One of the benefits Florida Basketball fans had on Thursday during the first Round of the NCAA Tournament was the ability to sit back and watch half of the field put themselves on the line. Given the Gators don't play until almost 7 PM on Friday, Florida fans are able to observe the rest of America and make observations on the rest of the field.
One game in particular that caught the eye of Gators fans was Georgia vs Gonzaga, and when the final horn went off, Florida fans were reminded why they had moved on from the current Georgia coach.
Florida Basketball: Vanna White
Mike White wasn't a bad human being during his time with Florida, but he also wasn't a coach who was ever going to take the Gators further than he ever took them. After Florida advanced to the Elite Eight in 2017, the Gators never made it past the Round of 32 for the remainder of White's stay in Gainesville.
So it has been amusing to watch Georgia fans convince themselves that 2025 has been a great basketball season because White hit all his best notes in Athens that he hit in Gainesville.
A couple of random upsets during the regular season to give hope?
Check.
An early exit from the SEC Tournament?
Check, as White advanced to the semifinals once.
Not making it to the Sweet 16 or beyond?
Check, as White never made it past the first weekend of the tournament after his 2017 run.
Watching Georgia get run out of the building by Gonzaga was cathartic for two reasons:
- It's Georgia, and to hell with Georgia.
- Fans who suggested Florida could do better than Mike White were called bad fans.
Let the record show Todd Golden has yet to prove himself as a tournament coach, and at some point, Florida fans will move on from dunking on White every chance they get.
However, in year three of their respective SEC programs, one coach is the SEC Tournament champion and is a 28.5 point favorite in their opening contest.
The other coach has already been eliminated from the tournament after losing by 21 points.
Choose your pathway on which one you think has a brighter future, but don't think too hard about it.