Florida and Auburn are set to square off this Saturday at 4 PM inside the O’Connell Center, in what marks a rematch of last April’s Final Four showdown. That game saw Florida overcome a sluggish start before flipping the switch and pulling away from the Tigers en route to a national championship. But don’t expect a rerun of that script-this matchup features two very different teams from the ones we saw last spring.
Let’s start with Florida. The Gators have had to retool their backcourt entirely, with every guard from last season’s title-winning squad now gone.
The absence of Alijah Martin looms especially large-his pair of momentum-shifting dunks in the Final Four clash with Auburn were defining moments in that game. This year’s Florida team, though, has found new ways to win, and they’re doing it with depth, defensive grit, and a five-game win streak that has them tied atop the SEC standings with Texas A&M.
Auburn, meanwhile, has taken a different trajectory. The Tigers are 12-7 on the season, and while they’ve won three of their last four, consistency has been hard to come by.
The program saw significant turnover in the offseason, including the departure of big man Johni Broome to the NBA and Chad Baker-Mazard, who dropped 18 points in last year’s Final Four meeting, to the transfer portal. Perhaps the biggest change came on the sideline-longtime head coach Bruce Pearl stepped away, and his son, Steven Pearl, is now leading the program.
It’s been a rocky start for Steven Pearl’s tenure. Auburn has struggled on both ends of the perimeter.
Offensively, they rank 236th in the country in three-point shooting-a number that’s tough to overcome in today’s game. Defensively, they’re not doing themselves any favors either, sitting 239th in opponent three-point percentage.
That combination has made it hard for the Tigers to keep pace, especially against teams that can stretch the floor.
The Tigers still like to push the tempo, but they’re not quite in the same gear as some of the SEC’s faster squads like Georgia or Texas A&M. That could play into Florida’s hands, especially if the Gators can control the pace and get into their sets without being rushed.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, Florida is favored by 11.5 points-and for good reason. They’re playing confident, connected basketball, and they’ve got their eyes set on more than just a revenge win. This is a team aiming for an SEC regular-season crown, and Auburn is the next hurdle in that journey.
So while Saturday’s game carries echoes of last year’s Final Four, make no mistake-this is a new chapter. And if Florida continues to play the way they have been, it could be another statement win on their growing résumé.