SEC Clash in Final Four
Is the SEC now a basketball conference? Personally, I may not be willing to go that far yet. However, one thing is certain. The SEC proved to be the deepest conference in men’s college hoops this season. Much of that was due to investments made over the years to improve facilities and recruit talent. This was done so that SEC schools could consistently compete with other top notch basketball programs when it comes to recruiting.
There is certainly an underlying message in this tourney as well as in the college football playoff. I’m terming it the Deep Pockets Advantage and we are now seeing the impacts of both NIL and the transfer portal in a post-Covid era. The recruiting game has changed. The game on the court has changed. It sucks for the schools with smaller budgets, no history of getting people to the next level, and coaches no one has heard of. The clock has struck midnight on those schools.
Florida and Auburn met once this season on February 8, 2025. The Gators picked up a road win 90-81 as 11-point underdogs. The Gators have only loss once since that game. The Tigers came into the postseason a bit shaky losing its last two regular season games and then bowing out of the SEC tournament at the hands of Tennessee.
One team will represent the SEC in the championship game. The only question is who?
Below is the info for the Florida-Auburn game:
NCAAM Final Four
San Antonio, Texas
1 Florida vs 1 Auburn
Spread
Florida -2 (-113) WINNER
Auburn +2 (-103)
Total
Over 159 (-108)
Under 159 (-108) WINNER
Moneyline
Florida (-143) WINNER
Auburn (+127)
Player Points
Walter Clayton Jr. Over 20.5 (-115)
Johni Broome Under 19.5 (-118)
Alijah Martin Over 13.5 (-115)
Tahaad Pettiford Under 13.5 (Even)
Will Richard Under 12.5 (-125)
Thomas Haugh Over 11.5 (-105)
Denver Jones Under 11.5 (-105)
Miles Kelly Under 11.5 (-125)
Alex Condon Under 10.5 (-115)
Chad Baker-Mazara Over 10.5 (-125)
Double Result
Florida / Florida (+125)
Auburn / Auburn (+200)
Florida / Auburn (+550)
Auburn / Florida (+600) WINNER
Tie / Auburn (+2900)
Tie / Florida (+3100)
