Underclassmen ensure bright future for Florida
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- One bad night can't ruin a season.
Especially not the kind of season the Florida Gators had.
With seven key underclassmen, Florida went farther than anyone
honestly expected in a season that ended with an 89-76 loss to
Michigan State in the national championship game Monday night.
|  | | Monday night's loss was tough to take for the Florida bench. |
And now that his rebuilding project is complete, coach Billy
Donovan is convinced the toughest part of his job is just
beginning.
"I know they probably don't want to hear this," Donovan said.
"But I wish it was Oct. 15 tomorrow and we were getting right back
started at it again."
The coach can no longer recruit by telling players they have a
chance to blaze new trails. Nor will his trapping style catch other
teams off guard.
Instead, Florida is on the map with both its players and style
of play. Donovan will have to compete on the same terms with Duke,
North Carolina, Kansas and the other established teams that expect
nothing but success.
"People say it's easy to recruit at Duke and North Carolina,"
Donovan said. "I think those coaches have the toughest job in the
nation."
Donovan must also try to keep his own players around. Most
notably, sophomore Mike Miller is considering the NBA, a move
Donovan has advised against.
Should Miller return, the Gators would come back almost fully
intact. Only senior Kenyan Weaks is leaving, and his departure
could be offset by the arrival of Florida's high school Mr.
Basketball, 6-foot-5 Orien Green, and the return to health of guard
LaDarius Halton.
"They have the talent and ability to play well in the
tournament next year," Weaks said.
They'll also need the breaks.
Other than Halton's season-ending knee injury, the Gators had no
major injuries during the season. Then, they got Miller's
buzzer-beating shot in overtime to beat Butler in the first round
of the NCAA Tournament.
Had that shot not dropped, the season might be viewed as a
disappointment. Instead, the Gators went on a roll, beat Duke, then
earned their first trip to the national finals to go with a share
of the Southeastern Conference title. They also tied a team record
with 29 victories.
"I think we surprised a lot of people in a lot of ways," guard
Teddy Dupay said. "We won the SEC, made the Final Four and beat
the No. 1 team in the country. We proved a lot of people wrong."
Last May, Donovan signed a five-year contract extension worth
$3.5 million. Athletic director Jeremy Foley said he was willing to
talk contract again this year, "if necessary."
But it's hard to imagine Donovan would want to leave at this
point. He has a young team that accepted his style and received as
good a learning experience as any team can get.
"We got into the tournament and made a good run at it," Dupay
said. "A lot of people said we were too young. But we weren't too
young to make it to the final."
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