Kelvin Sampson’s funny response to historic Houston win over Duke
Kelvin Sampson and Houston pulled off a historic comeback against Duke in the Final Four and the legendary coach has funny reaction when hearing the stat.
Sports Pulse
- March Madness live score updates, highlights and analysis for Houston vs Florida basketball in 2025 NCAA championship game.
- Florida, coached by Todd Golden, is seeking its third national championship and first since 2007. Houston, coached by Kelvin Sampson, is seeking its first national title.
It all comes down to this: The 2024-25 college basketball national champion will be crowned soon as No. 1 seeds Houston and Florida are in action in San Antonio.
The Cougars and Gators survived past Duke and Auburn, respectively, in the Final Four, with Houston completing the largest comeback in Final Four history over a loaded Blue Devils squad. Florida, meanwhile, defeated conference foe Auburn for the second time in as many tries this season.
Longtime coach Kelvin Sampson looks for his first national title and Houston’s first as a program, while Florida looks to get back to the mountaintops for the first time since Billy Donovan led back-to-back championship wins in 2006-07.
Follow along below as USA TODAY Sports brings live updates, highlights and analysis from the game.
This section will be updated live.
| Team | 1H | 2H | F |
| Florida | 28 | — | — |
| Houston | 31 | — | — |
Houston leads 31-28 at halftime, as the Cougars have attempted eight more shots than Florida so far. Gators guard Will Richard leads all scorers with 14 points, making up for star guard Walter Clayton Jr. who was held scoreless in the first half.
Clayton entered the national championship game averaging an NCAA Tournament-high 24.6 points per game but was held scoreless by the Cougars’ tough defense in the first half. He’s 0 for 4 shooting on all 3-point attempts but does have five assists.
Clayton scored 34 points in Florida’s Final Four win over Auburn, after scoring 30 against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. He also scored 23 points each in the first and second round against Norfolk State and UConn, respectively.
Have a first half, Will Richard. The 6-foot-4 guard is carrying the Gators’ offense so far, with 14 points and four 3-point makes through 20 minutes of game time.
Richard has 14 of Florida’s 28 points. He’s averaging 13.2 points per game this season.
The Florida big man doesn’t look like himself right now, as he has three traveling violations in the first half. The 7-footer is 2 of 3 shooting with six points and three turnovers.
Florida shows some life, tying the game at 21 on Will Richard’s third 3-pointer of the game. However, Houston responds with an 8-0 run on a pair of 3-pointers from L.J. Cryer and Mylik Wilson, who also caught an alley-oop dunk in transition during the run.
Houston leads 29-21 with under five minutes left in the first half.
Houston has never won a national championship, despite reaching the final game in back-to-back seasons in 1983 and 1984. The Cougars are making their first appearance in the national championship game since.
Florida basketball has two national championships, which came in back-to-back seasons in 2006-07. The Gators were coached by Billy Donovan, who’s now the head coach of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
Florida was also the national title runner-up in 2000.
Florida’s Will Richard makes the first and second 3-pointers of the game from either team, as he hits from range on back-to-back possessions for Florida to make the score 18-16.
Here are Condon’s per-game averages this season:
- 2024-25: 10.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game on 49.1% shooting (33.3% from 3-point range).
It’s been quite the battle so far, as both teams are still trying to settle in and beat the early-game jitters.
Houston is dominating on the boards, with four offensive rebounds through nearly five minutes of game clock. Bigs are leading the way so far for both teams, as Florida’s Alex Condon and Houston’s Joseph Tugler have four points each.
As Florida and Houston get set to tip off, CBS released a hype video for this anticipated matchup.
A beautiful dream indeed.
Florida boasts one of the top offenses in college basketball, averaging 85.3 points per game this season. The Gators’ mark ranks third nationally, behind Alabama (90.7) and Gonzaga (86.4).
Florida’s defense isn’t quite as good, ranking 104th nationally allowing 69.8 points per game. But that has some to do with the Gators playing at a fast pace.
Fifth-year senior guard L.J. Cryer, Houston’s leading scorer this season, looks to become the first player to win national championships at two different schools on Monday. Cryer won a title at Baylor in 2021 and looks for his second against Florida.
Interestingly enough, the championship he won at Baylor was the Bears’ first in program history. Houston also goes for its first against the Gators.
Houston has the 172nd-ranked scoring offense nationally, averaging 73.9 points per game this season. The Cougars’ calling card is their defense, however, as they boast the No. 1 scoring defense at 58.5 points allowed per game.
To date, Houston has never won a national championship. Indeed, this is the Cougars’ first national title game appearance since making it twice in 1983 and 1984. For more on their history, click here.
Houston vs Florida betting odds
Odds from BetMGM as of Monday, April 7
- Spread: Florida (-1.5)
- Over/under: 140.5
- Moneyline: Florida -115 | Houston -105
Houston vs Florida picks, predictions
Here are our experts’ predictions for Houston-Florida in the men’s national championship game on Monday night:
- Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: Houston 72, Florida 69
- Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY: Houston 71, Florida 63
- Erick Smith, USA TODAY: Florida 66, Houston 65
- Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY: Florida 68, Houston 65
- Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY: Houston 75, Florida 71
- Dan Wolken, USA TODAY: Houston 61, Florida 57
Houston vs Florida time today
- Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
- Date: Monday, April 7
- Location: Alamodome (San Antonio)
Houston and Florida’s national title matchup is scheduled to tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET from the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Watch Florida-Houston college basketball national championship live with Fubo (free trial)
Where to watch Houston vs Florida basketball
Houston vs. Florida will air live on CBS, with streaming options available on the March Madness Live app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
