Florida returned all five starters from their 2006 championship team and beat Ohio State 84-75 to become the NCAA's first team to clinch back-to-back National Championships since the 1991 and 1992 Duke Blue Devils and the first ever repeat winner with the same starting lineup. Florida forward Corey Brewer was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
65-Team Field
The NCAA continued its 65-team system with a play-in game between the 64th and 65th teams for the seventh consecutive year. Missing in the tournament field were the 2006 semifinalists George Mason and LSU. The NCAA again switched the names of the regionals from the cities in which they took place to "East", "Midwest", "South" and "West". The tournament ran from March 13 to April 2 with the Final Four being played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
Florida No. 1 Seed In Midwest
Billy Donovan's Florida Gators readied for the defense of their title as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest regional. In the first round, Florida eased past Jackson State 112-69. The road got tougher as the Gators had a huge target on their back. Purdue lost just 74-67 in the second round and Butler was beaten just 65-57 in the Sweet Sixteen before Florida prevailed 85-77 in the Elite Eight.
Few Upsets
Unlike in previous years, the 2007 tournament features very fewer upsets. There were only 12 games in which the team losing was a lower seed - eight of those by teams ranked just one seed lower. Seventh seeded UNLV in the Midwest was the lowest seed to make the Sweet Sixteen, marking the first time since the expansion to 64 teams in 1985 that no team seeded eighth or lower advanced to that stage. And the seeds of the Elite Eight - four No. 1s, three No. 2s and one No. 3 - was the lowest combination of seeds at that stage since seeding began for the tournament.
Two No. 1s, Two No. 2s
The Final Four was missing the surprise teams from last season when No. 11 seed George Mason was on hand and none of the top seeds advanced to the semifinals. Joining the Gators in Atlanta were South top seed Ohio State, which was back in the Final Four for the first time since 1999; East second seed Georgetown, in its first semifinals since 1985; and West 2 seed UCLA, back in the Final Four for a second straight year and 17th time in school history.
Florida Wins Rematch As Well, Ohio State Advances
The national semifinals featured a rematch of the 2006 final between reigning champion Florida and UCLA. The Gators struggled early but began pulling away and did so for good with Lee Humphrey knocking down three consecutive three-pointers early in the second half in helping Florida to a 76-66 victory. And Ohio State took advantage of foul trouble on Georgetown's Roy Hibbert as Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. guided the Buckeyes to a 67-60 win.
Florida Complete Repeat
In the final, Florida's sharpshooters made 10 of 18 three pointers and the Gators held Ohio State to 4 of 23 from long range in grabbing an 84-75 victory. Al Horford had 18 points and 12 rebounds and three other Gators scored in double figures to overcome 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks by Greg Oden and 20 points from Mike Conley Jr.
Donovan Quick To Two Titles
Donovan's second national championship made him the youngest coach to claim two title since Bob Knight was 40 when Indiana won his second crown in 1981.
Gators Hold Two Titles
The Florida Gators football team also beat Ohio State in the college football title game - marking the first time that the identical matchup and result occured in both the football and basketball championships.
