Five Things to Know About Florida's NCAA Tournament Opponent, Prairie View A&M

The Florida Gators begin its chase for the program's fourth national title on Friday against Prairie View A&M. Florida, the one-seed in the South Region, enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the more popular picks to win the national title while having a big target on their backs as last year's reigning champions.

As the Gators face an unfamiliar opponent in Prairie View A&M, Florida Gators on SI lists five facts you need to know about the Panthers ahead of Friday's game.

Tip-off between the Gators and the Panthers in Tampa is slated for 9:25 p.m. with television coverage on TNT.

1. Coming Off Their First March Madness Win in Program History

Prairie View A&M's win over Lehigh, sparked by a strong second half, is the program's first NCAA Tournament win in history after two previous appearances in 1998 and 2019.

Prairie View A&M head coach Byron Smith led the Panthers to its first March Madness win in program history. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

In 1998, the Panthers lost, 110-52, to one-seed Kansas in the Round of 64, while in 2019, they lost to Fairleigh Dickinson, 82-76, in the First Four. Outside of its SWAC Tournament wins, Wednesday's victory also marked the program's first victory in a national postseason tournament since winning an NAIA national title in 1962.

Forward Cory Wells paved the way with a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double to go with three steals and three blocks.

2. They Made a Surprise Run in the SWAC Tournament

Entering the postseason with a 9-9 record in SWAC-play, Prairie View A&M went on a surprise run in the SWAC Tournament as the league's No. 8 seed. The Panthers got past No. 11 Alcorn State before upsetting No. 1 Bethune-Cookman, No. 5 Alabama A&M and No. 3 Southern to give the program its third SWAC Tournament title.

After defeating Southern in the SWAC Championship game, Coach Byron Smith's Prairie View A&M Men's Basketball team is going dancing in the NCAA Tournament pic.twitter.com/7ncG5Vms9F
— HBCU Premier Sports & More (@HBCUSports1) March 15, 2026

Combined with Wednesday's win and a three-game winning streak to end the regular season, the Panthers are riding an eight-game winning streak into Friday's matchup with the Gators.

3. Arguably the Best Guard Duo in the SWAC

Headlined by Dontae Horne and Tai'Reon Joseph, Prairie View A&M has arguably the best guard duo in the SWAC.

Both Horne, who averages 20.3 points per game, and Joseph, who averages 17.8 points per game, are both among the SWAC's top five scorers.

Horne, a 6-foot-4 senior, has scored at least 15 points in every postseason game this season, including at least 25 points in four outings and a 30-point outing in the upset over Bethune-Cookman. He also has played in 39 minutes in every postseason game, including 40-minute outings in each of the last two games. He also has not hesitated to shoot, taking at least 16 shots in every postseason game, while taking at least 20 shots in four postseason games.

Prairie View leading scorer Dontae Horne said the Panthers' late-season success has everything to do with the team coming together at the right time.@defendernetwork @107Panther57195 @12thFan1876 @TerranceCFB pic.twitter.com/IWIVWNxvbO
— Terrance Harris (@TerranceHarris) March 16, 2026

Meanwhile, Joseph, a 6-foot-3 senior has struggled in the postseason, having been limited by an undisclosed injury, only making four field goals in 19 attempts in the Panthers' first three SWAC Tournament games. He has only played 17 combined minutes over the last two games, amassing 15 total points.

While Joseph has been limited, the aforementioned Wells, has emerged as a consistent score, hitting the 15-point mark in six of his last eight games, including the last four, while guard Lance Williams has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 games.

4. Prairie View A&M a Part of HBCU History

With its win over Lehigh, as well as Howard's 86-83 win over UMBC in the First Four and Tennessee State's naming as a 15-seed in the Midwest Region, this is the first NCAA Tournament in 32 years that HBCU schools have three representatives in one tournament, according to the Defender's Terrance Harris.

Howard, MEAC champions, held on to defeat UMBC on Tuesday behind 23 points from Ose Okojie and a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double from Bryce Harris. Howard has now made three appearances in the last four tournaments after a 31-year hiatus. Tennessee State, OVC champions, are riding a six-game winning streak into the tournament. 2026 also marks the team's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1994.

5. Second Matchup All-Time Between Gators and Panthers

Friday's matchup will mark the second matchup between Florida and Prairie View A&M, both of which will have come in a title-defense season.

The Gators first played the Panthers on Nov. 21, 2006, a season after winning its first national title in program history. Florida dominated at home, winning 94-33 for its seventh win of the season on its way to an 8-0 start. The Gators, of course, went on to win its second straight national championship the following April.

Florida, once again, is playing the Panthers in a title-defense season after winning its third national championship last season. The Gators enter the tournament as a one-seed for the second straight season, a program first.