NEW ORLEANS -- Not much looked different Thursday.
Just like last season, Florida and BYU were forced to play into overtime as the two teams fought it out for a chance to survive in the NCAA Tournament.
But don’t let your eyes deceive you. This Gators team is drastically different the one that lost to the Cougars in 2010.
Florida was left defeated and searching for answers after last season’s heartbreaking loss.
But that was then, and this is now.
The Gators came out on top Thursday to gain revenge against the Cougars and punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.
Yes, you read that right. The Elite Eight.
The same starting five that was content with just making the NCAA Tournament last season is only one win away from the Final Four.
The group’s growth was evident in Thursday’s victory.
After an uneven first half that began with some hot shooting from UF and ended with an alarming number of missed three-pointers, the Gators did something only elite teams could do on a stage as big as the Sweet 16 — they adjusted.
BYU doubled the post for most of the game to force the Gators to take shots from deep, and the plan worked brilliantly in the first half. But UF came out of the locker room with a new, effective method to attack the defense.
Instead of walking it up the court and quickly firing threes, the Gators got into their sets a little quicker in order to establish Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus, who combined for 19 points after the first half despite scoring just nine in the opening 20 minutes.
This wouldn’t have happened in years past. Florida was too stubborn then.
The Gators executed their half-court offense to perfection when it mattered, scoring 15 points in five minutes of overtime.
And they never let a pro-BYU crowd or one of Jimmer’s patented scoring outbursts deter them.
“We just know how to stay focused and stay in the moment,” UF guard Erving Walker said. “They made a run at the end of the second half, but we stayed together.”
This type of basketball hasn’t been played since Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green were running the show and winning titles.
And it has the 2011 Gators in a spot that group was all too familiar with — inching closer to making history.
Overcoming BYU, the demon that has haunted Florida for more than a year, is important for the Gators.
Growth can only be measured by comparing something against a constant variable.
The Cougars played that role Thursday, and the Gators’ maturity was evident.
Now, Florida is just a win over Butler away from the Final Four.
Who knew so much could change in just one year?'
