Florida basketball hasn’t peaked in March Madness yet, could it come against TTU in Elite Eight?

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Florida basketball guard Will Richard talks Elite Eight matchup vs Texas Tech

Florida basketball senior guard Will Richard talks about facing Texas Tech in the Elite Eight on Saturday

Florida has won its three tournament games by an average of 14.7 points but has struggled with turnovers.Texas Tech is coming off an emotional overtime win over Arkansas, where they overcame a 16-point deficit.Both teams are led by promising young coaches in Todd Golden (Florida) and Grant McCasland (Texas Tech).

SAN FRANCISCO ― Florida basketball has found itself on the verge of its first Final Four appearance in more than a decade.

The No. 1 seed Florida Gators (33-4) will face No. 3 seed Texas Tech (28-8) in an Elite Eight contest on Saturday at the Chase Center (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS) for an invitation to the Final Four in San Antonio. UF is vying for its sixth Final Four trip in school history, and first since 2014.

The matchup features two promising young coaches who have built their rosters through a mix of transfers and player development. Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland (age 48) and Florida coach Todd Golden (age 39) were both named two of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Award, given to college basketball’s best coach, earlier this month. Neither made the finalist stage, but both are here, nonetheless.

Florida has won its first three NCAA Tournament games by an average margin of 14.7 points. Still, there’s a feeling that UF hasn’t peaked in March Madness yet. Florida turned the ball over 13 times in the first half of its 87-71 Sweet 16 win over Maryland. Against UConn, UF had eight first-half turnovers and needed to rally from down six points in the second half to edge the Huskies 77-75.

Even in its first game, a 95-69 win against 16-seed Norfolk State, Florida had some defensive lapses in the second half after building an early 32-point lead.

“There’s little stuff we know can improve on and what’s helped us be great all year,” Florida senior guard Will Richard said. “So, I feel like we…

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Source link : https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2025/03/29/florida-basketball-hasnt-peaked-in-march-madness-yet-could-it-come-against-ttu-in-elite-8/82670536007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-29 08:01:00

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