College basketball

For one night UF finds greatness; now keep it

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© St. Petersburg Times
published February 26, 2003

GAINESVILLE -- What you had here was a good team.

Good on offense, good in the clutch. Good off the bench and good at the line. Frankly, a team good enough to break a coach's heart.

You see, Billy Donovan wanted more.

Where others looked at the Gators and saw a lineup of stars, Donovan saw too much selfishness. Where others raved about Florida's perimeter shooters, Donovan fretted because they did not pass or drive more. Where others pondered a No. 1 seed and NCAA Tournament games in Tampa, Donovan worried about a team that might never reach its potential.

"I was trying to get them to understand what it means to be special," Donovan said. "It's interesting because (UF broadcaster) Mick Hubert pulled me aside the other day and said he was reading a book about this. It said the enemy of great is good. And I thought, 'That's exactly right.'

"There's a lot of good out there. A lot of good teams, a lot of good players. So I talked to our guys about that. I said, 'We're a good team. We've been ranked all year. We've had a good season. But do we want to be good, or do we want to be great?' "

For one night, at least, the Gators were great.

As horribly as they underachieved against Kentucky in their last ESPN telecast, the Gators were that much better Tuesday night against South Carolina.

You watched Justin Hamilton drop a 3-pointer from the corner and, 40 seconds later, saw Brett Nelson hit another from the same spot.

You watched Anthony Roberson make impossible running shots and saw Christian Drejer whipping passes no one else would think to make.

You watched them move and cut and pass and you believed. You saw energy and confidence and trust and you understood what Donovan has been seeking.

"I've been talking about it, I've been riding them all season, but now they've experienced it. They know what it means," Donovan said. "Look, it's human nature for people to think of themselves first. Anthony Roberson can think, 'You know, I could score more if I just took a few more shots.' Matt Bonner can say, 'I'm averaging 14 points, but I can do better.'

"What I'm trying to get them to understand is that less can be more. It's not what they do on their own, but how it works as a whole. It's not that they're overly selfish, it's just what they're used to. Anthony Roberson taking a shot with four guys on top of him might have worked in high school because he was the only guy on his team who could score. But here he has Matt Bonner and Matt Walsh and David Lee around him."

It is an unusual lineup Florida puts on the floor. Big, but not physical. Quick, but not prolific on the fastbreak. It is a lineup of perimeter players with good size. A lineup of young players with remarkable composure.

The Gators play a game of finesse that spreads the court and forces defenses to make a choice. Either get beat on the perimeter or risk having someone slash past you.

The Gators have a guard who is the same size as their center. Both starting forwards take twice as many 3-point shots as the point guard.

In concept, it sounds great. On occasion, it has looked great. In reality, it has some flaws.

It is a lineup that causes matchup problems, but may be susceptible to teams with a strong inside game. Florida also has some weaknesses in its man-to-man defense.

This is why Donovan has been less than enthusiastic about a record that has stretched to 23-4. He knows the margin for error is less than it seems.

The Gators may be ranked No. 4 in the nation, but their postseason opportunities are far from guaranteed.

If you followed Florida last season, you know how a bracket can pass before your eyes. A year ago, the Gators were a top seed when February began. By March, they were packing their bags for Chicago and the Midwest Region.

A wobbly February and a flameout in the SEC tournament dropped them to a No. 4 seed last season and the Gators crashed in the first round of the NCAAs.

This morning, Florida is looking at a No. 1 or 2 seed. And, just as important, first- and second-round games at the St. Pete Times Forum.

But in the next two weeks, the Gators are on the road against Auburn and Georgia and finish at home against Kentucky. Two losses would not be a shock. Going 0-for-3 is not out of the question.

If Florida finishes poorly and does not have a strong showing at the SEC tournament, it could find itself farther from home than expected in the early rounds of the NCAAs.

"That's too far away for us right now," Donovan said. "Too much can happen between now and then for us to be worrying about it."

For now, Donovan is just happy to have gotten the performance he has waited for all season. For one night, they were better than good. And that's great.

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