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The Sweet 16 starts on Thursday as the 2025 NCAA Tournament enters its second weekend of play. Now that the original field of 68 has been whittled down significantly, March Madness is about to kick into overdrive.
The Florida Gators' national title hopes are still alive after getting past the 16th-seeded Norfolk State Spartans in the first round before rallying past the two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies in the second round. Now Todd Golden's team faces the Maryland Terrapins in the third round, affectionately known as the Sweet 16.
With four more rounds of play remaining, ESPN's Jay Bilas compiled a path to the men's Final Four for every Sweet 16 team, including the Orange and Blue. Take a look below at what he had to offer.
"They continue to defend at a high level. Florida has great depth, and the Gators can wear you down over the course of 40 minutes," Bilas begins.
"The difference between last season and this season is defense. Florida protects the lane and the rim, and Will Richard and Alijah Martin are great steals guys: Martin, the team's best on-ball defender, gets his steals on the ball; Richard is the team's best help defender and gets his steals off the ball."
"Walter Clayton Jr. UConn had the Gators beat and was headed toward a second-round upset. But Clayton put the cape on and would not let Florida lose," Bilas notes. "He was unflappable, and when Florida needed a bucket, Clayton manufactured it and left your jaw on the floor."
"At this point, it's hard to find one," Bilas concludes. "Florida has proved it can win against almost any style of play. The Gators are 17-2 since the middle of January and have won eight straight. They have not lost a game outside of SEC play."
"The No. 1 Florida Gators face off against the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 27. That game will be played in San Francisco, California, with tipoff slated for 7:39 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TBS."
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.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: March Madness: Projecting Florida path to NCAA Tournament Final Four
Continue reading...
The Florida Gators' national title hopes are still alive after getting past the 16th-seeded Norfolk State Spartans in the first round before rallying past the two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies in the second round. Now Todd Golden's team faces the Maryland Terrapins in the third round, affectionately known as the Sweet 16.
With four more rounds of play remaining, ESPN's Jay Bilas compiled a path to the men's Final Four for every Sweet 16 team, including the Orange and Blue. Take a look below at what he had to offer.
Gators make the Final Four if...
"They continue to defend at a high level. Florida has great depth, and the Gators can wear you down over the course of 40 minutes," Bilas begins.
"The difference between last season and this season is defense. Florida protects the lane and the rim, and Will Richard and Alijah Martin are great steals guys: Martin, the team's best on-ball defender, gets his steals on the ball; Richard is the team's best help defender and gets his steals off the ball."
Florida's player to watch
"Walter Clayton Jr. UConn had the Gators beat and was headed toward a second-round upset. But Clayton put the cape on and would not let Florida lose," Bilas notes. "He was unflappable, and when Florida needed a bucket, Clayton manufactured it and left your jaw on the floor."
Florida's area of concern
"At this point, it's hard to find one," Bilas concludes. "Florida has proved it can win against almost any style of play. The Gators are 17-2 since the middle of January and have won eight straight. They have not lost a game outside of SEC play."
How to watch Florida-Maryland in Sweet 16
"The No. 1 Florida Gators face off against the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 27. That game will be played in San Francisco, California, with tipoff slated for 7:39 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TBS."
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.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: March Madness: Projecting Florida path to NCAA Tournament Final Four
Continue reading...
