Colleges

Donovan: Have fun, but stay focused

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times wires
Published March 31, 2006

This week, Florida coach Billy Donovan said one of his key concerns was keeping his team focused on the game.

Hundreds of media are in attendance and many other events are surrounding the Final Four.

"Our guys have to be able to handle that pressure," he said. "There are a lot of distractions, there is a lot of tugging and a lot of things you have to deal with that are different from the regular season. No one on our team has been to this point, and I am doing the best I can, with the experience that I have had, to narrow their focus. I want them to enjoy where they are at because it is the pinnacle of college basketball to get to this point. At the same time, you have to keep the focus there and put yourself in the best position to play basketball."

Toward that effort, the UF athletic administration would not release information about the team's hotel Thursday or what time coaches and players would arrive.

BOEHEIM PUSHES EXPANSION: Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said that 11th-seeded George Mason's run to the Final Four is proof it's time to expand the 65-team NCAA Tournament field.

"George Mason was almost left out of the tournament," Boeheim said. "That just shows there are more good teams than ever that can win games and be successful in the tournament. We haven't expanded the tournament in a long time."

Boeheim hopes to start lobbying for an increase today during a meeting with the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

From 1975-85, the field grew from 32 to 64 teams. In the past 20 years, however, it has expanded by only one. At the same time, the number of Division I schools has grown to 326 teams.

Boeheim is for adding four to eight teams to the field. But aside from coaches, NCAA president Myles Brand said he doesn't detect enthusiasm for expansion.

"You don't need to fix something that isn't broken," he said.

It's a proposal Boeheim has long supported, but he has convinced those on the NCAA selection committee in the past.

After Boeheim discussed his plan during a news conference, Rice coach Willis Wilson and Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said they would support expansion. NABC executive director Jim Haney acknowledged it's an issue that warrants debate.

"The topic of expansion is a fairly new one, but clearly it's come up," Haney said. "I feel confident it will need to be addressed."

UCLA: Backup center Lorenzo Mata broke his nose Wednesday during the first practice after arriving for the Final Four, and will wear a mask in Saturday's semifinal against LSU.

[Last modified March 31, 2006, 01:09:18]