SEC Tournament Title Capped Off Series of Statements by Florida Gators

The Gators won their first SEC Tournament in over a decade and in a way, these wins speak for themselves

The Gators proved how far they've come with their run / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators worked hard to become a one-seed for the NCAA Tournament. Despite already having wins over some of the top teams in the country, the committee still seemed to be undecided about where to place them. 

However, with a series of statement wins over Missouri in the quarters, Alabama in the semifinal and Tennessee in the SEC Tournament final on Sunday, Florida completed the job and earned that top spot in the West Region. 

“Really I just think we continue to prove when we have been all season, which is being one of the best teams in America…,” Gators head coach Todd Golden said following the SEC Tournament win. 

Heading into their conference tournament, there was speculation on whether or not they had done enough to be a one-seed. Despite having all the necessary wins on the resume, they were still battling with both Alabama and Tennessee for that final spot according to most. 

Luckily for the Gators, their destiny was in their hands. 

They started by knocking Alabama off that one-seed line with the pounding they gave them on Saturday in the semifinal, scoring an SEC Tournament single-game record 104 points and beating the Crimson Tide by 22 points. 

Then, they slashed Tennessee off that same list by taking down the Volunteers 86-77 in the final and bringing home their first SEC Tournament title since 2014. 

This final wasn’t an easy one, though. It was almost like a road game given that the tournament is held in Nashville, Tenn. But the Gators didn’t let that impact their plan. Instead, they did what they do and that’s win. 

“As I said earlier, I'm incredibly proud of the way our student-athletes have competed, the way they've carried themselves,” Golden said after the win. 

It’s this demeanor each player carries that has helped push them one step further each time.  

Additionally, with these wins added to their resume, some players may have felt the need to voice their opinion to the committee for seeding purposes, but Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard aren’t those players.

“Humbly, I don't think we got to say nothing,” Clayton Jr. said while smiling. 

And his teammate backed him up as well. 

“I'm right there with him,” Richard said. 

It probably wouldn’t have changed anything either as the Gators were handed that final spot along the top. 

After being named the alpha in the West Region, Florida’s first game will be Friday, March 21, at 6:50 p.m. EDT. They will be taking on 16-seed Norfolk State to kick off their NCAA Tournament.

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