eight minutes to go in Saturday's semifinal and by six -- without the ball -- with just over one minute to play. But now that the Cougars have produced a legendary comeback to knock off the nation's No. 1 team (Duke) featuring college basketball's No. 1 player (Cooper Flagg) leading the nation's No. 1 offense over the last 25 years (per KenPom's efficiency ratings), can they take it the final step and let some other school become known as the best to never win a championship? And with Olajuwon, Drexler, Elvin Hayes and other legendary Houston alums watching from the Alamodome's best seats? 'I'm sure (Olajuwon) poured his heart and soul into this program, just like a lot of the guys that came before us,' said Cougars senior LJ Cryer, who scored a team-high 26 points in Saturday's upset and leads Houston with 15.6 points per game. 'We're standing on those guys' shoulders, everyone who came before us. It would mean a lot to get this done. Not only for us, but for them.' Houston, which has won 18 straight, also has designs on making 69-year-old Kelvin Sampson the oldest coach to win an NCAA championship. Sampson is the architect of the Cougars' system focused on defense, rebounding and toughness, though this year's group also leads the nation in 3-point shooting (39.9 percent) thanks to guards Cryer, Emanuel Sharp (12.8 ppg) and Milos Uzan (11.5 ppg). 'Last night, I got so many texts,' Sampson said. 'I saw Tubby (Smith) and Rick Barnes, Tom Izzo, (Gregg Popovich), a bunch of the older coaches. They all kind of had similar messages to me: Win one for the old guys, something like that.' To do so, Houston and its national-best defense will have to solve an athletic and analytic juggernaut developed by one of Division I's youngest head coaches, 39-year-old Todd Golden. The Gators feature not only the third-most efficient offense in the KenPom era -- averaging 128.8 points per 100 possessions, just shy of Duke's 130.0 rating -- but they also boast the NCAA Tournament's hottest player in senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. When Florida needed to rally from 10 points down to Texas Tech with five minutes to play in the West Region final on March 29, Clayton reeled off 13 of his game-high 30 points. When Florida needed to come back from eight points down to Auburn in Saturday's semifinal, the first-team All-American poured in 20 of his career-high 34. 'Having someone's that such an elite threat to score with the ball in his hands at all times,' Golden said, 'obviously makes everybody else so dangerous as well.' Auburn rarely figured out a way to get the ball out of Clayton's hands during crunch time. He produced a crucial 3-pointer and a three-point play down the stretch when the Tigers got as close as one point. With that in mind, Golden expects Houston's group of agile and physical defenders -- even big men J'Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler have the ability to stay with guards -- to double Clayton and make him give up the ball. 'Their defense worries me a lot, absolutely,' Golden said with a laugh. 'You look at a guy like Tugler, Roberts, they have incredible length and athleticism and physicality inside the paint. They wear you down, make it really, really hard on you.' If Clayton (18.5 ppg, 4.1 apg) can't put up 18 shots like he did Saturday, then he'll move the ball to senior guards Alijah Martin (14.6 ppg) and Will Richard (13.2 ppg) and big men Alex Condon (10.5 ppg) and Thomas Haugh (9.9 ppg). Florida, which has won 11 in a row, has returned to the NCAA championship game for the first time since Billy Donovan's Gators won back-to-back crowns in 2006-07. The sportsbooks favor Florida by 1 or 1.5 points while the predictive analytics (such as KenPom) suggest Houston should win by 1. In other words, this one has all the earmarks of turning into the first NCAA title game that comes down to the last shot since Virginia and Texas Tech needed overtime to settle the 2019 championship. 'Big-picture goal is going to make them take tough twos, (then) fight like hell to get the rebound,' Golden said. 'Every rebound we get is going to feel like we won the game, I feel like. If we can do a good job of keeping them off the boards, we'll give ourselves a chance.' Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
05-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Florida vs. Auburn odds, picks and predictions
The No. 1 seed Florida Gators (34-4) and the No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers (32-5) meet Saturday in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Tip-off from the Alamodome in San Antonio is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Florida vs. Auburn odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. Florida won the West Region with victories over Norfolk State (95-69 on March 21), UConn (77-75 on March 23), Maryland (87-71 on March 27) and Texas Tech (84-79 on March 29). The win over the Red Raiders was a thriller in the Elite 8, as the Gators trailed 75-66 with less than 3 minutes remaining before an amazing rally to get to San Antonio. G Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 30 points, while F Thomas Haugh had 20 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double off the bench, while providing 2 key 3-pointers down the stretch. These teams met at Neville Arena at Auburn Feb. 8, with Florida surprising the then-No. 1 Tigers 90-81 as an 11-point underdog. While the Gators are just 1-3 against the spread (ATS) in the NCAA Tournament, they're 13-4 ATS in the past 17 games since Feb. 4. In that first meeting, G Alijah Martin didn't play due to a hip pointer, but it's all hands on deck for Florida in this Final Four matchup. The Tigers defeated Alabama State (83-63 on March 20), Creighton (82-70 on March 22), Michigan (78-65 on March 28) and Michigan State (70-64 on Sunday) to get to San Antonio. Auburn missed the cover against Alabama State, the No. 16 seed, but is 3-0 ATS in the past 3 outings. The Under is 5-1 in 6 postseason games, too. Against No. 2 Michigan State in the Elite 8, F Johni Broome was electric, going for 25 points with 14 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a blocked shot. G Tahaad Pettiford was the only other Tigers player to get into double digits with 10 points. Broome also had 18 points with 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocked shots in the first meeting with Florida in the losing effort. Auburn is No. 4 and Florida is No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll. Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+ Florida vs. Auburn odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:50 a.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Florida -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Auburn +125 (bet $100 to $125) : Florida -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Auburn +125 (bet $100 to $125) Against the spread : Florida -2.5 (-110) | Auburn +2.5 (-110) : Florida -2.5 (-110) | Auburn +2.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 159.5 (O: -110 | U: -110) Florida vs. Auburn picks and predictions Prediction Florida 87, Auburn 81 Florida (-150) is a little on the pricey side in this rematch of SEC titans. If you're backing the Gators, it's a better value to lay the small number of points — unless you're convinced they'll win by just 1 or 2. AVOID, and look to the spread instead. FLORIDA -2.5 (-110) is worth a look, laying the small number of points as the Gators aim to return to the national title game for the first time since winning back-to-back championships under coach Billy Donovan in 2006 and 2007. Auburn has covered in each of its last 3 games, and it will be difficult for the Gators to handle the Tigers in a second straight game. Still, the Gators' depth gives them an edge, and Clayton has been on a tear, averaging 22.3 points over 4 NCAA Tournament games. Expect a close battle down the stretch, but look for Florida to come out on top. OVER 159.5 (-110) is a strong play in this first national semifinal game. These teams combined for 171 points in their Feb. 8 meeting at Auburn, soaring over the posted total of 156.5. Lately, it's all about the Over for the Gators, as the total has gone high in 11 straight Florida games since Feb. 25. For Auburn, the Under has gone 5-1 across 4 NCAA Tournament games and 2 SEC Tournament contests. However, the Over went 10-2 in its final 12 regular-season games against the SEC, including its loss to Florida. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Clemson player reenters NCAA transfer portal
Former Clemson player reenters NCAA transfer portal A former Clemson basketball player has entered the transfer portal for the second straight year. RJ Godfrey, a key reserve on the Tigers' 2023-24 team that went to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, has reentered the transfer portal after spending a year with coach Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs. Godfrey averaged 15.6 minutes a night during the Tigers' 2023-24 season, which saw Brad Brownell's team beat New Mexico, No. 3 seed Baylor and No. 2 seed Arizona before falling in the West Region final to Alabama. He averaged six points and 3.4 rebounds per game and shot 59.5 percent from the field in 36 games but did not start. Godfrey scored a season-high 19 points in the Tigers' 109-79 win over Queens University on Dec. 22, 2023. He had 12 points in the team's 89-82 Elite Eight loss to Alabama. After transferring to Georgia, where his father Randall Godfrey was a starting linebacker in the early 90s, Godfrey started all 33 games for the Bulldogs this past season. He averaged 19.5 minutes, 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Georgia finished 20-13 and reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed. They lost to No. 8 seed Gonzaga in the first round of the tournament. Could a return to Clemson be in the works for Godfrey? The Tigers lost five different starters from their 2024-25 team, including big men Ian Schieffelin (graduation/eligibility), Chauncey Wiggins (transfer portal) and Viktor Lakhin (graduation/eligibility). Clemson currently has just two returning scholarship players: guard Dillon Hunter and center Christian Reeves. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Texas Tech was on its way to the Final Four. Then Florida happened.
SAN FRANCISCO — With about three minutes remaining, it looked as if Florida would suffer a favorite's death. It's the worst way to go in the NCAA tournament, losing all that popularity in 40 minutes that no one saw coming. All the well-earned praise of the Gators' size, depth and unselfishness meant nothing anymore. Texas Tech had them feeling desperate. And when it seemed they had no shot, they chucked anyway. Thomas Haugh, a skinny 6-foot-9 sophomore with an accidental mullet, started it. Walter Clayton Jr., the former high school football star who turned into an all-American college basketball star, finished it. With a flurry of shot-making in the final three minutes, Florida rescued its national championship hopes and defeated Texas Tech, 84-79, in the West Region final Saturday night.
Boston Globe
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Auburn makes it a top-seeded sweep, beats Michigan State to make Final Four despite Johni Broome injury scare
It's the first time all top seeds have reached the Final Four since 2008, which was the only previous year of all No. 1-seeded semifinalists since seeding began in 1979. Higher-seeded teams went 12-0 in regional semifinals and finals for the first time since the tournament expanded in 1985. Auburn will face Florida, which beat Texas Tech, 84-79, in the West Region final, in an all-Southeastern Conference semifinal on Saturday in San Antonio. Advertisement Jaxon Kohler led the Spartans with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden Akins had 15 points. Broome fell on his right arm while attempting to block a shot with 10:37 remaining and left the game. Broome, the Associated Press SEC player of the year and a first-team All-America selection, appeared to hurt his right elbow on the fall. Broome returned with 5:29 remaining, drawing an immediate ovation from Auburn fans. He had the elbow wrapped and sank a 3-pointer less than a minute later. 'It was a scary moment,' Broome said. 'I went down but my team had my back.' Johni Broome. Absolute cinema 🙌 He returns from the locker room to a HUGE ovation and immediately knocks down the triple 👏 — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) Auburn was the only Elite Eight team to win each of its first three March Madness games by double digits, including its 78-65 Sweet 16 victory over Michigan. Michigan State rallied for a 73-70 win over Mississippi in the Sweet 16. The Spartans led, 8-6, before the Tigers took command with the 17-0 run. The Spartans were held scoreless for 5:46 while missing 10 consecutive shots during the Auburn run. Advertisement A 3-pointer by Broome, who did most of his scoring near the basket, capped the run for a 23-8 lead. Auburn led, 33-24, at halftime. The Spartans pulled within five points at 35-30 early in the second half but got no closer.
