Florida Gators or Houston Cougars? Media members make their picks
The stage is set for Monday night’s NCAA Tournament championship game — and it promises to be a classic. Florida (35-4) and Houston (35-4) will battle it out in San Antonio, Texas, after each team pulled off thrilling come-from-behind victories in Saturday’s semifinals. Both programs have been dominant all season, boasting deep rosters, elite coaching, and a relentless drive to win. But only one will emerge as the national champion and cut down the nets.
Florida is chasing its third NCAA title, while Houston, making its seventh Final Four appearance, is still seeking its first. Who will rise to the occasion? Will Florida’s All-American guard Walter Clayton have another monster game? Might Houston coach Kelvin Sampson finally get that championship trophy?
Gators Online is tracking expert predictions from across the country and will keep this story updated through Sunday and into Monday’s showdown.
Florida Gators-Houston Cougars national championship picks
—Pat Forde, SI.com: Florida 71-68
—Bryan Fischer, SI.com: Florida 73, Houston 64
—Kevin Sweeney, SI.com: Houston 67, Florida 65
—Peter Dewey, SI.com: Florida
—Jeff Borzello, ESPN: Houston, 67-65
—Myron Medcalf, ESPN: Houston, 70-67
—Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: Houston 72-69
—Paul Myerberg, USA Today: Houston 71-63
—Erick Smith, USA Today: Florida 66-65
—Eddie Timanus, USA Today: Florida 68-65
—Dan Wolken, USA Today: Houston 61-57
—Lindsay Schnell, The Athletic: Florida 66-59
—Joe Rexrode, The Athletic: Houston 64-60
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic: Houston 69-66
—Brian Hamilton, The Athletic: Houston 72-70
—Justin Williams, The Athletic: Houston 68-66
—Scott Dochterman, The Athletic: Florida 74, Houston 70
—Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic: Houston
—Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun: Florida 69-63
—Jason Logan, Covers.com: Houston
—David Kenyon, Bleacher Report: Houston
—Kerry Miller, Bleacher Report: Houston
—Joel Reuter, Bleacher Report: Houston
—Pete Fiutak, College Football News: Florida 74-68
—Albert Bainbridge IV, NorthJersey.com: Florida 68-60
—Iain MacMillan, SI.com:
—Tyler Shoemaker, VSIN: Houston 72-71
—Rob Paul, Sportsbook Review: Houston 72-69
—Data Skrive: Houston 72-71
—Bet365: Houston 70-68
—Mike Spector, Betting Pros: Houston
—Matthew Postins, Heartland College Sports: Houston 71-70
—Joshua Northcutt, The Wrightway Sports Network: Florida
—OddsShark: Florida
—Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire: Florida 75-72
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More on the big game
—Get to know Houston, the Florida Gators’ championship opponent
NCAA Tournament history
—The Gators are in the NCAA Tournament for the 25th time. They are 52–22. Florida is in the Final Four for the sixth time and owns two championships. This will be the Gators’ fourth appearance in the championship game. They won the title in 2006 and ’07.
—The Cougars have appeared in 26 NCAA Division I Tournaments and are a combined 45–30. They have made seven trips to the Final Four. That is the most of any program that has not won a national championship. The Cougars were the national runners-up in 1983 (N.C. State) and ’84 (Georgetown).
