Coolheaded transfer guards slam it home for the Gators

Martin’s ferocious dunk leaves Tigers wobbling

6 Apr 2025 - The Washington Post Sunday

BY JESSE DOUGHERTY

From page D1 san antonio — There is, if you zoom all the way out, a total excess of Final Four material. The first one was in 1939. Over the decades, as the arenas got bigger, as phones turned into mini TVs, as they started playing in stadiums that could fit an airplane or five, the access to that material expanded, making it possible to watch the Final Four — or any number of AT&T commercials — from the air, the sea, maybe even outer space.ROBERT DEUTSCH/IMAGN IMAGESAuburn defenders are no match for Florida guard Alijah Martin, whose mighty dunk set the tone for the Gators’ come-from-behind win.

How hard, then, is it to do something that might actually be remembered?

You can now, officially, after Florida beat Auburn, 79-73, in the Alamodome on Saturday night, ask Gators guard Alijah Martin.

Deep in the second half of a national semifinal, with the teams stuck together like glue, Martin sprung loose on a fast break, nothing but clean hardwood in front of him. From the other side of the court, Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn’s 6-foot-7 forward, started chopping his steps, building to challenge Martin at the rim. Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford entered the picture from behind. Bad idea for both, though. Martin leaped, stretched and dunked over everyone, most notably the two players who thought they had a chance. At first, he twisted to see them flailing in his dust. But then some physical force — maybe gravity, maybe the weight of history — made Martin, all of 6foot-2, spin like a top on the floor.

“I was just thinking, ‘Dunk it,’ honestly,” Martin said. Easy enough.

“We’ve been waiting for it all year,” teammate Walter Clayton Jr. chimed in from two seats down.

“Yeah,” Martin answered with a laugh. Easy enough again.

“I was sitting right under the rim watching it‚” said Will Richard, who started his career at Belmont and is the third senior guard in Florida’s lineup. “It was kind of crazy because we always talk about it: He hasn’t got a body the whole year. And he gets it in the Final Four.”

The stadium paused for the smallest, shortest second before erupting. That happens only when, at once, thousands of people see something real. The dunk, sick as it was, also had a hand in Florida’s victory. It put the Gators up three with about five minutes left. If you believe in momentum, it might have been when things turned. And if that’s true — or even if it isn’t — it was fitting for a team fueled by its senior guards.

Martin finished with 17 points and was lockdown on defense. Clayton, the Gators’ star point guard, poured in a game-high 34. They combined to shoot 7 for 11 from three-point range. Only one of their teammates, sophomore forward Thomas Haugh, also scored in double digits. To build this backcourt, Florida Coach Todd Golden took to the transfer portal, much like most elite teams in the past few years. Clayton began his career playing for Rick Pitino at Iona. Martin came from Florida Atlantic, where he played in this round two years ago (and lost on a heartbreaking buzzerbeater to San Diego State).

Throughout the Final Four rosters, all No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, coaches found value at smaller schools. Johni Broome, Auburn’s best player, the forward

Florida held to three points in the second half, came from Morehead State. Duke has a starting guard from Tulane. Martin, though, new to Florida this year, is the only one who could say he had been here, to the last 40 minutes before the title game. And next he’ll go one step further, facing Houston on Monday night.

“The fact that he even made the Final Four twice was ridiculous,” Haugh said. “And now to say he’s been to the Final Four and championship, that’s just awesome.”

Right away, Florida had a clear defensive game plan: Knock around Broome, who was playing with a hurt right elbow, whenever possible. Then make sure he had few options, if any, when looking to pass out of isolation. Martin, a beast of a defender, helped limit Pettiford, one of Auburn’s reliable sparks, to one field goal and seven total points. By the middle of the second half, the Gators were all over the Tigers, leaving no space to breathe (or, you know, play basketball effectively). Clayton took it from there.

Speaking of space, he needs just a little bit to unleash shots, meaning it’s nearly impossible to guard him on the perimeter. A hesitation move, a dribble handoff, a momentary lapse in defensive focus — any of that is enough for Clayton to fire a three. Heading into the game, more than 38 percent of those attempts had fallen through this season. During this game, he went 5 for 8 from beyond the arc, none more important than his three with 4:29 left.

Clayton managed to score seven more points down the stretch. In another fitting sequence, he sank two free throws to get Florida to 79 points, which were five more than they needed to win. When Clayton and Martin are on like that, Richard feels the whole game simplifies. Everyone can shrink their roles, focusing harder on defending, rebounding, making the extra pass to put the ball in their scorers’ hands. In certain moments, they can watch from the bench, from half court — from wherever they were when Martin jumped to where no one could catch him — and let their mouths hang open.

“My reaction was, ‘Oh, my God,’” Haugh said. “And then I got back on defense.”

“I was on the bench, and we all just went ballistic,” forward Alex Condon said. “It was a crazy momentum play.”

And was that, in fact, when it all turned Florida’s way?

“It was around five minutes?” Condon asked. “Then yeah.”