O-town Gator
Gator Fan
GAINESVILLE - "The Florida basketball program has gone from feast to famine in recent years.
The Gators lost five of their final eight regular-season games last season, finishing 25-11 and getting left out of the NCAA Tournament field for the fourth time in Coach Billy Donovan's 13-year tenure.
UF became the first team since Michigan State in 1981 to miss the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years after winning the national title.
Two years ago, Florida was coming off consecutive national titles and was sitting at the center of the college basketball universe. But expectations have changed.
UF was picked to finish fifth in the SEC East by the media this season, and making it back to the big dance would be huge for a program that has sputtered through the past two campaigns.
"I think in any program or any professional franchise, there are just peaks and valleys, ups and downs. That's just kind of the way it is," Donovan said. "I don't think anyone always stays on top every year for the rest of their lives. That's the exciting part, and the challenge for me is to get back to that point."
Link: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/12/sp-gators-work-toward-getting-back-to-peak/sports-colleges-gators/
The Gators lost five of their final eight regular-season games last season, finishing 25-11 and getting left out of the NCAA Tournament field for the fourth time in Coach Billy Donovan's 13-year tenure.
UF became the first team since Michigan State in 1981 to miss the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years after winning the national title.
Two years ago, Florida was coming off consecutive national titles and was sitting at the center of the college basketball universe. But expectations have changed.
UF was picked to finish fifth in the SEC East by the media this season, and making it back to the big dance would be huge for a program that has sputtered through the past two campaigns.
"I think in any program or any professional franchise, there are just peaks and valleys, ups and downs. That's just kind of the way it is," Donovan said. "I don't think anyone always stays on top every year for the rest of their lives. That's the exciting part, and the challenge for me is to get back to that point."
Link: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/12/sp-gators-work-toward-getting-back-to-peak/sports-colleges-gators/
