SAN ANTONIO – When the University of Houston men’s basketball team completed a 14-point comeback against Duke University in the NCAA Men’s Final Four at the Alamodome on Saturday, the ground shook and the atmosphere shifted with the game.
As the Cougars prepare to play in the NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game against the University of Florida in their home state, it will likely feel like a home game for Houston players.
However, when the Florida Gators were asked about facing that type of adversity, the team appeared to be ready for the challenge.
“We can draw a little experience from the SEC (Southeastern Conference) Championship game. We’re obviously playing Tennessee in Nashville,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. ”I probably took for granted what that environment would be like, and we talked in there, and it was 80% Tennessee fans, and I was like, man, we got a road game here to try and win an SEC title.
“I anticipate it being somewhat like that tomorrow as well. It’s just part of what you have to go through to win a national championship. It will be a bigger challenge because of that, but it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before this year, and we’ve been able to fight through it, so I’m hopefully we will again tomorrow night.”
“Yeah, no, we played a ton of tough road games this year in the SEC,” Florida sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said. “I think we’re going to be prepared for the loud and stuff like that, but it was really good to play yesterday to kind of get a feel for the court a feel for the rims and stuff like that.”
For the Houston Cougars, the opportunity to play in front of more home fans has been something they’ve missed during their run through the NCAA tournament.
“You know, for the Elite Eight and the Sweet Sixteen games, we were in Indianapolis, and Purdue and Tennessee had a huge fan base, so for our fans to flip the script and for us to have that big fan base means a lot,” Houston freshman forward Chase McCarty said.
“My phone’s been blowing up from all over Beaumont, Houston, Dallas, so it’s a great feeling,” Houston sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux said. “I feel like the love is everywhere in Texas right now.”
Houston is seeking to win their first NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship in school history when they face Florida at 7:50 p.m. on Monday, April 7, at the Alamodome.
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