
Here's where Florida basketball's national championship win ranks among top 25 of 2000s
According to the group, the Orange and Blue's 65-63 comeback victory over the Houston Cougars to seal the university's third NCAA title is the 18th-best game played since the turn of the millennium.
"Houston fans are not going to want to relive this. The Cougars led by 12 with just over 16 minutes to play. They had held Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. in check and the Gators were out of sorts offensively," contributor Lindsay Schnell begins.
"But Florida slowly chipped away and took its first lead of the second half with 46 seconds left. On Houston's final possession, Clayton made a brilliant defensive play, forcing Houston's Emanuel Sharp to pause in the middle of his shooting motion. Worried about traveling, Sharp dropped the ball and watched it bounce, and the Gators pounced. Florida captured its first title in 18 years."
The Gators also got an honorable mention for their 84-83 win over the Wisconsin Badgers on March 24, 2017, in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Chris Chiozza's coast-to-coast game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer finished off one of the greatest games in Florida's hoops lore.
The Athletic's top 25 best men's college basketball games of the 2000s
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Kansas coach Bill Self underwent heart procedure after experiencing ‘concerning symptoms'
Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self was hospitalized after he experienced 'some concerning symptoms,' the school said in a statement Thursday. Self, who underwent a heart procedure, is expected to make a full recovery and is set to be released from Lawrence Memorial Hospital 'soon.' 'Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms Thursday,' Kansas said in a statement. 'He was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where he had two stents inserted. Jayhawks head coach Bill Self is seen on the sidelines during the second half of Kansas' 98-94 win over UCF in the Big 12 Conference tournament on March 12, 2025. AP 'The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery. He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.' Self was also hospitalized midway through the 2023 season because of a blockage in his arteries, where the 62-year-old had a standard heart catheterization and two stents placed. The longtime Jayhawks coach responded well to that procedure, according to the University of Kansas Health System. Self's most recent hospitalization comes amid a busy offseason for Kansas after a disappointing season in which the Jayhawks got bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas head coach Bill Self yells during the Jayhawks' 81-65 win over Villanova in the Final Four on April 2, 2022. AP Self said his program has started to take a different approach regarding acquiring talent from the transfer portal this year by shifting away from the traditional rankings. 'It seemed like, to me, this year we emphasized more not what other people thought of rankings and stuff like that,' Self told 247Sports this week. 'Not that that was our emphasis before, but the appearance is, 'Well, you go out and get the guys that are the highest rated guys that are in the portal,' which is good. You get Hunter. That's a great get. 'But I think the emphasis was more on what we needed to do to allow us to play as athletic and to play the style that best suits us and best fits me for winning, and I think we were actually able to do that.'


Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Bing Crosby Stakes Sings At Del Mar On July 26
A talented nine horse field will race to reach the finish line first in the grade 1 Bing Crosby ... More Stakes at Del Mar Back in 1937, Bing Crosby opened a piece of heaven on earth down at old Del Mar. No one is quite sure if this crooning superstar realized he was creating a haven for the sport of Thoroughbred racing, but he likely had a pretty good idea this seaside oval would flourish. In fitting fashion, one of the top races of the summer meet is named in his honor. Garnering grade 1 status and offering a Breeders' Cup Sprint berth to the winner, this six-furlong dash over the Del Mar dirt has long provided season highlights and this year's edition looks to be more of the same. The 2025 Bing Crosby offers up a talented nine horse field that will have somebody singing at the end. Let's take a look at the entrants and provide a thought on each. Runners are listed by post position with trainer, jockey, and morning line. 1 Crazy Mason (Greg Sacco, Christopher Elliot 6-1 ) -Shipping from the East Coast, this son of Coal Front has won three of four starts this year. Two starts back he won the Carter Stakes at Aqueduct. Would it be Crazy to think he could ship and win??? His closing style could have him there at the end considering the front-end speed in the race. 2 Dr. Venkman (Mark Glatt, Antonio Fresu 4-1 )-This son of Ghostzapper has three wins and four seconds in eight lifetime starts. He has been the bridesmaid in both stats this year, but we think he is the one here. A stalking trip might just provide that trip to the circle. 3 Hejazi (Bob Baffert, Juan Hernandez 7-2 )- Nobody has won more Stakes races at Del Mar than Bob Baffert. He is not likely to add to that total here, but this New York-bred son of Bernardini can impact the race by contesting the early pace. Hejazi has two career wins, but has been in the money in eight of ten lifetime starts. 4 Smooth Crusein (Karen Headley, Kyle Frey 20-1 )- This three-year-old Florida-bred will be stepping up in class here. He ran against older horses in his last start and finished third in a four horse field at Santa Anita. This is a big ask for this son of Girvin and he can only hope for a Smooth trip. 5 World Record (Rodolphe Brisset, Flavien Prat 3-1 )- The speed of the speed in this one. Insanely fast early, his last two wins saw him on the lead with opening quarter miles that were 21 and change. If they leave this son of Gun Runner alone on the lead it will be over early. The home stretch at Del Mar will see plenty of excitement in the Bing Crosby Stakes on July 26 6 Roll on Big Joe (Robert Hess, Julien Leparoux 6-1 )- Grandson of Victory Gallop has four wins in five starts this year and was quite impressive in winning the grade 3 Kelly's Landing at Churchill Downs in his last start. In the money in fourteen of eighteen lifetime starts but has only managed one second in three starts at Del Mar. 7 Mbagnick (John Sadler, Armando Ayuso 5-1 )- After we figure out how to say this Chilean-bred's name we will decide if he has a real shot. John Sadler has saddled many winners at Del Mar, and this son of Practical Joke took'em gate to wire in winning his last start at this same distance on June 13. 8 Spirit of Makena (George Papapodromo, Abel Cedillo 20-1 )-This son of Ghostzapper won four of his first five career starts including two stakes victories. Injury sidelined him all of 2024 and he has a third-place finish in two starts this year but is winless since May of 2023. Coming back off such a layoff takes a lot of Spirit. The Bing and this field is a big asking. 9 Lovesick Blues (Librado Baracio, Geovani Franco 20-1 )-This California-bred is the veteran of the group with forty lifetime starts. Always a hard-knocker, this son of Grazen has been in the top three twenty-six times with eight wins. Although not likely to win, he is a horse that can be there at the end and pump up the exotic payouts.


Fox Sports
4 hours ago
- Fox Sports
World's Tallest Teen, 7-foot-9 Center Olivier Rioux, Tries Football at Florida
The world's tallest teenager is trying his hand — his reach, really — at football. Florida basketball player Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center who played for the Under-19 Canadian national team this summer, recently worked out for the Gators' football team. Rioux donned an orange helmet and took snaps on special teams, with Florida assistant coaches hoping his massive wingspan might be a difference maker when it comes to blocking field goals and extra points. "I like the idea," Gators basketball coach Todd Golden said during a booster event Thursday evening. "I give them credit for trying it." There was one issue: The 305-pound Rioux has an 11-inch vertical, so even with his extra-long reach, he was unable to block any kicks during the workout. "They were a little disappointed," Golden said. No worries. Rioux can simply stick to his full-time gig with the hoops team. After redshirting as a true freshman last season, he's expected to get on the court in a limited capacity this fall. He's unlikely to play much considering the defending national champions return their entire frontcourt, but he should at least get on the court in garbage time. Golden has already considered using him to guard inbound passes, something Rioux did to perfection just before halftime against the United States in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland earlier this month. Rioux forced an errant pass that led to a turnover and a 3-pointer just before halftime. Rioux's unusual height landed him in the Guinness World Records a few years ago, and he has become a walking viral video at Florida. While coaches and teammates climbed a ladder to cut pieces of the nets after the Gators won the SEC Tournament, Rioux was able to do it while standing flat-footed. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Football College Basketball Florida Gators recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more