UCLA vs. Florida: Game Day Stories
By Bruin Basketball Report
Stories from outside the L.A. Writer's Beat Beltway
One of those major differences is in the development of the backcourt
of Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison. Jordan Farmer, who ran the
offense a year ago, is gone. Afflalo started last year's national title
game and had 10 assists, but made just 3 of 10 shots. Collison came off
the bench and missed all three of his shots.
CBS's Clark Kellogg said of Collison and Farmer: "They're different
types of players. Collison is terrific pressuring the ball defensively.
He's got speed that you don't see that often with the ball, as well as
without it." Florida Today
Collison pointing the way for UCLA: "Collison does a good job of pushing the tempo and running their
offense,'' said Florida's Taurean Green, the player who must deal with
UCLA's best ball-hawking defender. "He also gets up and pressures the
other team's guards.'' In a world where instant playing time is
the most seductive carrot a recruiter can offer, Collison came to
college with a star (Farmar) firmly set in front of him. But with UCLA
and San Diego State being his most active suitors, Collison was up for
the challenge. Fox Sports
And on the other side sits Kentucky's one great hope: that Donovan
wants to be king of what Pitino once called "The Roman Empire of
college basketball." The basketball coach never takes a back seat to
the football coach at Kentucky, never has to wonder whether the games
will sell out, never has to scrounge for media attention. As one prominent college coach put it, "It's still the Yankees." So Donovan is in the power position of deciding whether to revive a
flagship program (and get a huge raise) or further stamp himself as the
program patriarch at Florida (and get a huge raise). ESPN
As rumors and reports swirl about Billy Donovan's imminent departure to
Kentucky, including ESPN.com saying Friday that Wildcats officials are
prepared to offer him an annual raise of more than $1-million next week
as part of a contract that would make him one of the highest-paid
coaches in college basketball, the Florida players insist it hasn't
affected them and the way they prepare for tonight's national semifinal
against UCLA. St. Petersburg Times
Just consider: Florida coach Billy Donovan, the obvious No. 1
candidate to replace Tubby Smith at Kentucky, was asked nine questions
in his session with the media Friday. Three of them, either directly or
indirectly, were about the Kentucky job. The biggest news to come from the Final Four? ESPN reported
Friday afternoon -- minutes before Donovan went to the podium -- that
Kentucky will offer him a guaranteed $2.8 million annual contract once
Florida's season ends. Memphis Commercial Appeal
Right now Brewer's primary concern is how to stop UCLA's Arron
Afflalo and try to get back to the championship game. A year ago, he
held Afflalo to just 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. "He's a
great player and has improved a lot," Brewer said of Afflalo. "I just
can't let him get anything easy. I've got to make him work for
everything."Brewer will make him work. You can be certain of that. Fox Sports
Be angry because the Gators are in the Final
Four for the second consecutive season. Fume because they are two
victories away from becoming the first school to win back-to-back NCAA
titles in 15 years. Gnash your teeth because all your Gator-fan friends will be waving orange and blue in your face if that happens. It's OK. Junior forward Joakim Noah wants you to feel that way.He likes being hated. Florida Times-Union
Before the NCAA Tournament, Wooden said he
hoped for a UCLA-Florida rematch in the national championship. He got
the next best thing: Florida (33-5) plays UCLA (30-5) at 8:47 on
Saturday night in a national semifinal. It is the first time since 1998
that two teams have appeared in consecutive Final Fours. Florida
is attempting to become the first team since Duke in 1992 to repeat as
NCAA champion. Wooden knows a thing or two about repeating. His Bruins
won seven consecutive titles, from 1967 to 1973. “You learn so much on the way,” Wooden said. “It’s much easier to stay on top.” The Olympian
Two years into the greatest run in Florida basketball history and it's still hard to tell who the Gators' money player is. Which, by the way, tickles the dickens out of the Gators. Imagine
the moment. There are 20 seconds to go, and the score is tied, and the
noise is deafening. If you are Florida coach Billy Donovan, who do you
want to have the ball in his hands? St. Petersburg Times
There will be a new NCAA champion this year -- that is, if Electronic Arts' simulation holds true. UCLA
will return to the NCAA basketball final this year to meet Ohio State,
according to a simulation performed by EA on its NCAA March Madness '07
game. Hamilton Spectator
One thing the Florida Gators probably won't
say against UCLA in today's NCAA Tournament national semifinal game is
"give me the ball." Blame coach Billy Donovan for the Gators
being so unselfish. Me-first attitudes often lead to missed
opportunities for open shots and turnovers, something he hopes to avoid
when Florida (33-5) meets UCLA (30-5). Playing unselfish basketball, the Gators defeated the Bruins 73-57 last season in the national championship game. Pensacola News Journal
You want to talk about repeating? Fine. Then allow Florida's Joakim Noah a little repetition. "Talk, talk, talk," the Gators' 6-foot-11
center said Friday afternoon, blinking, doe-eyed, into TV lights and
back at the couple dozen faces surrounding him. "I feel like all we do is talk; let's talk
for a half-hour here, a half-hour there... I have a game to play. To
me, that's why this is so hard." Virginia Pilot
If Florida wins another national title, it will be the first Division I men's team to repeat since Duke in 1991-92. So does that put the Gators among the elite in college hoops, in a class with Kansas, UCLA and some of the other all-time great programs?
Slow down, say the experts. Florida Today
Thomas Hill said he talks often with Christian Laettner and Brian
Davis at this time of year. Hill confessed that the Duke champions from
1991 and 1992 enjoy their status as the only team to win back-to-back
NCAA men's basketball titles since UCLA did it in 1973.With defending
champion Florida two wins from repeating, Hill has a rooting interest
in today's semifinal. "Go UCLA," he said, laughing. "We wish them
[Florida] well, but we don't wish them well." News Observer
(photo credit: AP)
Labels: Game Day Stories
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