Florida basketball legend Al Horford's 4-word response to epic win over UConn
03/23/2025 06:18 PM
Florida basketball legend Al Horford was fired up after the Gators electric 77-75 win over UConn. This anticipated second-round clash in the NCAA Tournament more than lived up to the hype, with the two-time defending champs looking way better than a No. 8 seed. For most of this contest, the first-seeded Gators were out of rhythm and were being out-hustled. However, star guard Walter Clayton Jr. and company found their mojo and physical edge at the right time to escape Raleigh with a victory.
The Gators have now reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. Horford, who knows all about winning in the NCAA Tournament, tweeted a hyped-up message after the buzzer went off.
Gators boys stay hot!!!
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) March 23, 2025
Florida basketball has a long journey to its first title since 2007
Al Horford is one of the greatest players in Florida basketball history. Before putting together a decorated NBA career, Horford led the Gators to back-to-back NCAA titles. No other program had replicated that kind of success for over a decade until UConn in 2024. That storyline made this matchup all the more fitting. While the Huskies have struggled much of this year, Sunday saw this group resemble the No. 3 overall team they were projected to be going into the season.
UConn constantly matched the Gators’ physicality on both ends and threw the Walter Clayton Jr.-led offense off its equilibrium. This game was trending in the wrong direction and being played on the Huskies’ terms. Fortunately, Florida basketball was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Many players can be credited to this rally down the stretch. However, the headliner is Clayton Jr.
The first-team All-Americans struggled to run the offense for most of the afternoon. Fortunately, as fellow guards Alijah Martin and Will Richard kept Florida in the game, Clayton Jr. eventually found his rhythm. The senior closed the game on several dagger threes to squash Dan Hurley and company’s chances of a three-peat. March is where players can cement their legacies in their programs’ history, and Clayton Jr. lived up to the moment.
Overall, there are many takeaways from this game for Florida basketball. The negative takeaway is that UConn’s aggressive man-to-man defense was successful for much of Sunday in keeping the Gators’ usually fluid offense much more stagnant. The West Region’s No. 1 seed finished the contest with just 12 assists while recording 12 turnovers. In addition, UConn outrebounded the Gators on the offensive glass and, until the end, were getting to a lot of 50-50 balls.
Looking at just the game tape and not the shooting percentages, it’s hard to believe Florida was able to win this game. Everything seemed to be trending in the Huskies’ direction. But that’s the encouraging lesson from this huge victory. When it seemed like the Gators were down and out, they rallied and imposed their own will on the game in its most important stages. This group showed championship-level resolve when it was not playing its best.
Nevertheless, there’s a good chance Florida will see a better team than the Huskies going forward in the NCAA Tournament. There needs to be another level from this group next weekend. Florida still has a long way to its first Final Four since 2014 and an even longer way to its first championship since 2007. But making the second weekend for the first time in eight years is still sweet!
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