Countless hours of statistical analysis provide a realistic account of Florida's defensive performance this season with and without its best defender, Will Yeguete. Despite losing the lockdown forward, the Gators are playing their best defense of the year in the NCAA Tournament.
For nearly a week, the West region of the NCAA Tournament was a tease.
OMAHA, Neb. — In his 16 years at Florida, Billy Donovan has yet to find an end-all cure for a shooting slump.
OMAHA, Neb. — So much for Cinderella.
OMAHA, Neb. — For 10 exhilarating days last year, Mike Rosario watched from afar as his teammates made a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
OMAHA, Neb.
After the Gators’ lone win in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Patric Young sat next to his locker in the home dressing room of New Orleans Arena and fielded the same question four times — answering each inquiry with a positive response.
After suffering through five losses this season against some of the nation’s most highly regarded defenses, the Gators thought they were prepared for anything an NCAA Tournament team could possibly throw at them.
Five months ago, by his own admission, Brad Beal was comfortable with deferring to the rest of the Gators’ veteran guards after four years of carrying the scoring load in high school.
Editors Matt Watts and John Boothe teamed up with staff writer Greg Luca to bring you alligatorSports' consensus bracket in time for March Madness. Read below for early-round analysis. Refer to the PDF to the left for the full bracket and detailed explanations of the guys' late-round picks.
Like most other NCAA Tournament teams at the moment, the Gators are going into their preparation for this week’s opening-round game largely blind.
Before the Gators knew their seeding or what far reaches of the country the NCAA Tournament selection committee would send them this week, they sat in the visitors locker room at New Orleans Arena on Saturday confident of their completed resume.
NEW ORLEANS -- Throughout the season, Florida has become known for its propensity to shoot the three. Still, when he heard the final stat line Friday, Patric Young couldn’t believe it.
Even after four months and 30 games, Florida’s postseason destination hinges on the upcoming week.
NASHVILLE -- By the time John Jenkins hit his game-high sixth 3-pointer, Brad Beal was willing to place the Vanderbilt guard in the same breath as his favorite NBA player.
NASHVILLE — The Gators came into Nashville, Tenn., knowing the senior-laden Commodores were starving for an emotional lift in their final home game of the season.
In Florida’s last meeting with Vanderbilt, Billy Donovan decided to wait before throwing his full-court press at the Commodores, allowing both teams to enjoy nearly three opening minutes of clean, turnover-free basketball.
On a weekend when the Southeastern Conference crowned Kentucky as its regular season champion, Billy Donovan wondered aloud in a back hallway of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum if his team noticed it still had something to play for.
ATHENS, Ga. — After Florida lost Will Yeguete to a season-ending injury, Billy Donovan said he had a new vision of how his team would play in its last three regular season games heading into March.
Before he knew Will Yeguete’s left foot was indeed broken, Billy Donovan rattled through the list of backup point guards and little-used substitutes he could call on to replace Florida’s injured power forward.
Solutions by The State News
