The moment has arrived: the Houston Cougars face off against the Florida Gators in the NCAA Men’s National Championship game.
After defeating Duke on Saturday, Houston enters tonight’s game as the favorite, not just because of momentum and buzz — but also because of its elite defense.
The Cougars’ defense on Saturday night demonstrated just how quickly they can shift the momentum. Down by 11 with three minutes left in the second half, the Cougars closed the game with a 15-3 run, shutting down Cooper Flagg and Duke’s NBA lottery pick-filled lineup.
Houston, the NCAA’s top defense, faces an even more prolific offense tonight, led by the clutch senior Walter Clayton Jr.
Tonight’s title game is evenly matched — a battle between two teams that are 35-4 on the year. The question will be which one gets that 36th win.
The odds lean toward Houston. Their win over Duke on Saturday and Florida’s loss to Tennessee in February show why.
Duke was no easy opponent, yet Houston held them to just 67 points. In fact, the Cougars have limited their last three tournament opponents to an average of just 59 points per game.
Florida’s 64–44 loss to Tennessee on February 1 showed the Gators’ vulnerability against top-tier defenses. The low scoring output was partly due to a hobbled Clayton Jr., but head coach Todd Golden pointed to Tennessee’s physicality as a major factor.
“Their physicality really, really bothered us all night. Couldn’t seem to get catches where we wanted. We couldn’t seem to get downhill the way we normally do offensively.”
The Volunteers deployed aggressive on-ball defense, cut off passing lanes, and gave Florida no space to operate.
Houston’s defense operates differently. It’ll bring relentless full-court pressure and trap-heavy tactics. But that will force Florida, and especially Clayton Jr., to make quick decisions under duress. How he handles the Houston heat will define tonight’s game in San Antonio.
If Houston can keep this game to 72 points or fewer, it’s theirs to win.
How to Watch Florida vs. Houston
The Florida vs. Houston NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game tips off at 8:50 PM Eastern. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
If you have an antenna, you can watch the game for free over the air.
The game also streams on the CBS, Paramount+, and Sling apps and websites.
(1) Florida vs. (1) Houston
Date: Monday, April 7, 2025
Time: 8:50 PM Eastern
Venue: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
TV: CBS
Streaming: CBS, Paramount+, Sling, March Madness Live App, DirecTV Stream (free trial), Hulu + Live TV (free trial), YouTube TV (free trial)
Globely News covers the game changers transforming the worlds of business, sports, politics, and technology. From AI and electric vehicles to the rise of China and the NFL's next stars, we've got you covered.