Florida basketball used a combination of muscle and hustle to pull off another statement win in its 2024-25 season, beating No. 8 Alabama 99-94 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Wednesday.

The No. 5 Florida Gators (26-4, 13-4 SEC) may not be able to proclaim themselves SEC champions but can call themselves Alabama state champions after posting wins over No. 1 Auburn and the Crimson Tide in their home gyms. UF beat Auburn 90-81 on Feb. 8 at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala.

"I think we’re one of the best teams in America, and to do that you have to go on the road and beat good teams," Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said postgame. "We did that with Auburn, and we did that tonight with Alabama.”

The win secured Florida a No. 2 seed and double bye in the SEC Tournament and puts UF back on the projected No. 1 seed line for the NCAA Tournament heading into next week in Nashville.

UF improved to 4-2 against ranked teams (in the USA Today coaches' poll) this season, which includes wins over No. 1 Tennessee at home on Jan. 7 and No. 1 Auburn on the road on Feb. 8.

Florida basketball has firepower in the backcourt

Senior Walter Clayton Jr. (21 points, eight assists against Alabama) has grown into his role as a point guard this season and is a capable scorer with deep shooting range. Clayton has made at least one 3-pointer in a school-record 52 consecutive appearances over two seasons at UF. When the defense is drawn to Clayton, he's smart and unselfish enough to find frontcourt players for lob dunks.

Senior guard Will Richard (13.6 ppg, 37.7% from 3-point range) and grad transfer guard Alijah Martin (14.7 ppg, 36% from 3-point range) are also capable perimeter shooters who can post big scoring nights to create for others. Junior guard Denzel Aberdeen and sophomore guard Urban Klavzar provide depth and insurance off the bench if a starter goes down with an injury.

Florida basketball is long, physical and deep in the frontcourt

The Gators start 6-foot-11 Alex Condon up front, along with 6-10 center Rueben Chinyelu, who sports a 7-6 wingspan. Add skilled 6-foot-9 forward Thomas Haugh, who is in the running for SEC sixth man of the year, and the return of 7-1 center Micah Handlogten, and Florida has a four-post rotation capable of withstanding fatigue and foul trouble.

Florida showed off its physicality up front against Alabama, outrebounding the Crimson Tide 50-35 while outscoring the Tide 19-10 in second-chance points. Teams that can generate second-shot opportunities while holding opponents to one shot often fare well in March.

Florida basketball is unselfish and dangerous in transition

The Gators are a team that shares the basketball. UF posted 14 assists against the Crimson Tide with four players scoring in double figures and two (Condon 27 and Clayton 22) scoring 20 or more points. For the season, UF entered the Alabama matchup averaging 15.8 assists per game.

UF also entered the Alabama game ranked third in the nation in fast-break points at 17.3 per game and racked up 22 fast-break points against the Tide. When Florida grabs a rebound or generates live-ball turnovers, the Gators look to run and are fast and athletic enough to beat opponents down the floor and finish on the break. Condon, Haugh and Chinyelu all run the floor exceptionally well for their size, which helps get the break going.