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Florida
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
The Gators' trek to a third consecutive Big Dance detoured through the doctor's office, but they lived to tell about. The only sustained hardship Florida has faced has come from injuries, with three players (Teddy Dupay, Brent Wright and Justin Hamilton) all undergoing surgery in January for various maladies. Three of its five losses came during the injury onslaught, and Florida closed the regular season with just one loss in its last 12 games, by a single point at Rupp Arena. Dupay and Wright came back -- although forward Wright was injured a couple of more times since breaking his foot and was ruled out of the tournament after having more surgery on his foot Monday. Without him, Billy Donovan's depth drops to eight key players. That might hurt his rotation and keep him from playing the way he wants: punish with the press and bomb away from the perimeter. One of the main reasons Florida was able to survive the injury plague so well during the season is the development of sophomore big man Matt Bonner. He's become a solid rebounder (7.5 per game) and dangerous three-point shooter (31 threes on the year). But after disposing of Western Kentucky in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament, the Gators were sent home by the 10th-seeded Temple Owls. Player to Watch You're only as good as your guards in March, which is why Florida is a serious threat to make a second consecutive Final Four. Nelson stepped up his game in SEC play, averaging 17.9 ppg, dishing out 4.3 assists and perpetrating a league-best 2.2 steals. His ability to handle the ball superbly while at full speed makes him the perfect catalyst for Donovan's running style. With the Ball This is a gorgeous offensive team. Florida led the SEC in scoring, scoring margin, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, free throw percentage, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. When they're dialed in, they can blitz anybody. Unlike last year, when Florida went with Mike Miller's all-court flow, the offense runs through Udonis Haslem's hands in the low post (a team-high 16.5 points per game) and then out to the perimeter for threes (229 for the year). Although sophomore point guard Brett Nelson remains a refugee from the weight room, his quickness, improvisational flair, shooting range and command of the up-tempo game make him a brutally tough matchup. Defending the Ball The primary tenet of BillyBall remains pressure defense. It's the device the Gators use to force the game into high gear, putting the premium on athleticism, depth and endurance -- three things Florida possesses in spades. Donovan has had to pick his spots with that style as his roster withered, and he'll probably use it judiciously in the Dance. But it remains the Gators' calling card, and they're only so-so defensively in the half court. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 1.5 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000: The Gators are an exceptional bet to exceed their seed in NCAA play. They have done so three times in their last six visits to the Big Dance, including dramatic Final Four excursions in 1994 and 2000. Only once in the 64-team era has Florida played below its seed, and that was a loss in a 7-10 game in 1989. As a No. 3 seed this time, it wouldn't pay to pick against Florida at least playing to expectations in 2001. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Florida coach Billy Donovan hopes to use this experience for next season (Courtesy: NCAA Productions).
