Thomas Haugh, Walter Clayton reflect on comeback win, Final Four berth: 'I feel like I'm dreaming'

The Florida Gators survived a major upset bid by the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Elite Eight, moving on to the Final Four in the process. It’s a run that wouldn’t have been possible without the play of star players like Walter Clayton and Thomas Haugh.

To beat Texas Tech, Florida needed to find a way to come from behind late in the second half. That included plenty of clutch play by Clayton, including a late three-point shot. After the game, both Haugh and Clayton shared their thoughts on the comeback win and making the Final Four amid an incredibly successful season.

“It’s crazy,” Thomas Haugh said. “I feel like I’m dreaming. I was watching the Round of 64 in the eighth grade sneaking my phone into science class watching it. Now to say I’m playing in the Final Four is wild. It’s wild.”

Haugh had an incredible game against Texas Tech. In 30 minutes of action, he put together a double-double, scoring 20 points to go with 11 rebounds. Still, it would be Clayton who stole the show in their Elite Eight game. He had 30 points in the win and came up clutch late in the game to push the Gators to their 84-79 win.

With around 11 minutes left in the game against Texas Tech, the game was tied at 55 points each. That’s when the Red Raiders went on a 12-2 run to build up a double-digit lead with just 7:49 left. Their backs against the wall, the Gators turned to their top performers to slowly fight back into the game. Down by nine with just over three minutes left, Haugh hit a three-pointer and Florida began its run. In the last two minutes, it would be Clayton who took over and Florida would hit late free throws to seal the win.

“Just an amazing feeling,” Walter Clayton said. “I said it multiple times; we’ve just got a group of guys that love each other. Just doing this together, seeing each other’s success, it means a lot.”

This NCAA Tournament, Clayton has been phenomenal. He’s averaging 22.5 points per game to this point in the NCAA Tournament and has made 14 three-point shots in four games. Haugh, meanwhile, is averaging 13.25 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. After making just one three-point shots in the first three rounds, Haugh made four against Texas Tech.

Now, Florida will turn its attention to the Final Four. Their opponent isn’t set yet. However, they know they’ll either be playing Auburn or Michigan State.