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Sad,but every team cant make it into the big dance,plus they won two nation titles so its no big deal tat they missed the tounramanet,(ONAVAN SHOULD HAVE STAYED COCAH OF ORLANDO)

Nyfan! | 03/14/08, 07:23 AM

They blew it. Good luck to them in the NIT. Maybe they can win that one and add to their title collection.

J. HOVA: MISTER UNTOUCHABLE | 03/14/08, 09:00 AM

Florida should be back in the mix next year; after two Championships and yuor whole starting team (basically) goes to the NBA, there has to be some let down. These guys do not need to hold their heads down.

Jabril1217 | 03/14/08, 09:29 AM

Back-to-back NCAA Titles is alot to ask for in this day and age. The Gators have nothing to be ashmed of. They were young, and they fought hard(well,maybe not in the SEC tourney). They'll bounce back.

jj730 | 03/14/08, 09:41 AM

Florida should be back in the mix next year; after two Championships and yuor whole starting team (basically) goes to the NBA, there has to be some let down. These guys do not need to hold their heads down.

Jabril1217 | 03/14/08, 09:29 AM

They won't be back in the mix next year unless the team as a whole gets an attitude adjustment. They've played soft and lackadaisical most of their conference season and it led them to flounder out of the SEC tournament. Calathes seems to be the only one who shows any heart on that team.

Beeker D | 03/14/08, 10:51 AM

I disagree that Billy D should've stayed in Orlando. SVG was the better fit and Magic fans would've crucified Donovan if he didn't deliver the success SVG did.

This wasn't Donovan's fault. You can't coach a will to win into your players. They either have that competitive fire or they dont. The players may not want to hear it, but they will always be compared to the 04's because that group was the quintessential embodiment of TEAM. The players need to take a good look at themselves and realize they only have themselves to blame.

Beeker D | 03/14/08, 10:57 AM

Billy D, reload not rebuild.

arejaydub | 03/14/08, 12:36 PM

Yeahhhhh.......best news I heard today. Give someone else a chance yea selfish babies.

jackmanrob | 03/14/08, 12:45 PM

"This wasn't Donovan's fault. You can't coach a will to win into your players. They either have that competitive fire or they dont"

Uhhhhh..that's EXACTLY what a coach should be able to do. Why the hell would he recruit these players if they didn't have a will to win?

To not even make the tourney after going back-to-back? I know they lost the starters and all but I think this goes to show that the '04s were the team of the decade and THEY were the ones getting it done....not Donavan.

If he's such an excellent coach, he should have them at least in the mix. You're telling me that he couldn't attract enough fresh talent after winning 2 championships in a row?

BruinsWin! | 03/14/08, 01:16 PM

You're only as good as the players you have. Tought to lose three? starters one year and make a run at it the next. Billy will be back in "the dance" sooner than later.

Kaycee1 | 03/14/08, 01:19 PM

In the dance maybe kaycee, but to have the special team he had the last couple years is difficult to duplicate. There are a lot of super quality teams, you dont know at this moment who will shine next year........besides, its not like they play in the Big East.

jackmanrob | 03/14/08, 01:27 PM

I simply don't think they were good enough. Billy is an awesome coach, but reloading is not what he does; he builds good teams in spurts. BUT winning back-to -back NCAA championships should guarantee his team at least a personal lock for the tourney. Too bad

DSS: Nothing Beats Home (3-4) | 03/14/08, 01:46 PM

NAH NAH NAH NAH........NAH NAH GOODBYE!

jackmanrob | 03/14/08, 03:18 PM

They blew it. Good luck to them in the NIT. Maybe they can win that one and add to their title collection.

J. HOVA: THE KING OF KINGS |

Nope - kncoked out by SU.............(hope)

jackmanrob | 03/14/08, 03:18 PM

Ahh that's a shame... a DAMN shame!

THE TRUTH | 03/14/08, 03:29 PM

@ BruinsWin!


"Uhhhhh..that's EXACTLY what a coach should be able to do. Why the hell would he recruit these players if they didn't have a will to win? "

There's a difference between saying they have the commitment and will and actually showing it. Jai Lucas, for all his talent, is a bust. Speights is lethargic and apathetic, putting to waste all his skill and showing he learned nothing from the class ahead of him. Calethess has the drive and talent but, as a freshman, seems too tentative to assume the leadership he seems inevitably destined to hold in this team.

"To not even make the tourney after going back-to-back? I know they lost the starters and all but I think this goes to show that the '04s were the team of the decade and THEY were the ones getting it done....not Donavan.

If he's such an excellent coach, he should have them at least in the mix. You're telling me that he couldn't attract enough fresh talent after winning 2 championships in a row?"

The team has the talent. That much cannot be denied. Unfortunately it's talent that's been squandered this season by an overall sense of complacency and indifference. As a fresh new team with a soft non-conference schedule, they don't even have the excuse of "expectations being to high." The most that people were expecting them from was a low seed in the tournament and a quick first or second round exit due to their inexperience. This '07 Gator team didn't play like they were inexperienced. They played like they didn't care at all.

Saying that Donovan wasn't the biggest factor behind getting the '04 class is grossly incorrect. If you've conveniently forgotten, Donovan's coached the Gators to 10 straight NCAA tournament appearances since '98-99, including their first trip to the championship game in '99 which they lost to Michigan State.

The '04 class was a brotherhood with a passion for winning and Donovan armed them with the tools for success. Donovan's given this batch the tools and most of them just aren't taking it. They're softer than a sack of marshmallows. Donovan did not just suddenly become an inept coach in the span of a season and the fact that his decade-long streak of making it into the NCAA tournament is over isn't an indictment against Donovan, but against the current players themselves and their overall poor attitude.

Beeker D | 03/14/08, 03:39 PM

Donovan has proven he is an NCAA champion. He lost all his talent from last year. It's hard for anyone to lose such talent and coach a team back in the NCAA tournament. He is a top tier coach in the NCAA. He and Roy Williams have the last three NCAA championships (had to give props to Roy) so it's very hard for me to be critical of Donovan.

uncchamps3 | 03/14/08, 03:55 PM

"The '04 class was a brotherhood with a passion for winning and Donovan armed them with the tools for success."

Well said, Homey.

RamblinGator | 03/14/08, 04:33 PM

Champs? They all graduated and are in the NBA. This is just the mfing Florida Gators people! They suck!

Sir Robin goes Canadian | 03/14/08, 04:47 PM

I made a mistake and miscounted. Gators made 9 straight NCAA tournament appearances, not 10. Still, that's quite an impressive feat and it's still a shame that the streak couldn't be continued.

Beeker D | 03/14/08, 04:49 PM