Never In Doubt

Gothamist knew this Final Four had the potential to be a dud following the first two weeks leading up to the tournament. That said, we didn't think it would be this bad. Florida romped through UCLA 73-57 in Monday's championship game, giving the Gators their first national title and preventing the Bruins from collecting their twelfth. Florida played like a well-coached, athletic team that made a normally stingy UCLA team look lost on defense and out of rhythm on offense.

Both of these teams will likely be back in the near future. UCLA coach Ben Howland has won without his type of player, the physical kind he recruited while at Pittsburgh. Florida's lineup had no seniors, one junior and four sophomores. Some, including Joakim Noah, the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, may leave for the NBA draft. What makes Florida's run so impressive is the turnover they suffered after last season. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, they won the national title. Even though it was the second clunker of a national title game in three years, Gothamist can still appreciate the performance of Noah and the Gators.

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