Columns

Quartet comes to journey's end

By JOHN ROMANO
Published April 3, 2007

ATLANTA - They came together as teenagers. They walked away as men. Along the way, they discovered a common bond. And a place in history.

Remember it all. Remember it well. For you may never see such an improbable group of champions again.

Yes, the Florida Gators are national champions. Yes, they have ruled college basketball for a second season.

That, in itself, is remarkable enough. But it is the journey that has made it so unlikely. And if you didn't know it well enough, you were treated to the abbreviated version in the 84-75 victory against Ohio State on Monday night.

Go ahead, try picking a hero.

You might start with Corey Brewer, who hit 3 of 5 3-pointers to put the Gators on top in the first half. You might choose Al Horford, who combined 18 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks.

You might choose anyone in the starting lineup for the strength of Florida is the power of teamwork.

"There is no better definition of team," UF athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "Those guys are it, in a nutshell."

Forget Michigan's Fab Five. Forget all the one-and-done champions that have dominated through recent years.

This is the greatest melding of talent, personality and purpose in recent memory.

Between the Midwest Region and the Final Four, the Gators put four of their five starters on all-tournament teams. The only one who failed to make it - Joakim Noah - was the Most Outstanding Player in last year's Final Four.

"I want everyone to know I love these guys," Noah said. "We've gone through so much together. I'm so proud of them. We made history together."

Monday night was the way they were meant to go out. Inseparable. Unselfish. And victorious.

Greg Oden played the role of superstar center like few freshmen have ever done on such a grand stage. And it didn't matter a lick.

For the sum of Florida was greater than the whole of Oden. No matter how many times the Buckeyes tried to claw their way back, some Gator turned them away.

It was Lee Humphrey hitting a 3-pointer when the lead was cut to 46-38. It was Taurean Green hitting a 3-pointer when the lead was down to 66-60.

It was St. Petersburg's Marreese Speights coming from nowhere to grab rebounds and hit a second-half jumper.

"It was real deflating," said Ohio State guard Ron Lewis. "You make a run, and they came back every time."

When the net had been cut, when One Shining Moment had played, when the oncourt celebration was winding down, they came together once more.

The four players from the recruiting class of 2004. With the national championship trophy in front of them, they wrapped their arms around each other and waited for the cameras to capture their glory.

They have lived together in the same clothes-strewn apartment from practically the moment they arrived on campus. An unlikely cast of characters from remarkably divergent backgrounds.

Noah arrived from France, via New York. Horford was born in the Dominican Republic, and Green grew up in South Florida. Brewer was raised on a farm in rural Tennessee. They had no business blending together, but they found a common bond that was more important than their differences.

"I don't know that Al Horford and I would be best friends if we weren't teammates. We don't have a lot in common," Noah said. "It's basketball that has made us close. It's all about sacrificing for winning.

"That's what we have in common."

Of the four, Brewer was the most atypical. Green's father played in the NBA. Horford's, too. Noah's father was once an international tennis star.

For Pee Wee Brewer, there was no acclaim and certainly no millions. He was a tobacco farmer. And, to earn a few extra bucks, worked a trash route on the side.

This is how Corey grew up. Riding the tractor in the field. Helping with chores around the house. Working at a fast-food restaurant when all the other big-time recruits were worrying about All-Star camps and expensive sneakers.

So, when it came time to decide whether to leave for riches or stay in school after last year's title, the others left it up to Brewer to decide. If he came back, they would come with him.

With his father's blessing, Brewer chose to return.

"If one of us was staying," Brewer said, "we were all staying."

Four years ago, they were strangers. This morning, they are linked forever. They came together separately, but they chose to remain on their own.

It is the perfect anecdote of the perfect team.

John Romano can be reached at (727) 893-8811.

[Last modified April 3, 2007, 08:45:29]