Todd Golden explains why Florida is ready for the Final Four

Todd Golden has brought Florida back to the Final Four for the first time since 2014. While their competition may have more experience than the Gators, it’s evident the 39-year old coach believes his team is ready for battle. 

Florida will be facing off against Auburn in San Antonio, with a chance at playing for the national title on the line. During a press conference before the showdown with the Gators’ SEC rival, Golden explained his team’s mindset entering the clash, and why they’re more prepared than you may think. 

“I think the same reason why I’ve had success all year is why we’ll be okay. Being here, this being the first time — we have a very mature group. Very unselfish group. Guys that are very driven,” Golden stated. “You look at the way we played all year, we’ve been a very consistent team. We’ve always been able to bounce back from losses the right way, make sure we get back to who we are and playing well. I think we’ve won 10 in a row coming into this event.

“Our guys are not going to be satisfied going home Saturday night. I think going in, the mentality is that — obviously it will be a great season regardless, but if we lose on Saturday, we’ll have a bad taste in our mouths.

“Our senior leaders on the perimeter drive that. Walter [Clayton], Will [Richard], Alijah [Martin], make sure our competitive spirit is in the right place. Our young guys in the front-court play so stinking hard, they’ll do whatever they need to do to keep us alive. I point to the collective unity of this group as the main reason as to why we deserve to, and we’ll do what we need on Saturday night to stay here.”

While some teams crumble under pressure, that hasn’t been the case for Golden’s squad. They’ve faced adversity and come out the other side successful throughout the season. That’s why Florida is so relaxed heading into their game against Auburn, their head coach has prepared them for whatever may come their way. 

“The two things I point to is our team’s maturity and our belief,” Golden added, regarding why his team has been so relaxed in San Antonio. “We’ve had a great season. We won 34 games. You don’t do that by accident. I think our guys understand and know that when we’re at our best, we are one of, if not the best team in college basketball.

“Our guys have put in the work. We didn’t make it here by accident. We earned the opportunity to be here and to compete. Our guys enjoy doing that on a nightly basis. I think they understand what’s at stake, but at the same time they want to enjoy being here and enjoy the fruits of the labor that we’ve had all year.”

Everything will come to a head for Florida on Saturday, as their clash with Auburn will tip-off at 6:09 p.m. ET inside the Alamodome. It’s a showdown between two familiar teams, coaches and players, but the pomp and circumstance surrounding the showdown is sure to add an element of unpredictability.