college basketball in florida

[smazza]

Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators aren't resting on last season's accomplishments. "I think for us to sit here and say, 'Hey, we're looking toward March,' would be wrong," Donovan says.

[smazza]

GAINESVILLE, Fla.  Florida coach Billy Donovan says just because his Gators won last season's national title doesn't mean they were the best team.

"I don't think the (NCAA Tournament) crowns the best basketball team," he says. "I think it crowns the team that was able to win six games. And if you look at the field of 65, there's 59 teams we didn't play.

"Who's to say if we weren't in a different bracket against a different team, or played at different sites, that we would have won the national championship? And I'm a firm believer in if you took that tournament after it ended and played it all over again, you'd have a different winner."

This season's first men's games are Tuesday, the start of a nearly five-month trek to the Final Four in Atlanta, March 31-April 2. The top-ranked Gators open Nov. 10 at home against Samford.

PRESEASON TOP 25: USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' Poll

Last March, Florida won each of its tournament games by a dozen points or more  except for a 57-53 win against Georgetown in the round of 16. The Gators trailed by one in the closing moments until forward Corey Brewer was fouled as he made a falling-down, twisting layup. He added the free throw for a 55-53 lead.

"I think about that Georgetown game all the time," forward Joakim Noah says. "Corey made a shot I had never seen him make before  a fadeaway-and-one off one foot.

"Even though I think we were the best team in the tournament, anything can happen. The best team can lose. It just depends on how you play that one day. If Corey misses the shot or Georgetown makes that three, we could have lost right there in the Sweet 16. We never would have gotten the love we're getting now. It just puts things in perspective. We have to stay humble and stay together."

That's what Donovan is preaching as the season approaches. He doesn't want his players to think about repeating as national champ. He wants them to think about playing well enough in the regular season to get into the tournament with a good seed.

"I think for us to sit here and say, 'Hey, we're looking toward March,' would be wrong," Donovan says. "To me, anything you're given postseason is a reward for what you've done in the regular season."

[TyBull]

It will be Bulls on bulls  [smiley=cowsleep.gif]on 11-13-06.....

I can't wait.....  [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

:GoBulls :GoBulls :GoBulls :GoBulls :GoBulls :GoBulls

[Herman_Momart]

Comments and humbleness by Billy Donovan will keep his kids heads on right and give them a great chance to repeat.

He might be the best recruiter in the game, followed closely by roy williams and bobby huggins (who isnt the best coach but with his recruits you really dont have to be).  He doesnt care where you are from, you can be from south dakota like mike miller, new hamshire like matt bonner or new york like joakim noah,  he has a great vision for talent and players that can fit in his system.  Kudos to the native new yorker for turning around the uf bball program.