Projected Starters
The Breakdown
Lenovo Center (capacity 20,000), in Raleigh, North Carolina, is home to the NHL Carolina Hurricanes
Matchup Overview
Fourth-ranked Florida enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West Region, set to face No. 16 seed Norfolk State in the opening round. The winner will advance to Sunday’s game against either two-time defending champion Connecticut (23-10) or Oklahoma (20-13), who meet in Friday’s late contest scheduled for approximately 9:25 p.m.
Florida earned its position by finishing second in the Southeastern Conference during the regular season and capturing the league’s tournament crown in Nashville. The Gators defeated No. 21 Missouri, No. 5 Alabama, and No. 6 Tennessee in the final, 86-77, winning all three games by an average margin of 15 points across a demanding 50-hour stretch.
Norfolk State secured its spot by winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament on its home court. The Spartans edged South Carolina State, 66-65, in the championship game after earlier victories over Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State.
Head-to-Head History
Florida holds a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series, with the only meeting taking place during the 2012 NCAA Tournament. In that second-round matchup at Omaha, Nebraska, the Gators defeated Norfolk State 84-50. That year, Florida entered as a No. 7 seed and opened the tournament with a 71-45 victory over 10-seed Virginia. Norfolk State, a 15-seed, had stunned 2-seed Missouri 86-84—winners of the Big 12 Tournament with 30 victories—in one of the most memorable upsets in NCAA history.
The Spartans’ Cinderella run was short-lived, however, as Florida built a commanding 47-19 halftime lead by shooting 53 percent from the field while limiting NSU to 26 percent. Junior guard
Kenny Boyton paced the Gators with 20 points, supported by 15 from senior point guard
Erving Walker and a strong all-around performance from freshman
Bradley Beal, who added 14 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. After briefly trailing 6-4, Florida unleashed a decisive 25-0 run that effectively sealed the outcome.
ETC
Florida holds a 10-1 record in NCAA Tournament play when entering as a No. 1 seed. The only setback came against UConn in the 2014 Final Four at Arlington, Texas. This year marks the program’s third time earning the top seed, joining 2007—when the Gators captured the second of their consecutive national championships—as part of that elite history.
Tale of the Tape
The Gators
Forward Alex Condon (left)
Florida’s dominant three-game run through the SEC Tournament propelled the team to No. 1 in KenPom.com’s offensive efficiency rankings. Against Tennessee’s highly regarded defense, the Gators exceeded what opponents had been able to produce all season. They remain one of only three programs ranked in the top 10 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency (10th), joining Duke (3rd/4th) and Houston (10th/2nd). Auburn (2nd/12th) narrowly missed joining that group.
Head coach
Todd Golden enters his third NCAA Tournament appearance (once with San Francisco, twice with UF) still seeking his first victory. Florida also ranks eighth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (38.1), seventh in effective field-goal defense (45.3%), eighth in 3-point defense (29.6%), and 15th in 2-point defense (45.9).
First-team All-SEC guard
Walter Clayton Jr. delivered an MVP performance in the SEC Tournament, now standing third in KenPom’s National Player of the Year race. He averaged 20.6 points, shot nearly 48 percent overall, and hit 50 percent from beyond the arc (13 of 26). Clayton was part of UF’s senior perimeter trio with
Will Richard and
Alijah Martin, who combined for 51.7 points, 7.7 threes, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game during the tournament. Richard shot 39 percent from deep and was nearly perfect at the free-throw line (15 of 16). Martin struggled from long range in the title game (0-for-5) but was outstanding inside the arc, converting 14 of 16 attempts (87.5%).
Third-team All-SEC forward
Alex Condon contributed with his trademark energy, averaging 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. Center
Rueben Chinyelu stayed consistent with his season averages, making 10 of 13 field goals (77%).
Sophomore forward
Thomas Haugh elevated his play, averaging 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor. He also connected on two of three 3-pointers and sank 18 of 22 free throws in just over 23 minutes per game. Guard
Denzel Aberdeen provided clutch scoring, including a dramatic 28-foot 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer against Tennessee. He averaged eight points on 45 percent shooting.
Center
Micah Handlogten was a force on the boards, grabbing 15 rebounds in 40 minutes while making all four of his shot attempts. His efficiency and passing ability from both the high and low post make him a unique weapon off the bench. Guard
Urban Klavzar, averaging 3.6 points per game, struggled against Tennessee’s physical defense but managed to hit a 3-pointer in each of the other tournament contests.
The
Spartans
Guard Brian Moore Jr. (5)
Norfolk State is led by head coach
Robert Jones, now in his 12th season with a career record of 212-148. His NCAA Tournament résumé includes a 1-2 mark, highlighted by the Spartans’ play-in victory over Appalachian State in 2021 before falling to top-seeded Gonzaga two days later.
This season, NSU faced three high-major opponents, dropping contests at Stanford (by seven), Baylor (by 25), and Tennessee (by 15). The Spartans did secure a notable Quadrant 2 win, defeating James Madison 83-69 at home on November 9.
In conference play, Norfolk State went 11-3 in the MEAC, finishing in a tie with South Carolina State before claiming the league’s automatic NCAA berth by winning the tournament championship.
Historically, NSU competed at the Division II level until 1999, reaching the Final Four in 1995. Since moving to Division I, the Spartans hold a 2-3 record in NCAA Tournament play.
Numbers of Note
UF senior point guard Erving Walker (11) had 15 points in helping lead the Gators to a 34-point smashing of Norfolk State in the 2012 NCAA Tournament at Omaha, Nebraska.
- 3 — National champions over the last 10 NCAA Tournaments who also captured their conference tournament the week prior: Villanova (2018), Kansas (2022), and UConn (2024).
- 37.6 — The average margin of defeat for Norfolk State in its three NCAA Tournament losses. The Spartans fell to Florida by 34 in 2012, Gonzaga 98-55 in 2021 (following their play-in win), and Baylor 85-49 in 2022.
- 212th — Norfolk State’s KenPom ranking when it stunned second-seeded Missouri in 2012. The Spartans remain the lowest-rated team to win an NCAA Tournament game since KenPom began tracking advanced metrics in 2001-02.
- 1,206 — Career points for Will Richard across three seasons at Florida, placing him 39th on the program’s all-time scoring list. He recently passed UF assistant coach and former Gator standout Taurean Green (1,174).
- 1,212 — Career points for Walter Clayton Jr. in two seasons at Florida, ranking 38th on the all-time list. He sits just eight points behind Dorian Finney-Smith (1,220), the highest-scoring transfer in UF history.
Final Takeaway
Florida’s regular season was one for the ages, but true legacies are defined in March. The stage is set, and the journey continues.
Email Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
