The defending national champion Florida Gators entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
After a slow start, Florida won 11 consecutive games to end the regular season. The Gators appeared more than ready to defend their championship.
But on March 22, the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes pulled off a shocking upset, beating Florida, 73-72, in the second round. Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras knocked down a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining to give his team the lead for good. The Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
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After the game, college basketball analysts criticized Gators head coach Todd Golden for his late-game strategy.
CBS Sports analyst Seth Davis posted on X, questioning Florida for employing a full-court press with a 72-70 lead and 8.9 seconds remaining. Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz got past his defender and had a clear path to pass to Folgueiras for the winning shot.
“Pressing and gambling like you’re behind when you’re ahead by two is not the way to go here,” Davis posted.
Golden said Florida’s plan was to “keep the ball out of Bennett’s hands” and foul an Iowa role player to force him to hit a pair of free throws under the ultimate pressure, according to The Athletic. At worst, Golden said, that would have given the Gators the ball with the game tied.
Analyst Zach Schumaker, who hosts “The SchuZ Show” podcast, also questioned Golden for Florida’s final play. Point guard Xaivian Lee drove the length of the floor but failed to get a shot. His pass to Thomas Haugh came too late.
“You would expect a much better play in place to at least get a shot up at the buzzer,” Schumaker posted.
It was a stunning end for Florida. The Gators played in Tampa, Florida, less than two hours from their Gainesville campus. They suffered their first NCAA Tournament defeat in their home state since 2003.
Iowa advances to meet the No. 4-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Sweet 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET March 26 on TBS/truTV.
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