By William Loughnan, Year 12
The 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has ended, and what a wild ride it was. In a year when upsets were few and far between, blueblood programs flexed their muscle and the Florida Gators were declared national champions with a heart-stopping 65-63 victory over the Houston Cougars in the title game.
The Alamodome game was a thrilling display of resilience, composure, and flawless execution. The Florida team, led by third-year head coach Todd Golden, won its third overall national championship in school history and first since consecutive championships in 2006 and 2007. Golden, who is 39 years old, became the youngest coach in NCAA history to win it all since Jim Valvano’s NC State classic championship run in 1983.
Florida’s path to the championship was no cakewalk. The Gators beat defending champion UConn in the Elite Eight and endured dogfights with Texas Tech and Auburn. In the championship game, they faced Houston, which seemed to be the most balanced team in the tournament. The Cougars built a lead of as many as 12 points midway through the second half, before it all seemed to melt under the sustained pressure of the Gators.
Walter Clayton Jr., scoreless in the first half, woke up when it was needed most. He scored 11 points in the second half and finished a clutch defensive stop with seconds left to win the game. Though Houston’s Jamal Shead had the best tournament of his life, a last-second turnover in the final seconds sealed the Cougars’ fate, keeping them from their first-ever national title.
The 2025 tournament was also unprecedented in that it experienced no bracket chaos with all four top seeds making it past the first round and the Sweet 16 contained only Power Four conference schools (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC) on it. But that’s not to take away from the presence of some feel-good moments. Arkansas, a No. 10 seed, made a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16, continuing the streak of at least one double-digit seed to the regional semifinals for the 17th consecutive year. But by the time the Final Four arrived, the big boys had asserted dominance, mounting a tournament-closing stretch that did more resemble a battle of titans than a Cinderella tale.
Whereas stability and implementation marked the men’s side, the women’s games became record-setting popular through individuals like JuJu Watkins (USC), Paige Bueckers (UConn) and more. The exponential growth of women’s college basketball as a nationwide force ensures the popularity and support around women’s games as well.
Ultimately, the 2025 March Madness was a demonstration of excellent play, old heads, and coaching magic. While it may not be one to remember for outrageous upsets, it showed what happens when the best step up to the plate. With Florida partying with the cutting down of the nets and Houston left shattered once again, college basketball reminded us why March Madness is the most dramatic, emotional, and electric tournament in sports.
