Florida Gators make first Final Four since 2014 thanks to one unsung hero's incredible performance
With seven minutes to go, it didn't feel like the Florida Gators would advance to the Final Four. They were down by 10 points, and nothing was going right for them. They weren't grabbing rebounds on both sides of the court, were turning the ball over and missing shots. Heck, when they did make shots, […]
With seven minutes to go, it didn't feel like the Florida Gators would advance to the Final Four.
They were down by 10 points, and nothing was going right for them. They weren't grabbing rebounds on both sides of the court, were turning the ball over and missing shots. Heck, when they did make shots, the Texas Tech Red Raiders would respond with one.
Right after Walter Clayton Jr. made a layup, JT Toppin did the same to go up 75-69. That's when the magic truly began.
Thomas Hough plays game of his life
The one thing that stands out about this Gators team is their resiliency. No matter what happens, they don't get phased. The Gators finished the game on an 18-4 run with a kickstart from an unlikely source.
Thomas Haugh played an incredible game throughout, but his endgame was more impressive. From high effort and energy play on defense to hitting big shots on offense, Haugh was there.
“He’s great in any role. He could easily start for us," said head coach Todd Golden after the game. "He did start for us quite a bit when Condo was out. And Tommy has just continued to improve so much when he got to campus. He was good for us last year, helped us win a lot of games. But I think he only averaged, like, three points and four rebounds a game. But his jump he’s made from his freshman to sophomore year has been incredible. Just his ability to shoot the basketball. He’s becoming an elite 3-point shooter, elite free-throw shooter. Areas that he struggled with a little bit last year, he’s so good with the ball. He’s a great pressure release for our guys, catching the ball in middle of the floor, Condo as well, but both guys are great that way. And his defensive versatility is huge for us.”
Haugh hit the three-point shot after that Topin layup, and he only got to shoot it by grabbing the offensive rebound. He also hit one on the next possession after a missed free throw on the other end to make it a three-point game. The bench was getting fired up at this point, thanks to Haugh's impressive display.
The following possession saw Haugh grab another rebound before Clayton tied the game with his first of two consecutive three-point shots. Golden gave Haugh a lot of credit after the game for being a winning player.
"The thing about Tommy, and it goes for other guys on our roster as well, he’s a winning player. He just finds ways to impact the game and to help the team win the most — one of if not the most unselfish guys out there, just being comfortable coming off the bench when he could be starting for pretty much any team in America. Obviously he’ll start for us next year. But he’s just a fantastic player. He’s a great person. Comes from a great family. He was just brought up the right way. And he’s super, super unselfish. He’s grateful to be at Florida. Obviously myself and my coaching staff are grateful that he’s a part of our program.
Haugh finished with 20 points off the bench, behind only Clayton's 30, while grabbing 11 rebounds and a very impressive 4-6 from three. He was the sparkplug the Gators needed, and now they are headed to their sixth Final Four in program history.
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