For the time being, the Florida Gators are still the defending national champions in college basketball. Todd Golden's team caught fire down the stretch in SEC play last year, en route to an SEC Tournament championship, and a national championship run. While Florida proved to be one of the best teams in the country again this season, are they hungry enough to win back-to-back national championships?
This quote from team leader and star power forward Thomas Haugh leads us to believe that they can.
"Honestly, thought we didn't perform awful. I though we didn't close out those games the way we would if we played those teams again right now. But I think we were just definitely a young team. Still trying to figure out what our identities were as a team, trying to figure out the roles that we have and playing those teams at the beginning of the year, you don't have those roles carved out yet. I think that experience alone it means so much to this season. It's going to help us a lot in the long run."
Here is the episode of Gator Boys where Haugh discussed Florida coming together at the right time.
Haugh has led the way for the Gators this season with a team-high 17.1 points per game. He is also averaging 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest as well. The junior from New Oxford, Pennsylvania is well on his way toward becoming one of the greatest players in Florida history. He is already a national champion, an All-American, and All-SEC First Team. What all can he do to cement his legacy?
It starts by the Gators coming out of the fairly manageable South Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Thomas Haugh is the ideal on-court leader to have Florida on a deep run
Florida may be on a shortlist of candidates to win this year's national championship. However, few teams can honestly say they have been in these situations before quite like Florida. Yes, Haugh did mention this was a younger team at the start of the season, but the guys have leveled up as roles have been defined. The Gators run through him on offense, with everybody picking up the slack.
Right now, Florida will need to take every game in stride. While No. 16 Prairie View A&M may not be much of a challenge in the first round, Florida could potentially be got by either No. 8 Clemson or No. 9 Iowa in the second. Likely waiting for them in the Sweet 16 will be either No. 4 Nebraska or No. 5 Vanderbilt. Then again, Nebraska has never won a tournament game before. Vandy did just beat UF...
And on the bottom half of the South Region, Florida could potentially face the likes of No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Illinois, No. 6 North Carolina, No. 7 Saint Mary's, or even No. 10 Texas A&M in the Elite Eight. Although Houston is an especially dangerous team in the Elite Eight, remember who won it all a year ago between these two teams in the national championship? Haugh sure does because he was there.
Overall, Haugh being the best player on this defending national championship team puts him in rarified air to start. However far Florida goes in the tournament, his legacy will grow. Yes, Haugh could return to Gainesville for his senior year next season, but let's take this one game at a time. For now, another deep NCAA Tournament run will do wonders for him in the pantheon of Gators basketball.
Barring a tough draw with Houston in the Elite Eight, look for Florida to be back in the Final Four again.