2024–25 Florida Gators men's basketball team
| 2024–25 Florida Gators men's basketball | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 1 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 36–4 (14–4 SEC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Assistant coaches |
|
| Home arena | O'Connell Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Auburn | 15 | – | 3 | .833 | 32 | – | 6 | .842 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Florida † | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 36 | – | 4 | .900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Alabama | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 28 | – | 9 | .757 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Tennessee | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 30 | – | 8 | .789 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Texas A&M | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 23 | – | 11 | .676 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Kentucky | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 24 | – | 12 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 22 | – | 12 | .647 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Ole Miss | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 24 | – | 12 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Arkansas | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 22 | – | 14 | .611 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 21 | – | 13 | .618 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 19 | – | 16 | .543 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 20 | – | 14 | .588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 14 | – | 18 | .438 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 2 | – | 16 | .111 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2025 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2024–25 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Gators, led by third-year head coach Todd Golden, played their home games at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida, as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
During this season, Florida experienced its most success in 11 years and restored itself as an elite program. Paying homage to the Florida team that won back-to-back championships 18 years prior, this team adopted the motto, "Gator Boys Stay Hot".
Led by senior guards Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, and Alijah Martin, Florida posted a 27–4 regular season record, finishing second in the most difficult SEC season in conference history. The Gators got off to a hot start when they finished non-conference play with a 13–0 record and No. 6 ranking in the AP Poll, which was their highest ranking in 7 years. Despite early losses to Kentucky and Missouri, Florida got hot and finished the regular season winning 9 of their last 10 games. During this stretch, they pulled off massive wins on the road against No. 1 Auburn and No. 7 Alabama. Led by Clayton Jr. and Alex Condon, Florida was able to beat a No. 1 team on the road for the first time in program history.
As the No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, they defeated Missouri, 95–81, in the quarterfinals and Alabama, 104–82, in the semifinals to advance to the SEC Championship, where they defeated Tennessee, 86–77, to clinch their first SEC championship since 2014. They received an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West region. They defeated Norfolk State, 95–69, in the first round, two-time defending national champions UConn, 77–75, in the second round, and Maryland, 87–71, in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight. There, they defeated Texas Tech, 84–79, to advance to their first Final Four since 2014. They would then defeat SEC rival Auburn, 79–73, to advance to their first championship since 2007. In the championship game, they overcame a 12-point deficit late in the second half to beat Houston, 65–63, to clinch their third national title overall and their first since 2007.