The championship game followed one of the most exciting, hard-to-believe matchups in Final Four history. In the first national semifinal, Florida overcame a halftime deficit behind another gem from senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. to score a 79-73 win in an all-SEC pairing with rival Auburn.

In the second, Houston pulled off a memorable comeback to shock favored Duke, which was seemingly in firm control deep into the second half before losing 70-67. The Blue Devils’ meltdown marked the second-largest second-half collapse in Final Four history.

Now that the Gators have cut down the nets, let’s look back at the biggest winners from the Alamodome:

Winners

Florida

As against Auburn, the Gators needed to dig out of a hole to beat Houston. The Cougars set a physical tone early and made Florida earn everything, only to hand the game away with an inept performance near the basket and sloppy shooting from the free-throw line. But winning while playing Houston’s style speaks to Florida’s brilliance, which went largely unrecognized for much of the regular season, lost in the shadow cast by the many title contenders in the SEC. While clearly more comfortable in a run-and-gun setting, the Gators played the Cougars’ game and came out on top. The team’s 36 wins tie Florida’s 2014 squad for the most wins in program history.

Walter Clayton Jr.

After becoming the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to score at least 30 points in the Elite Eight and national semifinals, Clayton disappeared in the first half against Houston, failing to score a single point while struggling to get to his spots on the perimeter. But he came back with 11 points in the second half to pace the win while chipping in seven assists, five rebounds and a block and a steal. While not the scoring explosion from the earlier rounds, Clayton’s play helped deliver the national title. Overall, his performance ranks among the best by a guard in recent tournament history.

The SEC

It was a dominant regular season for the SEC, resulting in a record 14 teams chosen for the tournament, four teams in the Elite Eight and a pair in the Final Four. Florida’s win was a fitting way to end the year. The title is the league’s first since 2012, ending a painful drought.

Cooper Flagg

Yes, he was called for a crucial foul on a rebound attempt with 19 seconds left, sending Houston’s J’wan Roberts to the line for two free throws to put the Cougars ahead by a point. He then missed the possible go-ahead jumper from just inside the key to seal Houston’s win. But Flagg was still the game’s most impactful player, stuffing the box score with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a pair of steals. Overall, Flagg’s play throughout the tournament solidified his place as one of the best freshmen in recent NCAA history and as the undisputed top prospect in this year’s draft class.

Buy Florida championship book, gear

Losers

Houston

There might have been one moment when a Houston win on Monday night seemed highly likely, if not certain: The lead was 42-30 after J’wan Roberts made a short hook in the paint with 16:24 to play, seemingly leaving Florida on the verge of collapse. The Cougars’ offense basically disappeared from there as the Gators flipped the script and made every possession a fight to the finish. While UH has established itself as one of nation’s elite programs, this latest Final Four setback joins losses to North Carolina State in 1983 and Georgetown a year later.

Duke

The favorite to win the national championship heading into Saturday night, Duke was in complete control against Houston at the eight-minute mark of the second half and then again with just 2:15 remaining. Ahead by nine with those 135 seconds to play, the Blue Devils coughed up perhaps the greatest collapse in Final Four history. More than just a devastating meltdown, the way Duke handed this game away will end up defining what was otherwise a banner year for freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. This team will be remembered as one of the most talented to come up short of the national championship and for an epic breakdown that will linger in March Madness history.

Jon Scheyer

Given how he’s so adeptly stepped into Mike Krzyzewski’s shoes and maintained Duke’s place as one of college basketball’s elite programs, there’s no reason to think Scheyer won’t make another Final Four appearance – multiple trips, in fact. As with other coaches who have suffered legendary tournament defeats in recent history, such as former Virginia coach Tony Bennett and Purdue’s Matt Painter, another deep postseason run next season could quickly erase the loss to Houston and permanently establish Scheyer as one of the faces of the sport. But what happened on Saturday night will always be a part of his legacy; how large that looms depends on where the Blue Devils go from here.

Auburn

The most puzzling aspect of the loss to Florida was how easily the Gators handled Auburn’s perceived edge in the paint. While an advantage early, helping put the Tigers up by eight at halftime, that evaporated amid Florida’s 11-0 run quickly into the second half. From that point forward, as during Auburn’s 90-81 loss during the regular season, the Gators were able to establish the pace of play and essentially take what they wanted on the offensive end. The lack of an interior presence down the stretch highlighted the Tigers’ lack of creative scorers in the backcourt to match Clayton and Florida guard Alijah Martin. While reaching the second Final Four in program history is commendable, Auburn’s faceplant in the second half was highly disappointing.

Johni Broome

The All-America forward scored 12 points in the first half but only three in the second, hitting on just 1-of-4 attempts from the field and just 1-of-5 from the free-throw line, to embody Auburn’s failures on the offensive end. That the Gators were able to throw waves of defenders at the senior clearly affected his energy level: Broome “had a lot more energy in the first half,” freshman Florida forward Alex Condon said postgame. But Broome was also playing with a right elbow injury, and while heavily wrapped and padded it was obvious the game’s physicality began to wear on him after halftime.

On a day when a judge heard arguments that will shape the revenue-sharing future of college sports, some things never change: March Madness is awesome. Good to the last drop of Florida’s comeback.
NCAA Tournament still binds us, young and old, Todd Golden to Kelvin Sampson.
Cinderella left this March Madness well before midnight, but that gave way to a Final Four of the nation’s best teams.

We just can’t quit you, March Madness, because you never forsake us sports fans.

If you possess working ears, you’ve heard all about how college sports ain’t what they used to be. Maybe so, but March Madness ain’t ever stopped being three weeks of basketball splendor, either.

On a day when a federal judge heard arguments that will shape the revenue-sharing future of college athletics, some things never change: March Madness is awesome. So dang awesome.

And though the national title game became no beauty contest, this goes down as a truly epic Final Four, complete with a championship decided in the final seconds.

Not one, not two, but three second-half comebacks unfolded across three games in San Antonio.

Florida enjoyed the lead in its 65-63 national championship victory over Houston for barely more than a minute, but it led when the buzzer sounded, and if we learned anything these past three weeks, it’s that the score only matters when the clock strikes zero.

The semifinals and championship were decided by a combined margin of 11 points – one point more than the fewest of 10 points at the 1982 Final Four. That’s madness.

The Gators beat Houston at their own game, playing dogged defense and relying on grit, guts and gumption to battle even when their shots weren’t falling.

And when it was finished, you couldn’t miss the elation on the faces of the Gators’ senior guards, and your heart went out to a veteran Cougars team that looked simply gutted.

UPS AND DOWNS: Winners and losers of NCAA men’s tournament

Because, yeah, these modern college athletes are paid, but if you watched even a few minutes of this game Monday, you noticed that winning a national championship mattered one heck of a lot to every man who stepped on that court.

I keep hearing about how the transfer culture sullies college sports, but then I watched J’Wan Roberts, a sixth-year senior who spent his entire career at Houston, becoming the glue of the program’s resurgence, make two clutch free throws against Duke to secure Houston’s spot in the national championship game.

Buy Florida championship book, gear

I watched Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. deliver a six-game performance that ranks among the all-time great tournament escapades. He totaled 64 points in the Elite Eight and Final Four, but Clayton proved his mettle against Houston even when his shots weren’t falling. His defense prevented Houston from getting off a game-winning shot attempt.

Clayton transferred to Florida to play his final two seasons. He considered Florida his “dream school” out of high school, but he was a zero-star recruit. So, off to Iona he went, to play two seasons for a guy named Rick Pitino before transferring and culminating his career by bringing glory back to Florida, his homestate school.

These are great stories only March Madness can tell.

Alijah Martin, another of Florida’s starting senior guards, also began his career as a zero-star mid-major signee. He helped Florida Atlantic to a Final Four. Now, he’s one of those Gator boys who just kept winning in March and into April.

This tournament and its bracket pools unite basketball diehards and casuals, the young and the old. Literally. Florida’s 39-year-old Todd Golden became the youngest coach to win an NCAA championship since Jim Valvano in 1983. As the final seconds ticked away, Houston’s 69-year-old Kelvin Sampson, trying to become the oldest coach ever to win this tournament, watched straight-faced as his Cougars received a merciless ending after a cathartic trip to the finals.

A handful of conference commissioners chirped the past few years that March Madness ought to go under the microscope. From SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to the Big 12’s Brett Yormark, they said the tournament should expand beyond 68 teams.

Maybe, tournament expansion will occur in time. A few extra teams competing in play-in games wouldn’t ruin this event, but you’d be hard-pressed to convince me March Madness could be improved upon.

“One Shining Moment” is March Madness’ soundtrack, but, in truth, this tournament provides dozens of shining moments every year.

This year, those moments included Houston beating Purdue on Sampson’s brilliant inbounds play, and then Houston stunning Duke with the best 75-second comeback you’ll ever see.

This tournament has a way of turning fairytales into reality.

Auburn star Johni Broome injured his elbow, and he initially thought he was toast, only to return later in the same game and drill a 3-pointer to help secure the second Final Four appearance in program history.

No March Madness is complete without a buzzer beater, and Maryland’s Derick Queen made sure we were covered on that front.

The underdogs didn’t uncork their usual amount of hijinks, but we still saw a Drake lineup full of transfers who were playing Division II ball last year topple a team from the mighty SEC. Plus, a once-sullied coach secured redemption at McNeese State, while his boombox-toting student manager provided the theme music.

Texas Tech used an epic comeback to turn back Arkansas, only to go down virtue of one of Florida’s four second-half rallies, en route to the championship.

This tournament won’t be remembered for its upsets. Cinderella left the party well before midnight, but that gave way to a Final Four of the nation’s best teams, playing their best ball, complete with a collection of talented players who cooked up a memorable conclusion to a tournament that refuses to comprise its awesomeness, even in the face of college sports evolution.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

This makes no sense. Absolutely none. But it’s the NFL, and here we are. 

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has apparently been invited to the NFL draft by the league office. Typically what this means is the league believes there’s a high probability Milroe will be selected in the first round.

To this I say: quarterbacks make NFL franchises do the dumbest things. 

Draft high, dream big. And more times than not, fail spectacularly. 

Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett; they’re all the same. High picks, blown picks.

But here’s the difference between those three and Milroe: they were accomplished throwers in college football. Milroe, after two seasons as a starter at Alabama, is still a significant project.

The last time we saw the dynamic and electric player on the field, he was in the process of being exposed by a Michigan team that lost five games in 2024. 

In fact, over the last three games of the season – when Alabama needed Milroe in the biggest way while chasing a College Football Playoff bid, and playing in a bowl game – he completed 45 of 82 passes (54.8 percent) for 612 yards, with one touchdown and nine turnovers (five interceptions).  

I ask you, does that sound like an NFL first round draft pick?

But over and over we see this in the NFL draft, where teams become infatuated by quarterbacks after watching them throw against air during a personal workout. 

Instead of living by what they believe and know to be true: your tape is your resume.

Three NFL scouts told USA TODAY Sports that they would be shocked if Milroe were picked in the first two days (first three rounds) of the draft. The scouts requested anonymity to protect their draft preparations. 

But clearly some team is highly intrigued by Milroe, and as the NFL draft truism goes: all it takes is one. 

Milroe was an exciting and dangerous college player, a quarterback that excelled at 50-50 third level throws — but struggled with the accuracy on first and second level throws. The throws that move the chains.

He stressed defenses with his speed and power in the quarterback run game, but in three upset losses last season to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma – where those defenses stacked the box and forced Milroe to beat them with his arm – he had 28 yards on 36 carries.

He also had six interceptions in those three losses. 

There are a handful of teams looking for a quarterback in the draft, with the Titans expected to choose Miami’s Cam Ward with the No.1 overall pick. Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Jaxson Dart of Mississippi are also expected to be chosen on Day 1.

The difference between those three and Milroe is unmistakable as developed, NFL-ready throwers. Yet someone sees something, and they’re willing spend precious draft capital for it. 

It appears as though the Steelers – the same Steelers that blew the Pickett pick in 2022 – have zeroed in on Milroe. The idea goes something like this: sign future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the bridge quarterback (image that), and Milroe takes over in 2026 or 2027.

Maybe it works. Maybe Milroe sits behind Rodgers and learns the nuances of the game at the highest level from one of the greatest to ever play the position. Just like Jordan Love, an excitable but significant project at Utah State before being selected in the first round by the Green Bay Packers in 2021. 

That worked out nearly flawlessly for both Rodgers and Love, who sat for two seasons and is now one of the league’s best young quarterbacks.

2025 NFL draft: Stock up, stock down for these players following pro day workouts

But there’s also the flip side, where Jones and Pickett and Wilson reside. Where the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 traded three future first round draft picks to move up to No.3 overall and select Trey Lance, the definition of project. 

Lance played in eight games for the 49ers, and this season with be with his third team in five years.

It makes no sense. But it doesn’t stop NFL teams from doing the same thing over and over. 

Draft high, dream big. And be ready to fail spectacularly.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

The 2025 edition of men’s March Madness just wrapped up with Florida winning the national championship, but it’s never to early to start thinking about who is next to have the one shining moment.

Odds for the national champion of the 2026 NCAA Tournament are already out, allowing a sneak preview of who could be playing in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Several factors such as coaching changes, recruiting and the transfer portal determine the way-too-early look at next year’s March Madness. Of course, things could drastically be different comes next March, but the early predictions could end up coming true.

There’s 363 days until the 2026 men’s basketball national championship game, but here are the betting favorites to cut down the nets next season.

Favorite to win 2026 men’s basketball national championship

It’s the team that finished this season’s runner-up. Houston is the betting favorite to win the 2026 national championship, according to BetMGM. The Cougars have the best odds at +900. It currently has the second best recruiting class, according to 247 Sports, behind Duke, which has the second-best odds at +100.

Betting odds for 2026 men’s March Madness national champion

According to betMGM, as of Tuesday morning

Houston: +900
Duke: +1000
Connecticut: +1400
Louisville: +1700
Auburn: +1800
Purdue: +1900
Brigham Young: +2000
Kentucky: +2000
Arkansas: +2000
Kansas: +2000
Alabama: +2000
Texas Tech: +2000
Michigan: +2500
St. John’s: +2500
Tennessee: +2500
Michigan State: +3000
Gonzaga: +3000
Iowa State: +3000
Arizona: +4000
Baylor: +4000
UCLA: +4000
North Carolina: +4000

SAN ANTONIO — Walter Clayton Jr. scored all 11 of his points in the second half and Florida pulled out a 65-63 win against Houston’s ferocious defense with a second-half rally to claim the third national championship in program history.

The Gators were led by guard Alijah Martin’s 18 points. Freshman forward Alex Condon had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Clayton added 7 assists, 5 rebounds, a block and a steal but shot 3-10 from the field and 1 of 7 from 3-point range.

Houston guard L.J. Cryer had a game-high 19 points. Senior forward J’wan Roberts had 8 points and 8 rebounds but went 1 of 6 in the second half. Guard Emanuel Sharp had 8 points and shot 3 of 11 with a pair of costly turnovers.

This is Florida’s first title since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 under Hall of Fame coach Bill Donovan. The Gators won a combined 39 games in coach Todd Golden’s first two years but finished 36-4 this season, tying the 2014 team for the most wins in program history.

Golden, 39, is the youngest coach to win a national title since Jim Valvano of North Carolina State in 1983. Valvano was 37.

‘We did what we did all year,’ Golden said. ‘We stayed the course. … Like we’ve done all year, we made plays when we needed them the most. We guarded our butts off down the stretch.’

Florida’s victory gives the SEC its first national championship since 2012 and cements this year’s conference as the most dominant in recent NCAA history. The SEC sent a record 14 teams into this year’s tournament and had four teams in the Elite Eight.

The Gators won it all despite nearly facing the toughest possible tournament road. Previously, Florida beat No. 16 Norfolk State (95-69) in the opening round, No. 8 Connecticut (77-75) in the second round, No. 4 Maryland (87-71) in the Sweet 16, No. 3 Texas Tech (84-79) and No. 1 Auburn (79-73) in the Final Four.

‘It’s a feeling I can’t even explain,’ Clayton said.

In a matchup expected to be decided by which team was able to control the tempo, it was the Cougars’ physicality that defined the style of play and forced the run-and-gun Gators to alter their approach.

Houston’s ability to control the paint and dominate the glass helped put it in front 16-10 midway through the first half, with the two teams combining to miss their first 12 attempts from deep. The Cougars’ harassing halfcourt defense yielded six Florida turnovers and made every early possession a battle for breathing room.

A trio of 3-pointers by Richard helped snap a five-minute Florida scoring drought and evened the score at 21-21 with 5:44 to go before halftime. The Cougars would then go on an 8-0 run over the next 40 seconds to go up 29-21. But Florida would close the first 20 minutes on a 7-2 run of its own to make the score 31-28 at the half.

That Florida was within a possession of the Cougars despite a scoreless first half by Clayton, who missed all four of his attempts but had five assists, was telling. With 14 points on 4 of 6 makes from 3, Richard stepped up to keep the Gators close. The two teams ended the half a combined 6 of 28 from behind the arc.

After only four fouls were called in the first half, Florida was whistled three times in the first 2:09 of the second, with the last, a blocking call against Richard, resulting in a technical foul assessed to the apoplectic Gators’ bench. UH would make one of two ensuing free throws and then add a 3 by Cryer and a short jumper by Roberts to lead 42-30 at the 15:30 mark.

Buy Florida championship book, gear, page print

At this point, the Cougars’ tenacity had the frustrated Gators on the verge of losing the plot. Yet Florida would find a response as it had done in all four of its last victories when a comeback was required.

After an Emanuel Sharp free throw put Houston up 45-34 six minutes into the half, the Gators would get a layup from Denzel Aberdeen, a Martin connection from deep and then an and-one by forward Thomas Haugh to make it 45-42 with 12:06 left.

Clayton then finally started to make an impact. He then fouled while putting in a twisting layup on the left side, his first bucket of the game, and then made the free throw to tie the score at 48-48 with 7:54 left.

The first tie since it was 21-21 in the first half set up a high-pressure home stretch.

Houston went up 51-48 with the help of two free throws following another technical foul on the Gators, this one on center Rueben Chinyelu. Clayton had another and-one to make it 51-51 with seven minutes to go. Dueling layups by Mylik Wilson and Aberdeen evened the score at 53-53 with six minutes left. Richard made a pair from the line to draw Florida within a point at 58-57 with 4:46 to go.

Thirty seconds later, Ja’Vier Francis would slam back an offensive rebound to put UH ahead 60-57 before a Clayton 3 with 3:14 left tied the score again. Both offenses would then bog down again, leaving UH in front 63-62 with under a minute left.

With 46.5 seconds to play, Martin would make a pair from the line to put the Gators up 64-63 and give them their first lead since 8-6 with 15:37 to play in the first half. At that point, Florida had led the game for all of 17 seconds.

The edge would hold. The Cougars’ next possession ended with Sharp dribbling the ball away and out of bounds, returning the ball to the Gators. Aberdeen would make one of two from the line to make the score 65-63 with 19.7 left.

That set up Houston’s final chance. But with Sharp was forced into an awkward dribble with just seconds left when Clayton challenged his potential 3-point shot, resulting in a scramble for the ball that was recovered by Condon, bringing the national title back to Gainesville.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.