Florida Set For Sweet 16 Showdown Against Maryland

The Florida men’s basketball team takes the court in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night with momentum, confidence and history on its side.

After rallying past UConn in the Round of 32 behind a late scoring burst from Walter Clayton Jr., the top-seed Gators (32-4) now face four seed Maryland  (27-8) in a pivotal West Region semifinal clash at 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS and TruTV) at Chase Center in San Francisco. It marks Florida’s 11th all-time appearance in the Sweet 16, boasting a 9-1 record in this round, including unforgettable moments like Chris Chiozza’s buzzer-beater against Wisconsin in 2017.

This game will be the first NCAA Tournament meeting between third-ranked Florida and No. 11-ranked Maryland, with the all-time series tied at two wins apiece. It’s also Florida’s first appearance in California since 1981.

a golden state game day

Chase Center
Maryland
@ 7:39 PM EST pic.twitter.com/AYN0TqhnHP

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 27, 2025

Golden Returns to Familiar Ground

For Florida coach Todd Golden, this game carries special meaning. The 39-year-old is no stranger to the Bay Area. He played college ball at Saint Mary’s (2004–08) in nearby Moraga and later returned to the region to begin his coaching ascent. Golden spent six years at the University of San Francisco (2016–22), first as an assistant and then as head coach, before taking over at Florida. His deep ties to the area provide a homecoming narrative as he leads a resurgent Gators squad onto the national stage.

“My hope is that our fans will travel well. I think we’ll have a lot of Bay Area support here tomorrow both from the city and the other side of the bridge Moraga and East Bay coming over,” Golden said. “I hope they’ll give us a little extra jolt of energy in this game tomorrow because Maryland’s a great team and Coach Willard has done a great job. They’re freaky talented.”

Clayton-Led Championship Backcourt

First-team All-American Walter Clayton Jr. has been the driving force for the SEC Tournament champion Gators throughout the postseason. Against UConn, he scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes to fuel a comeback from a six-point deficit. Clayton has now scored a staggering 1,258 points in his two seasons at Florida — second only to Neal Walk’s 1,312 in a two-season span — and has connected on 199 3-pointers to trail only sharpshooter Lee Humphrey (226).

Clayton’s shooting has been lights out in the postseason, hitting 22-of-43 from beyond the arc (.512), averaging 4.4 3s per game over Florida’s five tournament contests. Golden said his motivation stems from deep passion.

“If you know Walt, you understand passion is kind of what drives him in all facets, whether it’s his beautiful daughter, whether it’s being back in the state of Florida, whether it’s leading our program back to national prominence,” Golden said. “He takes a lot of pride in those specific things.”

Senior Guards Fueling Florida’s Run

Florida’s senior trio — Clayton, Will Richard and Alijah Martin — has been nearly unstoppable. The three combined for 56 of the Gators’ 77 points in the win against UConn. Martin got things started with 14 of his 18 points in the first half, while Richard took over in the second half, scoring 13 of his 15 after the break.

The Gators’ tournament success has been built on this backcourt’s chemistry and clutch performance. In the SEC Tournament, Clayton averaged 20.7 points and 4.7 assists to earn MVP honors, while Richard earned All-Tournament recognition by averaging 16.7 points per game.

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Tournament Pedigree and Golden Era

The Gators returned to national prominence in Golden’s third season in Gainesville. Florida earned a No. 1 seed for just the third time in program history, following previous top-seeded runs in 2007 and 2014 — both of which ended in Final Four appearances. The Gators also captured their first SEC Tournament title since 2014, setting a scoring record with 104 points in the semifinal victory against Alabama.

Florida’s all-time NCAA Tournament record now stands at 47-20, with five Final Four appearances and two national championships (2006, 2007). History suggests that when Florida enters March off an SEC title, good things follow. When asked what sparked this year’s surge, Golden pointed to the team’s chemistry as the defining factor.

“The separator for our team is what I call our team talent, the way our guys play together — the unselfishness, their willingness to support whoever’s night it is,” Golden said. “One guy can be hot and we have no bad body language. We have nobody just disappointed that it’s not them. That’s really why we’ve been successful and so consistent all year, I believe.”

Looking Ahead

The winner of Thursday’s matchup will advance to the Elite Eight on Saturday to face either No. 10-seed Arkansas (22-13) or No. 3-seed Texas Tech (27-8) with a Final Four berth on the line. The Hogs and Raiders play at 10:09 p.m. Thursday. With a deep, experienced roster and an offense firing on all cylinders, Florida looks poised to make another memorable March run.