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Florida Gators celebrate with Patric Young after advancing to Sweet 16

On3 imageby:Sam Gillenwater•03/23/25•

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Patric Young
Bob Donnan | Imagn Images

Florida, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, is advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017. There to celebrate that with them in Raleigh today was a beloved former Gator on one of those final contending teams from the era under Billy Donovan.

As No. 1 Florida came off the floor following their 77-75 win over No. 8 UConn, Patric Young was there to dap each one of them courtside at the Lenovo Center. Several of the players and staff members leaned over to show him love after advancing in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

“This was pretty cool!” Young tweeted with the video.

Young was in Gainesville for four seasons from 2010 to 2014 on some of their final teams under Donovan. He, in the second-most games played ever at the school, posted 8.7 points (57.7% FG), 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in his career as a Gator that earned him honors as a two-time selection as All-SEC, a two-time selection as All-SEC Defensive, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. As for the team in that time, Florida went 120-30 (.800) in winning four conference titles and reaching no worse than the Elite Eight, including the school’s last appearance in the Final Four when Young was a senior in ’13-’14.

Young then played professionally, in the association and overseas, until joining the SEC Network at ESPN in 2021. However, a year later in 2022, Young was in a car accident that paralyzed him from the waist down with him in a wheelchair ever since.

Young got to watch his former program again today, though, in a two-point win for Florida. The Gators, down as much as six in the second half, came back in time in the final two minutes against the two-time defending champions to move on for the first time in eight years to the Sweet 16.

The Swamp is full of Gators who are glad today as their hopes of a national title continue. That includes Young who will keep covering his alma mater as they head out to the west coast to San Francisco.

Hurley levels NSFW warning to Baylor walking off court after UConn loss

No. 8 UConn exited March Madness in the Round of 32 after falling short of its upset bid over No. 1 Florida. As the Huskies were walking to the locker room, though, Dan Hurley turned to the Baylor Bears, who were about to take the court for their own game against No. 1 Duke, to send them an NSFW warning about the officials.

“I hope the don’t f*** you like they f***ed us,” Hurley said. “I really hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor.”