March Madness

By: Finn Seeley '25

​After capping off their 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars, the Florida Gators have officially earned their third NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness. While it was their third trophy to bring back to Gainsville, it was the university’s first trophy to bring back since 2007. Todd Golden, the coach of Florida should certainly be praised for bringing them back to the top.
The championship game was tight until the end makinging it very entertaining to watch. It was a defense-dominated game as both teams struggled to produce on offense. The game’s greatest scorer, Walton Clayton Jr. managed to drop 20 points, making him the recipient of the Most Outstanding Player award. A Houston guard, Jamal Shead, also had a noteworthy performance, but it was not significant enough to overcome the Gators. 
Neither team had an easy road to the championship as this year was notable for having very few upsets. In fact, the Final Four was made up entirely of 1-seeds– Florida, Houston, Duke, and Auburn. The odds favored Florida over Auburn in the semifinal which proved to be true, but Houston was considered an underdog headed into their game. Despite this Houston came out victorious after making an impressive comeback. Down by 6 with just 33 seconds to go in the game Houston scored 9 points to win by 3. 
Overall, despite a lack of upsets, March Madness was the center of media attention for three weeks and it served as entertainment for all those who watched it. The Championship was a nailbiter until the end and a great way to close out the tournament.