THE FLORIDA Gators were crowned champions of the SEC Tournament, defeating the Tennessee Volunteers to the tune of nine points at Bridgestone Arena in front of a fired-up home crowd on Monday.

Florida overcame a tough shooting night from behind the arc to still get the better of Tennessee and claim the program’s first championship in 11 years. It was always going to be a tough slog getting to a winning score against the number-three defence in the nation, but a clutch performance at the free throw line (19/22) in the second half helped the Gators keep their noses in front.

Although Florida’s lead was cut down on several occasions, a late 11-3 run helped seal the deal for the Gators, who are shaping up for a big National Tournament, and passed a big test against a fellow heavyweight side.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest continue to display their craft on a nightly basis.

Florida Gators (86) def. Tennessee Volunteers (77)

FLORIDA GATORS:

#1 Walter Clayton Jr.
Guard | 191cm | 06/03/2003

Florida’s senior guard was at his high-scoring best in the win over the Volunteers, proving the most productive player on the offensive end for the Gators. Whether it was tough triples, relentless drives or shots made at the charity stripe, Clayton Jr. popped up everywhere and played a key role in getting the Gators to a nine-point buffer at the main change. Although not his most efficient shooting night (7/18 FG), the guard kept getting to the right spots, and did not let any misses waver his confidence, as he finished the contest with a team-high 22 points to go with five rebounds and two assists.

#21 Alex Condon
Forward | 211cm | 25/07/2004

Australia’s best NBA draft prospect for 2025 continued his productive season with the Gators, and appears primed for a big March Madness campaign. Although he has had bigger scoring performances, Condon was still rock solid for Florida, and came painfully close to posting another double-double in the win over Tennessee.

Bringing his signature work rate and high skill for his size to the table, Condon was able to get on the end of some transition buckets for the victors, and his touch around the rim was as good as ever. He tried his hand at long-range shooting, and although it resulted in a couple of misses, it has been a winning formula in the past, and Condon’s ability to stretch the floor makes him such a difficult matchup. The Aussie finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in another eye-catching showing.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS:

#5 Zakai Zeigler
Guard | 175cm | 02/08/2002

One of two players to keep the Volunteers in the contest, Zeigler’s consistent pressure on the rim resulted in stacks of drawn contact, and his ability to generate easy points at the free throw line kept his team within striking distance despite a slow first half. A good old-fashioned three-level scoring threat, Zeigler was electric from behind the arc, knocking down four triples on seven attempts in a tidy showing, and chimed in with some timely makes from long range. Although he scored just one bucket inside the arc, he went to the free throw 10 times, making nine of his attempts en route to an impressive 23 points on 5/9 shooting along with five rebounds and eight assists.

#11 Jordan Gainey
Guard | 191cm | 26/06/2002

Tennessee’s prominent bench piece was damaging once again, delivering one of his best performance of his senior campaign and keeping the Volunteers in arm’s reach against a talented Gators team. Although the Volunteers have an excellent defence on most nights, their offence can let them down, but Gainey’s output against the Gators was seriously encouraging heading into the National Tournament. The guard was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, shooting 7/15 from the field and a perfect 8/8 at the free throw line. Florida seriously struggled to contain him, and the pace with which Gainey played with was crucial in how productive he proved to be.