Franz Beard
Todd Golden built a team capable of winning no matter the style of play
I don’t want to be the guy who follows a legend (Woody Hayes), but I wouldn’t mind being the guy who follows the guy who follows the legend.” – Lou Holtz, 1975
SAN ANTONIO – He is 6-3 but skinny as a rail. Even with stubble on his dimpled face, Todd Golden doesn’t look 30 years old. He needs an ID with him anytime he orders a drink from a bar or tries to buy some adult beverage at his nearest Publix.
When it comes to looks, not much has changed in the three years since Scott Stricklin hired Golden just days after Mike White bolted for Georgia. In his third year at Georgia, Mike White finally got the Bulldogs into the NCAA Tournament although they were one-and-dones, falling to the Zags in the first round. In Todd Golden’s third year at Florida, he went 36-4, taking Florida to the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship, NCAA West Regional championship and finally, after the three-week grind that is the tournament, the national championship. So think of this as a rather good trade – Georgia got Mike White; Florida got Todd Golden.
Mike White followed the legend and never lived up to the expectations. Todd Golden followed the guy who followed the legend, embraced the expectations and talked boldly of winning championships the day he was announced as Florida’s head coach.
It seems that every newly hired coach talks the championship talk, but look how few ever deliver. Golden has delivered because he arrived with a plan that centered around finding the right players, not necessarily the ones with 4-star or 5-star labels. The Gators just won a championship without a single player that was a 4-star recruit out of high school. He has found the right blend of high school kids willing to put in the work to develop and transfers from the portal that can park egos at the door to fit in with the team concept.
This Florida team had incredible team chemistry. In the locker room after Monday night’s championship win over Houston, Will Richard said, “We love playing basketball together and when we’re not playing basketball, we love hanging around with each other.”
Micah Handlogten said, “If one of our guys is happy, we’re all happy for him. If one of our guys is hurting, we all hurt for him. It is a real brotherhood that we have.”
The Gators really didn’t care who scored the most points, grabbed the most rebounds or got the most individual awards. The only thing that mattered was winning, an attitude that had its origins at the top with Golden. A couple of good examples from the Final Four in San Antonio:
Alex Condon scored only one point in Florida’s win over Auburn in the semifinals, but he had five critical defensive plays down the stretch when the Gators rallied from an eight-point hole in the second half. In the final minutes, he had five critical defensive plays that kept Auburn from getting any points in the paint. Monday night against Houston, Condon had 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. At the end of the game with a loose ball on the court he beat two Houston Cougars to the ball, dived, got possession and flipped it up to Walter Clayton Jr., who held the ball in his hands as the horn went off.
Clayton, first team All-American and the most outstanding player at the SEC Tournament, NCAA West Regional and NCAA Final Four, was the focus of an intense Houston defensive effort Monday night. He didn’t score until the second half, didn’t hit a 3-pointer until there was only 3:14 remaining and finished with only 11 points, fewest he scored since a March 1 win over Texas A&M. But, he had five rebounds, seven assists, a blocked shot and perhaps the greatest defensive play of the season. With about three seconds remaining and Houston setting up for a 3-pointer that could have won the game, Clayton came flying high at Emanuel Sharp. Clayton did as he was coached, taking an angle that was both intimidating but at the same time a wide enough path that Sharp couldn’t be fouled. Sharp put the ball on the floor and Condon came up with the loose ball.
The only thing that mattered to both Condon and Clayton was the win.
Overlooked by the national media in Florida’s run to the title was how Golden constructed a team capable of winning no matter the style of the other team. In the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee all tried to run with the Gators and got run into the ground.
Those three wins sent a signal to the NCAA field that you can’t run with the Gators because they run an NBA style offense. So, four of the six teams the Gators faced in their run to the NCAA championship tried to outmuscle UF and in four games they almost succeeded.
Almost, but not quite.
The Gators adapted. An SEC schedule helped prepare them for moments like the Monday night rock fight with Houston, but this team was as comfortable slugging it out defensively as it was in an open court game. In the final kenpom.com analytics, the Gators ranked No. 2 nationally in offensive efficiency, No. 6 in defensive efficiency.
In other words, this was a team built to withstand any scheme and emerge with a win. UConn tried a halfcourt game that focused on physical inside play. Texas Tech pushed the tempo but at the same time played tough, physical, push the Gators around defense.
In the NCAA semifinal, Auburn focused on shutting down Florida’s inside capabilities with very physical play while taking its chances on the perimeter. Led by Clayton’s 34, the perimeter killed the Tigers. In the championship game, Houston tried to take Clayton out of the equation, but Will Richard stepped it up on the perimeter while Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Haugh played effectively inside.
A sure sign of greatness is a team that can adapt to whatever style it needs to play and deliver winning efforts. Another sign is the ability to dominate games in the final minutes. Against Houston, for example, the Cougars couldn’t even get a shot off in its final three possessions in the final minute of the game.
How the Gators are able to play and win whether it’s racehorse basketball or slow it down and slug it out, reflects on the coach. Golden prepares the Gators to handle any obstacle in their way and to adapt on the fly to produce a winning effort.
This Florida team was built to handle any contingency or circumstance. They were built with chemistry and culture in mind, a roster filled with players whose goal is to win on the court and find comfort and brotherhood off the court. They were built to win.
Todd Golden built a team capable of winning no matter the style of play
I don’t want to be the guy who follows a legend (Woody Hayes), but I wouldn’t mind being the guy who follows the guy who follows the legend.” – Lou Holtz, 1975
SAN ANTONIO – He is 6-3 but skinny as a rail. Even with stubble on his dimpled face, Todd Golden doesn’t look 30 years old. He needs an ID with him anytime he orders a drink from a bar or tries to buy some adult beverage at his nearest Publix.
When it comes to looks, not much has changed in the three years since Scott Stricklin hired Golden just days after Mike White bolted for Georgia. In his third year at Georgia, Mike White finally got the Bulldogs into the NCAA Tournament although they were one-and-dones, falling to the Zags in the first round. In Todd Golden’s third year at Florida, he went 36-4, taking Florida to the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship, NCAA West Regional championship and finally, after the three-week grind that is the tournament, the national championship. So think of this as a rather good trade – Georgia got Mike White; Florida got Todd Golden.
Mike White followed the legend and never lived up to the expectations. Todd Golden followed the guy who followed the legend, embraced the expectations and talked boldly of winning championships the day he was announced as Florida’s head coach.
It seems that every newly hired coach talks the championship talk, but look how few ever deliver. Golden has delivered because he arrived with a plan that centered around finding the right players, not necessarily the ones with 4-star or 5-star labels. The Gators just won a championship without a single player that was a 4-star recruit out of high school. He has found the right blend of high school kids willing to put in the work to develop and transfers from the portal that can park egos at the door to fit in with the team concept.
This Florida team had incredible team chemistry. In the locker room after Monday night’s championship win over Houston, Will Richard said, “We love playing basketball together and when we’re not playing basketball, we love hanging around with each other.”
Micah Handlogten said, “If one of our guys is happy, we’re all happy for him. If one of our guys is hurting, we all hurt for him. It is a real brotherhood that we have.”
The Gators really didn’t care who scored the most points, grabbed the most rebounds or got the most individual awards. The only thing that mattered was winning, an attitude that had its origins at the top with Golden. A couple of good examples from the Final Four in San Antonio:
Alex Condon scored only one point in Florida’s win over Auburn in the semifinals, but he had five critical defensive plays down the stretch when the Gators rallied from an eight-point hole in the second half. In the final minutes, he had five critical defensive plays that kept Auburn from getting any points in the paint. Monday night against Houston, Condon had 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. At the end of the game with a loose ball on the court he beat two Houston Cougars to the ball, dived, got possession and flipped it up to Walter Clayton Jr., who held the ball in his hands as the horn went off.
Clayton, first team All-American and the most outstanding player at the SEC Tournament, NCAA West Regional and NCAA Final Four, was the focus of an intense Houston defensive effort Monday night. He didn’t score until the second half, didn’t hit a 3-pointer until there was only 3:14 remaining and finished with only 11 points, fewest he scored since a March 1 win over Texas A&M. But, he had five rebounds, seven assists, a blocked shot and perhaps the greatest defensive play of the season. With about three seconds remaining and Houston setting up for a 3-pointer that could have won the game, Clayton came flying high at Emanuel Sharp. Clayton did as he was coached, taking an angle that was both intimidating but at the same time a wide enough path that Sharp couldn’t be fouled. Sharp put the ball on the floor and Condon came up with the loose ball.
The only thing that mattered to both Condon and Clayton was the win.
Overlooked by the national media in Florida’s run to the title was how Golden constructed a team capable of winning no matter the style of the other team. In the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee all tried to run with the Gators and got run into the ground.
Those three wins sent a signal to the NCAA field that you can’t run with the Gators because they run an NBA style offense. So, four of the six teams the Gators faced in their run to the NCAA championship tried to outmuscle UF and in four games they almost succeeded.
Almost, but not quite.
The Gators adapted. An SEC schedule helped prepare them for moments like the Monday night rock fight with Houston, but this team was as comfortable slugging it out defensively as it was in an open court game. In the final kenpom.com analytics, the Gators ranked No. 2 nationally in offensive efficiency, No. 6 in defensive efficiency.
In other words, this was a team built to withstand any scheme and emerge with a win. UConn tried a halfcourt game that focused on physical inside play. Texas Tech pushed the tempo but at the same time played tough, physical, push the Gators around defense.
In the NCAA semifinal, Auburn focused on shutting down Florida’s inside capabilities with very physical play while taking its chances on the perimeter. Led by Clayton’s 34, the perimeter killed the Tigers. In the championship game, Houston tried to take Clayton out of the equation, but Will Richard stepped it up on the perimeter while Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Haugh played effectively inside.
A sure sign of greatness is a team that can adapt to whatever style it needs to play and deliver winning efforts. Another sign is the ability to dominate games in the final minutes. Against Houston, for example, the Cougars couldn’t even get a shot off in its final three possessions in the final minute of the game.
How the Gators are able to play and win whether it’s racehorse basketball or slow it down and slug it out, reflects on the coach. Golden prepares the Gators to handle any obstacle in their way and to adapt on the fly to produce a winning effort.
This Florida team was built to handle any contingency or circumstance. They were built with chemistry and culture in mind, a roster filled with players whose goal is to win on the court and find comfort and brotherhood off the court. They were built to win.
