As Florida Basketball continues its march through the NCAA Tournament, Sunday's nail-bitter against UConn was a reminder that the guillotine is always hanging over your head this time of year. As time passes, Gators fans will inevitably remember the shot-making of Walter Clayton as what propelled Florida to the Sweet 16.
But every superhero has a just as important sidekick, and it is crucial not to forget the role Alijah Martin played both on the court and behind the scenes to ensure Florida gets to keep dancing.
Florida Basketball: Glue Guy
When you think about the roster construction for 2024/25, Martin came to Gainesville and essentially took the spot left behind by Riley Kugel. The calling card for Martin was that he was a tough and gritty defender who had postseason experience after his Final Four run with FAU.
One of the concerns with this Gator squad is the lack of postseason experience, including from Todd Golden, but it was Martin who made sure the train didn't go off the tracks as Florida got a taste of what March Madness basketball is all about.
Florida looked tentative at times to take players on, and mental errors piled up as the Gators committed 12 turnovers. It was Martin, heading into the locker room, who said it best:
"Stop coming up with excuses."
It parlays off the vibe one gets watching Florida's YouTube series Gator Boys. The series has your standard stuff with training montages and player interviews and reactions. Most of the players and coaches in the series have a vibe of being proud of the season so far.
While players and coaches will say things like, "We know we have a lot more ahead of us," Martin comes across as the one player who is genuinely unsatisfied with the season because the vision is championship or bust.
Even after the game, Martin wasn't willing to rest of the victory:
"We definitely got a lot to learn, man. We got a lot to learn. We got a lot to get better from, but also this experience helps us be ready for the next challenge. It's helping tremendously, because this experience, the way we had to get the win, is big."
Swap out Martin with Kugel, and Florida is probably sitting at home right now with no plane ticket to San Franciso. Points and stats matter, but so do leadership and mentality.
While all the headlines are going to gravitate to Clayton, Martin's no-excuses mentality has been a massive addition to this roster and one that won't be easy to replace next season.