For the second time this season the Gators have grabbed a victory over the number one team in the country, this time going into Auburn and coming away with an improbable 90-81 win. Back when the Gators beat Tennessee in Gainesville the rankings had the Volunteers as the top team in the nation but pundits suggested they didn’t believe that to be the case. However, Auburn entered the game with Florida as unquestionably the top team in the country by any metric or eye test and the Gators still were able to take command building a gigantic lead in the second half that the Tigers could never come back from giving Florida a remarkable victory. With the win the Gators improve to 20-3 on the season (7-3 SEC) and hand Auburn their first loss since December 4th.
The Biggest Resume Win…Ever?
Everyone has been talking about Auburn as the top team in the country, but not enough has been made about just how dominant they have been. According to KenPom they have been playing as the best team college basketball has seen since 2021 Duke, and their 12-1 quad-1 record is essentially lapping any other team in the field. They went into the SEC, expected to be one of the best conferences ever, and won their first nine games. By whatever predictive metric, resume metric, overall record, or eye test you want to use–Auburn has been nothing short of remarkable.
Considering Auburn’s 12-1 quad-1 record and their +37.1 efficiency margin on KenPom (the top predictive metric used by the NCAA Selection Committee) Auburn quite frankly had the top NCAA Tournament resume through two thirds of the season that college basketball has ever seen.
Since this game was played in Auburn, it is not hyperbole to say that the Gators may have just grabbed the biggest resume win…in NCAA history. Ever since the NCAA actually started evaluating teams objectively with metrics Auburn has had the strongest possible resume and is playing like one of the best teams in nearly 25 years, so a win over them on their home court truly is one of the biggest possible NCAA Tournament resume wins any team has acquired–and that’s just what Florida did. We will see how the rest of Auburn’s season goes and if the metrics hold anywhere near to what they are now, but as of February 8–the Gators made history.
Providing The Punch
You wouldn’t have known it by the final score but the Gators came out awfully slow to start this game particularly on the offensive side of things where they couldn’t get anything going with their action. Facing a big deficit they turned to Walter Clayton who started hitting ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot to get the Gators back into the game. No matter what kind of defensive pressure Clayton faced he was somehow able to create enough separation to not only get a shot off but finish it–and the Gators would not have been able to win if not for that surge of individual creation. Already fighting an injury that kept him out against Vanderbilt Clayton also seemed to get an injury to his finger that he had to play through which caused him to shoot the ball a lot less in the second half and instead try to set up his teammates. It was a gutsy effort once again from one of the best players in the country.
Dynamic Duo
While Walter Clayton led the Gators in scoring the two best players had to be the frontcourt of Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh who started their excellent play in the first half with some brave defense against Auburn’s massive front line and finished with some outstanding offensive play and inspired rebounding efforts in the second to seal the game. Condon, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, was particularly stout on the defensive end with his strength and mobility combination and he had some huge buckets to help extend Florida’s lead in the second frame. Haugh, who finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds, was an absolute machine in the second half from an energy standpoint in the second and seemed to somehow gain speed and endurance in the second half, simply outworking everyone on the floor for some key rebounds that helped seal the game for the Gators. This might have been the best game of both of these player’s young careers and they were a massive part of why the Gators got the win.
Stepping Up
The Gators had to play without Alijah Martin who was a gametime decision before ultimately sitting out, giving Denzel Aberdeen the start once again. He performed well with 10 points and 2 assists and was disruptive on the defensive side with his length. In the second half it was Slovenian Urban Klavzar who stepped up going 3-3 from three-point land for 9 points which was part of Florida’s offensive tidal wave that rolled through the second half. Fans have been waiting for a shooting performance like that from Klavzar and he showcased those abilities from around the arc, possibly earning some more trust from the coaching staff to give him more minutes moving forward.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned earlier, this is truly one of the biggest regular season wins college basketball has seen over the last twenty years and the Gators should celebrate as such and use it as motivation as they move through the final month of the regular season. College basketball is all about playing your best basketball at the end of February and March so this is the perfect time to build after a monumental win.