For Todd Golden, Bruce Pearl isn’t just the head coach on the opposing sideline—he’s a mentor and a close friend. “It is (awkward) because the relationship is that close,” Pearl admitted before the Gators faced the Tigers. But once the ball was tipped, friendship had to take a backseat. In a hard-fought game, Golden managed to pull a win away from his former boss’s hands. But that wasn’t the only thing Pearl handed over.

In many ways, the game also gave Golden a blueprint—a chance to reflect, rework, and respond before the next challenge. And that’s exactly what he did. “We did some nice things,” Golden said honestly after the game. “But we did not have an answer for their physicality in the paint… we weren’t executing it very well, and it wasn’t working very well.”

Well, true enough. “They have five bigs that they rotate… They’re going to put a lot of bodies on Johni Broome,” Pearl had said before the game, making it known to everyone that depth was going to dictate the outcome. But in the first half, Florida lacked all of it. So, it wasn’t just a victory. It was a lesson wrapped in a win—something only a mentor like Pearl could unintentionally deliver. Down eight at halftime, it was hard not to notice the disconnect. Florida had only 5 turnovers at the break, while Auburn had two. Also, Auburn’s dominance in the paint was evident, outscoring Florida 26-14, largely due to Broome’s heroics. Add in how Auburn’s bench was in the race too against Florida’s by 9-7, and you will begin to see a team that looked like it was still trying to find its footing.

“We started just guarding more physically in the paint and making it harder for them to put us in the basket,” Golden explained. “Got some clean rebounds out in transition… They controlled the game in the first half. But we controlled the game in the second half.”

That shift was clear on the stat sheet. Florida demolished Broome’s all hopes of dominating and controlling the glass so that they don’t get bullied in a big boy game. Florida figured out at last how to keep the star player from going too deep, and they finished the game with a +9 advantage on the boards (39–30) and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds compared to Auburn’s 9. They shot a solid 47.2% from the field and forced key turnovers that turned into 16 points, more than doubling Auburn’s 6 points off giveaways.

And while the Gators still only logged 7 assists in total—far from a team-oriented offensive showcase—it was their energy, not elegance, that turned the tide. They ground out stops, crashed the glass, and clawed their way back into the game. It was messy, it was physical. And more than anything, Golden’s comments hinted at a deeper issue: a lack of cohesion that surfaced when the pressure mounted.

“What makes this team special and gives us a chance to play deep into March and hopefully early April is our unselfishness, our willingness to make the extra pass,” he’d said after a 104-82 win over Alabama. Against Auburn, that unselfishness waned early. To many, it seemed like Walter Clayton Jr. was forcing shots instead of moving the ball. While The Washington Post clarified it as “others having an aversion to shooting,” we can never be too sure. Do let us know what you think! But if you do suspect some selfishness at play, then the coach has a similar answer as before. It could also be a strategy after all- because there didn’t seem to be any envy in the locker room??

No egos, just wins: the selfless brotherhood fueling Florida’s final four surge

In a night, when Walter Clayton Jr. erupted for 34 points, grabbing headlines and postgame questions, the vibe in the locker room wasn’t envy-it was unity. “To a man, they all pull in the same direction,” Golden said, pride clearly in his voice. “There’s no unselfishness in our locker room.”

Golden’s words aren’t just coach-speak — the numbers back him up. This Florida squad has played selfless, team-first basketball all season long. They’ve averaged 85.4 points per game, and it’s not just Clayton carrying the load.

“You see a guy like Walt, he gets asked all the questions and gets all the attention for a great effort like tonight. But there’s no animosity there,” Golden said. “These guys are just trying to win a championship. And I’m proud of that. I’m proud of what our program is and the strides we’ve made over these past couple years.”

In their Final Four victory, some players did manage to sneak into Clayton’s one-man show. Alijah Martin stepped up with 17 points, while Thomas Haugh added 12 points and 7 rebounds, proving once again that this team doesn’t rely on just one star. And on the boards, they’ve been relentless together, ranking third with 41.9 rebounds per game.

All season, the Gators have embodied the type of culture Golden described: one where egos are checked at the door, and the only stat that truly matters is the final score. That mindset has taken them to the brink of a national title — and perhaps, even more importantly, it’s turned Florida into a program that others are now chasing.

The Gators will be next heading to their first national title game since 2007 with their 35-4 run. But standing in their way is a red-hot Houston squad that just stunned Duke behind LJ Cryer’s 26-point explosion. With the nation’s top defense and a veteran coach in Kelvin Sampson chasing his first championship, Houston won’t be easy.

Can the Gators finish the job, or will the Cougars crash the party?