Former POTUS Barack Obama reacts as Walter Clayton Jr, Florida win NCAA championship game vs Houston

The No. 1 seed Florida Gators were crowned national champions on Monday night, after a 65-63 win over No. 1 seed Houston Cougars in the men’s NCAA Tournament final. They received several congratulatory messages, including one from former United States President, Barack Obama.

The Gators clinched the 2025 national championship after a strong second-half display to overturn a 12-point deficit. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who failed to make the bucket in the first half, sprung to life in the second, scoring 11 points. He also made a championship-clinching block in the final seconds of the game.

After the victory, Florida was showered with congratulatory messages, including one from former U.S. President Obama, who has always been a fan of the game.

"What a comeback! Congrats to Walter Clayton, Jr. and the Florida Gators on their third national title. This was a fun team to watch," Obama posted on his X account.

This year’s victory marks Florida’s third national championship in program history. The Gators won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, and this is the first time they have played in the national championship game since then.

Florida has made four NCAA Tournament finals and has won three of those, only losing a national championship game in 2000.

This is also Todd Golden’s first title as a program head coach, in what was his first-ever national championship game in that role.

Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Championship-Houston vs Florida - Source: Imagn

Clayton Jr. was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after leading Florida to the national title on Monday night. He is the third Gators player to win the award after Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer.

The senior guard averaged 22.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament. He had back-to-back 30-point performances in the Elite Eight and Final Four games against Texas Tech and Auburn, respectively, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to do so.

It capped off what has been a historic season for Clayton, who also became the first player in Gators history to be named First Team All-American.