In a Final Four that featured all four No. 1 seeds, the action didn’t disappoint. Every game was a nail-biter, but the Florida Gators found a way to prevail each time. Despite being down at halftime in both the semifinals and the title match—and even facing a sizable second-half deficit against Houston—Florida rallied, surged ahead late, and delivered clutch defensive plays. This was a stark contrast to Duke. Coach K was in attendance for the Final Four, and although Duke had the upper hand against Houston most of the game, a late meltdown allowed the Cougars to steal the win, shocking the Blue Devils. Days later, Krzyzewski broke his silence on Florida’s title during the final episode of his Sirius XM show, College Basketball & Beyond with Coach K, joined by Gators coach Todd Golden.

“It was thrilling. Nearly 70,000 fans were in the arena, TV numbers for college basketball were incredible, and the level of play was elite. The four best teams delivered,” Krzyzewski said. During his interview with Golden, he offered praise to the Florida coach: “Todd [Golden], congrats,” he said. “I’m truly happy for your players. In those two high-pressure matchups, any of the four teams could’ve ended up winning. It was that close.” His comments highlighted the intense competitiveness of the games and showed genuine respect for the Gators’ resilience and execution under pressure.

Duke came into the tournament with strong momentum and was seen by many as the top contender. They had an impressive run through March Madness, but lacked experience in tight finishes, which ended up hurting them against Houston. In the game’s final minutes, Duke struggled to inbound the ball, couldn’t break the press, missed vital free throws, and had offensive breakdowns. These lapses gave Houston the opening to rally and win—before the Cougars themselves gave up a lead late against Florida in the championship clash.