Alijah Martin (15) surrounded by his Florida teammates during a CBS promo shoot Thursday at the Final Four.
SAN ANTONIO – The Hugh Hathcock Basketball Complex was still buzzing with energy. Just a day earlier, Florida had captured the Southeastern Conference Tournament title—the program’s first championship in 11 years. While the players enjoyed a day off, the coaching staff and support team were already immersed in preparations for the upcoming NCAA Tournament trip to Raleigh, N.C.
Amid the busy atmosphere, Corey Reynolds, UF’s head manager, was handling tournament logistics when his phone rang. On the other end was fifth-year guard Alijah Martin with a special request. It wasn’t about shoes, gear, or even an extra workout. What Martin wanted required more thought and more effort.
Despite an already packed to-do list, Reynolds didn’t hesitate. "I didn't think twice about it," he said.
Within hours, Reynolds had assembled a collage featuring Florida’s players and coaches, highlighting moments from their earlier days when they were far from the spotlight. Martin during his time at Florida Atlantic. Will Richard at Belmont. Thomas Haugh at his prep school in Pennsylvania. Denzel Aberdeen at Orlando Dr. Phillips High. Head Coach Todd Golden at his desk in San Francisco. Associate head coach Carlin Hartman on the sidelines at Rice. Assistant Kevin Hovde as a walk-on in his oversized Richmond jersey. And many more.
Across the top of the image, a powerful message was displayed: "NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM."
As the NCAA opener approached, Alijah Martin shared the image with the Gators through the team’s group text, adding the words, "Stay humble, stay hungry."
The responses from teammates came quickly:
This is incredible. Great work.
Real s—t
LFG
Ridiculous
🤗
So dope!
Let's work
Members only
One game at a time, let's get it
What began as Martin’s personal reminder soon became a unifying message for the entire squad, evolving into a rallying cry over the past three weeks.
"Sometimes, you can experience so much success, and so many people tell you how good you are, that you can forget the grind. It can change your character," Martin said. "But if you can always remember to stay grounded, stay humble and remain that same guy, you can continue to have success."
From where they started to where they stand now, the growth is undeniable.
On Thursday, the Gators (34-4)—winners of 10 straight and 16 of their last 17—arrived at the Alamodome, the stage for this weekend’s 2025 Final Four. They will face Southeastern Conference rival Auburn (32-5) in Saturday night’s semifinal, with the victor advancing to Monday’s national championship game.
The theme of staying true to their roots and embracing an underdog spirit has been present since the team first came together last summer. The word "misfits" was even used to describe the group, reflecting the unconventional paths taken by players and coaches alike.
Golden, once a walk-on point guard at Saint Mary’s, guided a coaching staff filled with assistants who had spent years moving from job to job without yet earning the chance to lead a program. On the court, the dynamic guard trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Richard, and Martin had all been overlooked in their home states during recruiting. Meanwhile, sophomores Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh were absent from the top-150 rankings of their signing class. Preseason predictions didn’t expect much either—polls slotted Florida only sixth in the Southeastern Conference, with no one forecasting the remarkable run that followed.
That’s why receiving a nostalgic visual reminder—delivered right to their phones—was the perfect motivator heading into the tournament.
"I know what it meant to us coaches, especially to me and Korey," said Jordan Talley, assistant director of player development, also speaking for Associate Head Coach Korey McCray, both of whom began their careers in the junior-college ranks. "We took the road less traveled. We're all dogs. We were all hungry."
The timing of the message couldn’t have been better, sparking reflection and memories just when the team needed it most.
Junior center Micah Handlogten, a 7-foot-1 product of the Charlotte area, didn’t receive a single scholarship offer from schools in his home state. He chose Marshall, where he went on to earn 2023 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors. When he entered the transfer portal, interest poured in from dozens of programs—including nearly every school in the SEC.
"I came here because of the coaches, especially Coach Hartman," Handlogten said. "He told me he was going to coach me harder than I'd ever been coached in my life. That's exactly what I wanted to hear, exactly what I needed."
It was Coach Carlin Hartman who reinforced the team’s underdog identity during an emotional, unscripted talk at practice on Jan. 16, just two days after Florida’s home loss to Missouri. He reminded both players and staff that they had strayed from the mindset that fueled 15 wins in their first 16 games—and that it was time to reclaim it. His passionate words left the group captivated.
Associate Head Coach Carlin Hartman
Since that turning point, Florida has compiled a 19-2 record, highlighted by nine victories over Top 25 opponents. Five of those came against teams ranked in the top 10, and the run also featured the program’s first-ever road win against a No. 1-ranked opponent.
That top-ranked team, fittingly, was Auburn.
"A lot of variables go into coaching. There's a lot of mentorship and relationship stuff, then there's some of it that … can you strike a nerve? Can you touch someone?" Hartman said. "We are a team that needs to remember who we are, where we came from and how we got here."
It was only appropriate that Alijah Martin delivered the most recent spark (or “strike,” as Hartman described it). At Florida Atlantic, Martin had been a key figure in the Owls’ unforgettable Cinderella journey to the Final Four. Now, in his graduate season with the Gators, his leadership, defensive presence, and steady voice have been indispensable. Florida would not be in this position without him.
On Saturday night, Martin will make history as the first player ever to start in two Final Fours with two different programs.
But on Thursday, his enjoyment came from something simpler—watching the wide-eyed reactions of his teammates, phones in hand, as they stepped into the massive 65,000-seat Alamodome to prepare for the biggest stage in college basketball.
Alijah Martin remembered the awe he felt stepping onto the stage for the first time two years ago in Houston. This week, though, he chose not to share those memories, wanting his teammates to experience the moment for themselves.
As it turned out, Martin found himself just as amazed this time around.
Reflecting on his own journey reminded him how far he had come—and now he was able to bring the Gators along with him.
"I'm having the same feelings, actually, but now I can watch my guys smile like little kids in a candy factory," Martin said. "They're lives have changed forever and they really don't know it yet."
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
