Courtesy ASAP
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the 2025 national champions, Florida Gators.
Coach, we'll ask you to begin with a statement.
TODD GOLDEN: It's a heck of an accomplishment. I'm super proud of everybody in my program, top to bottom. My staff, been together for three years, worked incredibly hard to help get our players to this point. Our players, they've been the difference all the way along. Been incredibly consistent all year. Have worked with a great work ethic.
Obviously we have an incredibly talented group, one of the most talented groups individually in America. I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year. Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives.
THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Walter, Alijah, Alex and Will.
Q. Will, did you feel that you needed to pick the team up the way the other guys were shooting the first half? Walter, could you comment on Will's performance while you were having a hard time getting open with their defense.
WILL RICHARD: Yeah, just trying to make plays to help us stay in the game, help us give our ourselves the best chance to win. They were guarding Walter and other guys pretty hard. Will had seven assists. Even when they were guarding him so hard, I feel like he still made plays to help the team win. Just a good job by the team staying aggressive throughout that.
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, for sure, Houston was guarding us great. They do a great defense out there. Everyone knows them for that. We have multiple guys on this team that can go. Tonight was one of those nights with Will. He showed it multiple times this year. Never know whose night it's going to be, and we showed that as a team.
Q. What does it say about your ability to come back in four games out of the six, stay the course? Tonight you looked in tough shape for a while.
WILL RICHARD: I feel like it just goes back to how connected we are as a team. I feel like we all don't have any quit. I feel like as long as there's time on the clock, if we take it possession by possession. I just like our resiliency and how we fight through adversity throughout the game.
ALEX CONDON: I think just a great down the stretch, how hard we played defensively. I think we got nine stops towards the end of the game. Yeah, it was just a team effort to get this win. It was crazy.
ALIJAH MARTIN: It goes back to what we did all season. Every stretch down the moment that we been through this year, just prepared for us this moment. We showed up, man. We never blinked. We're national champs.
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: I agree with what they said (smiling).
Q. Walter, what did you see on the closeout with Sharp at the end? What does it mean to win the national championship on a defensive play like that?
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, I seen a lot going on. Felt like we were going to get something from Cryer or Roberts. Sharp kind of creeped down to the baseline. I seen a back screen. I'm yelling back screen at Do. Sharp ended up slipping it, set elevator screens. We work on it in practice, closing out, jumping to the side so you don't foul the shooter. He pump faked, threw the ball down, ended up being a good play, Do got on it. We won the game.
The feeling, just surreal. It's a crazy feeling. I can't even explain it, but it feel good, though.
Q. Walter, when you go 25 minutes without scoring, how did you stay motivated?
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: These guys around me. My motto, we all can go. I understand that if it ain't my night, somebody going to pick me up. We understand we all just picking each other up throughout the year, man. We been doing that all the year.
Tonight was nothing different. The way we won tonight, it's just an exclamation mark on the year. It's great to win like that, knowing the fact that we're a brotherhood together, and we've been picking each other up all year.
Q. Walter, on the final play involving Sharp, what was going through your mind when you saw that unfolding?
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, just go 100%. Honestly, my mind was just a little blank. Trying to get a stop. We ended up getting it, getting the win. Happy we got that done.
Q. Up until probably late in the season, you hadn't had that many chances to have these kind of big comeback games. You've had four of them in the six you played in the NCAA tournament. Is there a compounding effect of confidence when you get one of those comebacks when you are in the next situation?
WILL RICHARD: I mean, for sure. Definitely pulling out one of those games definitely gives you confidence. Knowing that you can win those type of games going forward.
I feel like, like I said, it's just a testament to who we are as a team. I feel like we're going to fight till the end and do whatever it takes to give ourselves a chance to win.
ALEX CONDON: I just think we have elite confidence in those situations. We seem to be in those tight situations a lot in this tournament.
Yeah, I think we got together in the huddle at one point when we were down, said we're good. No one is really stressing out too bad. We just have a lot of confidence in each other, knowing that our shot was going to fall down the stretch.
ALIJAH MARTIN: I agree with what they both said.
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: I agree with what they said also (smiling).
Q. Alex, what is going through your mind on the last play when you see the ball rolling around? When did it set in that was the game right there?
ALEX CONDON: Yeah, I think it was a great defensive play by Walter. I was questioning whether I should go out and leave my man. He did a good job of making him. It was going to be a travel if he picked it up. Just diving on it, hearing the buzzer go was a crazy feeling. Didn't feel real, for sure.
THE MODERATOR: We congratulate and thank Walter, Alijah, Alex and Will.
First question for Coach Golden.
Q. I think you're the only national champion in the last 20 years to come back from a nine-point, or more, deficit. How did you watch your team navigates those moments? Each of those comebacks, each stressful stretches...
TODD GOLDEN: Our guys have been really good all year staying the course. In this tournament, especially after the first round, every team you play is going to be really, really, really good. You have to have the mental toughness to be able to withstand a little adversity.
We played an incredible UConn team that was used to winning in the second round. Had to get through that one. Obviously Texas Tech, great program. Had to find a way to come back and beat them. Obviously Auburn. The best team in America most of the year in the semifinal.
There's going to be times of adversity trying to fight back in those games. Those are all great teams. Obviously Houston is a class act, amazing program, Hall of Fame head coach, super, super tough student-athletes.
Our guys knew that it wasn't going to be easy. Didn't panic when it got tough. As Will talked about, they did a great job of never getting too high, never getting too low. When we went down 12 in the second half, we stayed the course. We didn't point fingers, didn't start to try to make hero plays, gambling defensively. We got rewarded because of that toughness that we displayed.
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by the 2025 national champions, Florida Gators.
Coach, we'll ask you to begin with a statement.
TODD GOLDEN: It's a heck of an accomplishment. I'm super proud of everybody in my program, top to bottom. My staff, been together for three years, worked incredibly hard to help get our players to this point. Our players, they've been the difference all the way along. Been incredibly consistent all year. Have worked with a great work ethic.
Obviously we have an incredibly talented group, one of the most talented groups individually in America. I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year. Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives.
THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions for Walter, Alijah, Alex and Will.
Q. Will, did you feel that you needed to pick the team up the way the other guys were shooting the first half? Walter, could you comment on Will's performance while you were having a hard time getting open with their defense.
WILL RICHARD: Yeah, just trying to make plays to help us stay in the game, help us give our ourselves the best chance to win. They were guarding Walter and other guys pretty hard. Will had seven assists. Even when they were guarding him so hard, I feel like he still made plays to help the team win. Just a good job by the team staying aggressive throughout that.
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, for sure, Houston was guarding us great. They do a great defense out there. Everyone knows them for that. We have multiple guys on this team that can go. Tonight was one of those nights with Will. He showed it multiple times this year. Never know whose night it's going to be, and we showed that as a team.
Q. What does it say about your ability to come back in four games out of the six, stay the course? Tonight you looked in tough shape for a while.
WILL RICHARD: I feel like it just goes back to how connected we are as a team. I feel like we all don't have any quit. I feel like as long as there's time on the clock, if we take it possession by possession. I just like our resiliency and how we fight through adversity throughout the game.
ALEX CONDON: I think just a great down the stretch, how hard we played defensively. I think we got nine stops towards the end of the game. Yeah, it was just a team effort to get this win. It was crazy.
ALIJAH MARTIN: It goes back to what we did all season. Every stretch down the moment that we been through this year, just prepared for us this moment. We showed up, man. We never blinked. We're national champs.
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: I agree with what they said (smiling).
Q. Walter, what did you see on the closeout with Sharp at the end? What does it mean to win the national championship on a defensive play like that?
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, I seen a lot going on. Felt like we were going to get something from Cryer or Roberts. Sharp kind of creeped down to the baseline. I seen a back screen. I'm yelling back screen at Do. Sharp ended up slipping it, set elevator screens. We work on it in practice, closing out, jumping to the side so you don't foul the shooter. He pump faked, threw the ball down, ended up being a good play, Do got on it. We won the game.
The feeling, just surreal. It's a crazy feeling. I can't even explain it, but it feel good, though.
Q. Walter, when you go 25 minutes without scoring, how did you stay motivated?
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: These guys around me. My motto, we all can go. I understand that if it ain't my night, somebody going to pick me up. We understand we all just picking each other up throughout the year, man. We been doing that all the year.
Tonight was nothing different. The way we won tonight, it's just an exclamation mark on the year. It's great to win like that, knowing the fact that we're a brotherhood together, and we've been picking each other up all year.
Q. Walter, on the final play involving Sharp, what was going through your mind when you saw that unfolding?
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: Yeah, just go 100%. Honestly, my mind was just a little blank. Trying to get a stop. We ended up getting it, getting the win. Happy we got that done.
Q. Up until probably late in the season, you hadn't had that many chances to have these kind of big comeback games. You've had four of them in the six you played in the NCAA tournament. Is there a compounding effect of confidence when you get one of those comebacks when you are in the next situation?
WILL RICHARD: I mean, for sure. Definitely pulling out one of those games definitely gives you confidence. Knowing that you can win those type of games going forward.
I feel like, like I said, it's just a testament to who we are as a team. I feel like we're going to fight till the end and do whatever it takes to give ourselves a chance to win.
ALEX CONDON: I just think we have elite confidence in those situations. We seem to be in those tight situations a lot in this tournament.
Yeah, I think we got together in the huddle at one point when we were down, said we're good. No one is really stressing out too bad. We just have a lot of confidence in each other, knowing that our shot was going to fall down the stretch.
ALIJAH MARTIN: I agree with what they both said.
WALTER CLAYTON JR.: I agree with what they said also (smiling).
Q. Alex, what is going through your mind on the last play when you see the ball rolling around? When did it set in that was the game right there?
ALEX CONDON: Yeah, I think it was a great defensive play by Walter. I was questioning whether I should go out and leave my man. He did a good job of making him. It was going to be a travel if he picked it up. Just diving on it, hearing the buzzer go was a crazy feeling. Didn't feel real, for sure.
THE MODERATOR: We congratulate and thank Walter, Alijah, Alex and Will.
First question for Coach Golden.
Q. I think you're the only national champion in the last 20 years to come back from a nine-point, or more, deficit. How did you watch your team navigates those moments? Each of those comebacks, each stressful stretches...
TODD GOLDEN: Our guys have been really good all year staying the course. In this tournament, especially after the first round, every team you play is going to be really, really, really good. You have to have the mental toughness to be able to withstand a little adversity.
We played an incredible UConn team that was used to winning in the second round. Had to get through that one. Obviously Texas Tech, great program. Had to find a way to come back and beat them. Obviously Auburn. The best team in America most of the year in the semifinal.
There's going to be times of adversity trying to fight back in those games. Those are all great teams. Obviously Houston is a class act, amazing program, Hall of Fame head coach, super, super tough student-athletes.
Our guys knew that it wasn't going to be easy. Didn't panic when it got tough. As Will talked about, they did a great job of never getting too high, never getting too low. When we went down 12 in the second half, we stayed the course. We didn't point fingers, didn't start to try to make hero plays, gambling defensively. We got rewarded because of that toughness that we displayed.