Everyone remembers the Magic.
On June 7, Billy Donovan chose to end his brief NBA career, and, with 23 apologies, returned to Gainesville with just minor scars and few bruises.
At this point, all is forgiven. But digging deeper into the past, it seems some things are better off forgotten.
It was just days before the 2007 Final Four when Kentucky entered the minds of Gators fans and players alike.
Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith had recently stepped down and one of the most illustrious jobs in college basketball came knocking on Donovan's door. To avoid distraction, Donovan called a team meeting to address the issue.
"I did that because our players were being asked about it," Donovan said. "I think when somebody asks our players about something, I think that they need to know how to respond, too. I addressed it in about a minute or two-minute conversation, and that was really the end of it."
So how close was Donovan to leaving?
In the jumbled situation, it's easy to see where the pieces fit. Donovan's mentor, Rick Pitino, made his name in Lexington. The storied program even launched Donovan's career in 1990, hiring the young, up-and-coming coach as an assistant.
With that in mind, some of his players worried about the future. Then-incoming freshman Nick Calathes remembers sitting on his hands and hoping for the best.
"It was weird," Calathes said. "I'm just glad he's back. That's all that really matters. I talked to my family, and that's about it. Just sat there and waited."
Sophomore Dan Werner remembers the situation from a different perspective. As a first-year player gearing up for the NCAA Championship, Werner spoke of the meeting.
"It was right during the Final Four. We'd go have practice, come back, turn on ESPN, and all you would hear is Coach Donovan is taking the Kentucky job," he said. "He addressed it to just block that stuff out. That's all we really heard about it.
"He just said, 'Don't worry about that. It's not true. They're just trying to make distractions for us.'"
It appears Donovan's vote of confidence was accurate. Even if Donovan ever thought of leaving, he remains a Gator.
"I wanted to tell our guys, 'Hey, my focus is on this, and I'm here at Florida. This is what we're trying to do, and this is what we're trying to accomplish," Donovan said.
With the past behind them, the Gators will now look to make history. When UF (15-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) hosts Kentucky (7-8, 1-1 SEC) Saturday at 9 p.m., it will look to beat the Wildcats for the seventh straight time, something only one other college - Notre Dame - has ever done.
The majority of those wins, however, came with a different cast of characters.
"That'd be huge. But we didn't do that," Calathes said. "We're a new team. We've just got to come out ready to play."
UF's recent success in the series comes after a three-year stretch where the Gators lost eight straight to the Wildcats.
Kentucky still dominates the all-time series 84-30, and Donovan is fully aware the momentum may swing the other way as time passes.
"How quickly time changes over the last two years," Donovan said. "And you know what? You can be looking at the same thing two or three years from now. 'Boy, Billy, how quickly things changed from those two national championships.' That's just the way life is."
Although Donovan remains wary of Kentucky's prestige and history, it seems to the common eye that these two programs are moving in opposite directions.
The Wildcats lost their coach last season, only to hire then-Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie, who has struggled mightily thus far.
UK's losing record includes home losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego. The squad's lone bright spot came in a 79-73 win over then-No. 13 Vanderbilt.
The Wildcats, however, have suffered from injuries all season. Jodie Meeks and Derrick Jasper have missed significant time, forcing Kentucky to go young early on.
Freshman (and near-Gator) Patrick Patterson is leading the way at 16.7 points and eight rebounds per game.
Donovan warned his players to still respect Kentucky's talent and said the contest will still rank as one of the most difficult so far.
"They're good enough, to me," Donovan said. "They are more than capable of putting a string together and can go into any game and realistically be the favorite to win when you look at their team. … Sometimes you look at a team with a record like that, and the first thing that comes to your mind is this is going to be the way the year's going to go for them. I don't believe with them. I think they're a terrific team."
Gators fans have been camping out for the game, which will be featured on ESPN College GameDay, off and on since the start of the week. Coverage is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.
"I might bring them some food or something," forward Chandler Parsons said. "I feel bad for those guys. It's kind of cold and it's raining."
