FloridaGatorforLife
VIP Member
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. In just three years, UF has gone from top of the college basketball world to teetering dangerously close to missing its tournament. At times, it’s seemed as if the Gators have teased their fanbase with flashes of brilliance interspersed with rookie mistakes.
But take heart, Florida faithful. This team is like the beach nerd from the old Charles Atlas ads. Right now, they’re getting sand kicked in their faces. But in due time, they’ll get bigger, beat up the bully, and get the girl back.
History favors the Gators on their quest for greatness. Consider the previous back-to-back national champs:
‘45-’46 Oklahoma A&M:
‘47: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘48: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘49: NCAA second place
‘48-’49 Kentucky:
‘50: NIT quarterfinalists
‘51: NCAA champions
‘52: NCAA Elite Eight
‘55-’56 San Francisco:
‘57: NCAA third place
‘58: NCAA semifinalists
‘59: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘61-’62 Cincinatti:
‘63: NCAA second place
‘64: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘65: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘64-’65 UCLA:
‘66: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘67: NCAA champions
‘67-’68 UCLA:
‘69-73: NCAA champions
‘74: NCAA Final Four
‘75: NCAA champions
‘91-’92 Duke:
‘93: NCAA second round
‘94: NCAA second place
‘95: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘06-’07 Florida:
‘08: ???
Many of the aforementioned schools are now held in high esteem in college basketball. Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), Kentucky, UCLA, and Duke all experienced postseason setbacks in the year immediately following their second straight championship. However, every single one went to at least one Final Four within three years of their repeat. Not every school capitalized on their success, but this is easily explainable.
Oklahoma A&M was coached by a mastermind named Henry Iba. He put the school on the map from 1934 until he retired in 1970. He was a guiding influence for a litany of successful coaches, including Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, and Bob Knight. But when he left, the school simply wasn’t able to find someone to replicate his talents.
Both San Francisco teams had future NBA Hall-of-Famers in K.C. Jones and Bill Russell. For Russell, in particular, it was just the beginning of a brilliant career that included an Olympic gold medal, five NBA MVPs, 12 All-Star selections, and ELEVEN NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. Jones was his teammates for many of those honors, becoming a successful NBA coach in his own right. When both of them left, much of the Dons’ success went with them.
Ditto for the Bearcats, which experienced its success in the post-Oscar Robertson era.
By contrast, Kentucky, Duke, and UCLA had stable leadership in Rupp, Mike Krzyzewski, and John Wooden. They are located in states well known for their basketball prowess. They have excellent facilities and dedicated fans. And both UK and UCLA found excellent successors to maintain the prestige of their programs.
All of this bades well for the Gators. Florida has slowly, but surely, developed into a state with plenty of basketball talent. Donovan has raised up guys like Anthony Grant who know his system and can successfully take over if he ever leaves for the NBA. Gators fans have accustomed to their newfound success, and the O’Connell Center’s intensity rivals Rupp Arena, Pauley Pavilion, Assembly Hall, and the Dean Smith Center.
If the Gators have a rigorous and highly successful offseason, Donovan’s incoming freshman can make an impact, and the team can learn from its mistakes, Florida could be positioned for its fifth Final Four by 2010.
http://www.orangeandbluehue.com/2008/02/23/from-champs-to-chumpsto-champs-again/
But take heart, Florida faithful. This team is like the beach nerd from the old Charles Atlas ads. Right now, they’re getting sand kicked in their faces. But in due time, they’ll get bigger, beat up the bully, and get the girl back.
History favors the Gators on their quest for greatness. Consider the previous back-to-back national champs:
‘45-’46 Oklahoma A&M:
‘47: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘48: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘49: NCAA second place
‘48-’49 Kentucky:
‘50: NIT quarterfinalists
‘51: NCAA champions
‘52: NCAA Elite Eight
‘55-’56 San Francisco:
‘57: NCAA third place
‘58: NCAA semifinalists
‘59: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘61-’62 Cincinatti:
‘63: NCAA second place
‘64: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘65: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘64-’65 UCLA:
‘66: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘67: NCAA champions
‘67-’68 UCLA:
‘69-73: NCAA champions
‘74: NCAA Final Four
‘75: NCAA champions
‘91-’92 Duke:
‘93: NCAA second round
‘94: NCAA second place
‘95: Missed NCAA/NIT
‘06-’07 Florida:
‘08: ???
Many of the aforementioned schools are now held in high esteem in college basketball. Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), Kentucky, UCLA, and Duke all experienced postseason setbacks in the year immediately following their second straight championship. However, every single one went to at least one Final Four within three years of their repeat. Not every school capitalized on their success, but this is easily explainable.
Oklahoma A&M was coached by a mastermind named Henry Iba. He put the school on the map from 1934 until he retired in 1970. He was a guiding influence for a litany of successful coaches, including Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, and Bob Knight. But when he left, the school simply wasn’t able to find someone to replicate his talents.
Both San Francisco teams had future NBA Hall-of-Famers in K.C. Jones and Bill Russell. For Russell, in particular, it was just the beginning of a brilliant career that included an Olympic gold medal, five NBA MVPs, 12 All-Star selections, and ELEVEN NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. Jones was his teammates for many of those honors, becoming a successful NBA coach in his own right. When both of them left, much of the Dons’ success went with them.
Ditto for the Bearcats, which experienced its success in the post-Oscar Robertson era.
By contrast, Kentucky, Duke, and UCLA had stable leadership in Rupp, Mike Krzyzewski, and John Wooden. They are located in states well known for their basketball prowess. They have excellent facilities and dedicated fans. And both UK and UCLA found excellent successors to maintain the prestige of their programs.
All of this bades well for the Gators. Florida has slowly, but surely, developed into a state with plenty of basketball talent. Donovan has raised up guys like Anthony Grant who know his system and can successfully take over if he ever leaves for the NBA. Gators fans have accustomed to their newfound success, and the O’Connell Center’s intensity rivals Rupp Arena, Pauley Pavilion, Assembly Hall, and the Dean Smith Center.
If the Gators have a rigorous and highly successful offseason, Donovan’s incoming freshman can make an impact, and the team can learn from its mistakes, Florida could be positioned for its fifth Final Four by 2010.
http://www.orangeandbluehue.com/2008/02/23/from-champs-to-chumpsto-champs-again/
