No. 1 seed Florida opens title defense against No. 16 Prairie View A&M

The Gators look to repeat as national champions after earning a top seed for the second straight year.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 10:25pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Florida Gators, led by head coach Todd Golden, enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South Region after winning the national championship last year. They will face off against the Prairie View A&M Panthers, who secured their first-ever NCAA Tournament win in the First Four. Prairie View A&M is led by Dontae Horne, who has been on a scoring tear in recent games, but will have a tough task against Florida's dominant frontcourt.

Why it matters

Florida is looking to become the first team since UConn in the early 2000s to repeat as national champions, a feat that would cement their status as one of the premier programs in college basketball this century. Prairie View A&M's tournament appearance and First Four win are historic accomplishments for a program that had a 5-27 record just a year ago, showcasing the remarkable turnaround under coach Byron Smith.

The details

Florida lost its top three scorers from last year's championship team, but has returned an experienced frontcourt trio of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu. This group has helped the Gators lead the country in total rebounds, offensive rebounds, and rebounding differential. Prairie View A&M, meanwhile, will have a tough time matching up with Florida's size, as their tallest regular rotation player is 6-foot-9. The Panthers did show they can score against SEC competition in losses to LSU and Texas A&M earlier this season.

  • The NCAA Tournament First Round game between Florida and Prairie View A&M will take place on Friday, March 19, 2026.
  • Prairie View A&M secured its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in the First Four on Wednesday, March 17, 2026.

The players

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators basketball team.

Dontae Horne

The leading scorer for the Prairie View A&M Panthers, averaging 20.3 points per game and scoring 25+ points in 5 of his last 6 games.

Byron Smith

The head coach of the Prairie View A&M Panthers, who has led a remarkable one-year turnaround for the program.

Thomas Haugh

One of the experienced 6-foot-9 or taller big men for the Florida Gators, who have helped the team lead the country in several rebounding categories.

Rueben Chinyelu

The Florida Gators' leading rebounder, averaging 11.5 boards per game, the most of any player in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It says a lot about our staff, our players, and what they've been able to accomplish over the past couple years. Florida basketball is really healthy right now.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach, Florida Gators

“I would have never thought I'd be playing Florida. I would have never thought I'd be in March. But we're here now, so it's like, keep going.”

— Dontae Horne

“I tell our kids all the time when you live right, you do the right things, you become an everyday guy, good things are going to happen for you.”

— Byron Smith, Head Coach, Prairie View A&M Panthers

What’s next

The winner of the Florida-Prairie View A&M matchup will advance to face the winner of the game between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in the South Region.

The takeaway

This game showcases the stark contrast between a college basketball powerhouse in Florida, seeking to repeat as national champions, and an upstart program in Prairie View A&M that is making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Gators' size and experience should give them the edge, but the Panthers' Cinderella story adds an intriguing subplot to this opening round clash.