Sloan's second stint at Florida was easily the most successful period in program history until the late 1990s. The Gators have won four SEC Tournament championships, all under Billy Donovan, including three in a row from 2005-2007. 38 His first team notched the school's first 20-win season; a season sweep by Tennessee left them one game short of their first SEC title. 14 Western Kentucky in the first round, but they were then upset by the No. 7 seed in the West Region after losing in the 2012 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals to Kentucky, finishing with an overall record of 23–10. Brewer, Horford and Noah were selected in the top 10, while Richard and Green were selected in the second-round. They were led by head coach Billy Donovan, and played their home games in the O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Historically, the Gators did not have significant rivals in men's basketball. In 2004, the Gators were the No. The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. That date can be obtained by contacting the sport’s staff assistant. The new facility improved the basketball program in several ways, including helping to convince Norm Sloan to return to Gainesville after a successful 14-year tenure at North Carolina State which included an undefeated season in 1972–73 and an NCAA championship in 1974. 15 seed, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. As Gators, we're motivated by more than winning. Nonetheless, according to Florida historian Norm Carlson, Sloan elevated the Gators basketball program from "an intramural program and built the grass roots." Led by center Neal Walk (the only Gator to have his number retired) and forward Andy Owens, the team received a bid to the 1969 National Invitation Tournament—the first postseason tournament invitation in team history. UF Basketball Roster # NAME POSITION HT WT CL ... Men's Basketball Staff. Florida received the No.3 seed in the East Region (played in Miami). Toggle Story Links. In hopes of breathing life into the program, Florida hired Norm Sloan as its first full-time head coach for the 1960–61 season. 7 seed Michigan State in the second round. The schedule consists of a pair of home-and-home games against five SEC teams, plus a single game against each of the other eight SEC teams. 11 seed Milwaukee to advance to the Minneapolis regional. 10 by the AP. Their tournament run ended there as they were stunned in the Regional Final against No. However, funds soon became scarce with the coming of the Great Depression; university president John J. Tigert along with several other athletic supporters had to take out personal loans to finish the construction of the school's first football stadium, Florida Field. The New Gym was intended to be a temporary home for the basketball team until funding was found for a more permanent structure. Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin was named Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year, the SEC Tournament MVP, and the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA South region. 3 seed in the South Region. 4 seed, Louisville, 72–68, after blowing a 65–54 lead with 8:14 remaining in the game. Cody had previously coached the Clemson and Vanderbilt basketball teams; Mauer had previously coached the Kentucky and Tennessee basketball squads. Florida's Athletic Director, Jeremy Foley, looking for a young coach with a proven track record, hired 30-year-old Billy Donovan, then at Marshall, as Kruger's replacement. But a Tuesday afternoon update from the Florida program suggests that Johnson is now "breathing on his own and speaking," noting that he even FaceTimed with his Gators teammates. After a two year absence from the NCAA Tournament, Mike White got them back to the Elite Eight in 2017, where the Gators were again defeated, this time by SEC rival South Carolina. All of them, except Humphrey, were selected in the 2007 NBA Draft. Also during this season, Donovan passed Sloan as the winningest coach in school history. Sloan's Gators did not receive a postseason tournament invitation during his tenure, however; until 1975 only the conference champion was guaranteed an NCAA bid. 11 seed from the Washington, D.C. regional, by a score of 73–58 in the national semifinals in Indianapolis. ( 15-10, 9-7 SEC) 42. By claiming the SEC Tournament, the Gators earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and were selected as the No.1 overall seed, and were placed in the South Regional. JRowland All-American. May 29, 2001 55,746 102,662 113 35 www.rivals.com. Box 14485
Lotz's Gators peaked with a 17–9 overall record and a fourth-place conference finish (10–8 SEC) in 1976–77, but trailed off to consecutive last place conference finishes in 1978-79 and 1979-80, with Lotz being dismissed before the end of the regular season.[5]. Reactions: Wildcats301. In the 2000 SEC Tournament, however, the Gators were upset in the second round by Auburn. May 29, 2001 55,746 102,662 113 35 3 seed with a 27–6 record, and ranked No. After the season, Donovan accepted an offer to coach the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. The Gators easily defeated Sam Houston State in the first round, but were then upset by No. White played point guard at Ole Miss and later served as an assistant there for seven seasons. 4 seed in the Syracuse Regional of the 2004–2005 NCAA Tournament. The 2014–15 Gators finished the season 16–17, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for eighth place. Taurean Green and Chris Richard were both selected in the second round. [9] Behind Andrew DeClercq and Dametri Hill, the Gators went to their first Final Four following a dramatic victory over UConn where Donyell Marshall missed two free throws with no time on the clock to force overtime, where the Gators eventually prevailed. The 2015–16 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.This was the Gators' first season since 1995-96 without long-time head coach Billy Donovan, as he left the Gators to become the new head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. Since the 1990s, however, Florida has built rivalries with Kentucky and Tennessee as the Gators have become consistent contenders for the Southeastern Conference championship. University of Florida Gators basketball star Keyontae Johnson remains in critical but stable condition after collapsing during a … Get the latest Florida Gators Basketball news, photos, rankings, lists and more on Bleacher Report 3 seed Oregon. The Gators' 63.7 points-per-game were their lowest in the 19-year coaching tenure of Billy Donovan. The Florida Gators have added Tyson Summers to their football staff as an analyst, as reported by Matt Zenitz of AL.com. Despite the probation he inherited, Kruger slowly brought the team to increased success and reached the NIT semifinals in his second year as coach. The guys talk about Florida basketball … The larger wooden structure built directly adjacent to the University Gym in 1928 was officially known as "Building R", through it was commonly called the "New Gym". 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State coach Norm Sloan dead at 77, "2019-20 Florida Men's Basketball Media Guide (PDF)", Florida Coach Retires At School's Request, Top 25 Gator teams: No.25 1993–94 Men's basketball, Top 25 Gator teams: No.18 1999–2000 Men's basketball, Top 25 Gator teams: No.4 2005–06 Men's basketball, Top 25 Gator teams: No.1 2006–07 Men's basketball, "Gators Overwhelm Wildcats to Cap SEC's First 18–0 Season", "DeAndre Daniels sparks UConn to upset of Florida, title game trip", "2014 SEC Men's Basketball Awards Announced", http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=27562, "Florida trio tapped in top 10; Celts land Ray Allen", String Music: Inside the Rise of SEC Basketball, Infectious Disease Pharmacokinetics Laboratory, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, University of Florida Campus Historic District, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Florida_Gators_men%27s_basketball&oldid=1017081056, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Neal Walk, center; AP Third Team; NABC; UPI Third Team (, This page was last edited on 10 April 2021, at 18:02. The Florida Gators have won two NCAA national championships, which is tied for 9th all-time among Division I schools. 3 seed, BYU, who had knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament the year before, by a score of 83–74 in overtime to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007. The following season, the Gators were eliminated by Penn State in a quarter-final game of the 2009 National Invitation Tournament. Home games are played in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. But the Gators then lost to Duke in the national semifinals. The Gators swept through the region with victories over 14th seeded James Madison, 11th seeded Pennsylvania, 2nd seeded Connecticut and punched their ticket to their first ever Final Four by knocking off the upstart, 9th seeded Boston College. In the 2001 NCAA Tournament, Florida received the No. Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital, Executive Associate Athletics Director for Internal Affairs, Executive Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs, Executive Associate Athletics Director for Administration, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Administration, Associate Director, Gator Boosters Financial Reporting, Director of Scouting and Video Operations, Director of SEC Network Operations/Production, Senior Associate Athletics Director (Soccer, Gymnastics), Assistant Director (Volleyball, Lacrosse), Assistant Director (Track & Field, Football), Assistant Director (Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis), Communications Assistant (Men's Tennis, Cross Country), Communications Assistant (Men's & Women's Swim/Dive), Producer - Content Editor, Creative Media, Social Media & Digital Content Coordinator, Associate Director II, Football Equipment, Assistant Coach, Running Backs & Special Teams Coordinator, Assistant Athletics Director of Football Operations, Director of Football Strength and Conditioning, Director, Internal Operations/Stewardship, Assistant Director – Stewardship & F-Club, Director of Membership & External Affairs, Coordinator, Part Time Employment & Employee Events, Assistant Athletics Director, Operations & Facilities, Assistant Athletics Director of Facilities, Assistant to Director of Soccer Operations, Women's Swimming Volunteer Assistant Coach, Director of Strength & Conditioning for Basketball, Golf & Tennis, Strength and Conditioning Coordinator (Softball, Men's Tennis), Strength and Conditioning Coordinator (Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis), Assistant Athletics Director – Revenue Generation, Assistant Coach - Recruiting Coordinator/Sprints/Relays/High Jump/Multis. Florida's basketball program finally found consistent success under head coach Billy Donovan, who was hired in 1996. Florida closed out Kentucky on Senior Night to end the regular season 26–5, and won their third straight SEC Tournament Championship with relative ease, beating Georgia, Ole Miss, and Arkansas 77–56. Florida outscored Boston College by 24 points in the paint, out-rebounded the Eagles, 35-30, and recorded six blocks to the opposition’s two. The Gators entered the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as a No. Gator Nation. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. March 20, 2021. They only finished higher than fourth twice between 1932–33 and 1979–80. All Rights Reserved. In his first season at the helm, he led them to a 21–15 season and a berth in the NIT Tournament, defeating North Florida and Ohio State in the first two rounds before losing to eventual-NIT champion George Washington in the quarterfinal. After getting a #4 seed in the East Regional, they beat #13 seed East Tennessee, the #5 seed Virginia Cavaliers, and the #8 seed Wisconsin Badgers—who upset the #1 seed Villanova Wildcats—on a last-second three-point buzzer beater by Chris Chiozza, advancing them to the Elite Eight, where they lost to fellow SEC member and #7 seed South Carolina Gamecocks 77–70. Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson remained in critical but stable condition Sunday morning, one day after he collapsed during the Gators' game against Florida State. Athletics - University of Florida. 5 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. The trio accounted for 60 percent of their offense in 2005. Darris Nichols has coached five seasons at Florida since coming to Gainesville in 2015, helping lead the Gators to a 108-65 record in Gainesville, including four straight 20-win seasons and three consecutive NCAA Tournament bids, both streaks that were likely to be extended in 2020. 5 seed Butler and No. Draconian as those penalties were, the NCAA said that it would have banned the Gators from postseason play and live television in 1990–91 had Sloan still been coach.[8]. In December 1932, the University of Florida joined the Southeastern Conference as one of its 13 charter members. 12 seed Creighton. [14][15], The team's program-best 36–3 record resulted in many individual honors. In the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the Gators were the No. The Gators posted a two-year win-loss record of 27–32, missing postseason play entirely in his first season, and losing in the first round of the NIT in his second season. They were NCAA National Champions in 2006 and 2007. However, their appearances in 1987 and 1988 have been vacated by the NCAA making their official record 45–18. In 1993–94, the pieces fell into place for Florida to have their best season ever at that time. The 18-game Southeastern Conference (SEC) slate usually tips off during the first week of the new year. The Gators returned all five starters from their 2006 championship team to begin the 2006–07 basketball season ranked as the preseason No. They defeated No. Gainesville, FL 32604. Despite being only 30 years old, Florida Gym had not aged well. By the mid-1970s, Florida was the only basketball program in the SEC without a modern arena. There, the Gators defeated the No. The Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The 2005–06 team began the season unranked and went on a 17–0 winning streak for the best start in school history, surprising many with a young (four sophomores and one junior) but selfless squad following the graduation of David Lee and the departures of Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson to the NBA. Assistant Athletic Trainer - Men's Basketball 0130 0130: rchiu@athletics.ucf.edu: Bill Sanders: Assistant Athletic Trainer - Football, Women's Golf 2103 2103: bsanders@athletics.ucf.edu: Antonio Munoz: Assistant Athletic Trainer - Women's Basketball 4955 4955: tmunoz@athletics.uf.edu Director of Strength & Conditioning for Basketball, Golf & Tennis 4990 4990: prestong@gators.ufl.edu: Tanner Maher: Coordinator, Football 4948 4948: TannerM@gators.ufl.edu: … It's a difference seen on the field and heard across campus. The Gators continued to struggle to score in the second half and suffered their third (and worst) loss of the season, 53–63. His recruiting prowess was evident early, bringing future NBA star Jason Williams with him from Marshall and having early recruiting classes with future NBA players Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, and Matt Bonner, among others. 14 seed Northwestern State 79–47 in the first round, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen after soundly beating the No. However, after a drug scandal involving Maxwell and an NCAA investigation for various rules violations, Sloan and his coaching staff were forced to resign on October 31, 1989, just days before the start of the 1989–90 season. 14 seed South Alabama and No. In the aftermath of the Gators second NCAA championship, Donovan accepted the head coaching position for the NBA's Orlando Magic on May 31, 2007. Among the Gators' recent national championships, the Florida Gators men's basketball team won the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournaments, and the Florida Gators football team won 2007 BCS National Championship Game in football, all in the space of 366 days. 7 seed BYU in double overtime. Basketball UK/UF Staff Predictions. The 2012–13 Gators finished the regular season with an overall record of 24–6, and won the SEC Championship with a conference record of 14–4. A familiar face has joined the Florida Gators coaching staff in a recruiting capacity. The Gators' school record win streak reached 30 as they defeated their first four tournament opponents by double digits, finally breaking through in the Elite 8 with a 62-52 win over Dayton to advance to the Final Four as the only remaining No.1 seed. Regional as the No.11 seed) in the semifinals and then handily defeated UCLA in the championship game for their first ever national championship. 7-seed Gators and upset-minded, 15-seed Oral Roberts, which leads the nation in 3-pointers made per game. That success was in large part because Sloan persuaded several top Florida high school basketball players—such as Gainesville's Vernon Maxwell and Brandon's Dwayne Schintzius—to stay in-state instead of attending schools with more basketball tradition. There has been one seat open on the bench for the Florida Gators Men’s Basketball Coaching staff since March 22nd. Florida has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 22 times. In the Second Round of the Tournament, Florida beat No. They would make the NIT again in 1985 and 1986, reaching the NIT semi-finals in 1986. The University of Florida also has the distinction of being the only school in NCAA history to have won both the basketball and football national championships in the same season (won the football championship in January 2007, which was the 2006 season) and the only school in NCAA history to win a combined four national championships in three seasons (football in 2006 and 2008 and basketball in 2006 and 2007). The Gators won two national championships in 2005–06, and 2006–07 under Billy Donovan. 11 seed, Minnesota, 78–64. Florida finally broke through against Dayton in their fourth straight Regional final appearance and moved on to play eventual 2014 national champions Connecticut in the Final Four, where they were defeated 63–53. In his second season the Gators went 24–7 and finished 2nd in the SEC conference standings. The woeful season included losses to in-state rivals Miami and Florida State, and three losses to SEC champion Kentucky. There, they dispatched UCLA in the semifinals and then Ohio State in the title game. They knocked off the No. The University of Florida's first basketball team took the court in 1915, but success was scarce for many years. The college basketball season begins in early November, and the non-conference portion of the schedule typically runs until the end of the calendar year. That was when top assistant … The following year, in 2002, the Gators received the No. The modern era of Florida basketball began in 1980, when the team moved into their current home, the O'Connell Center. Donovan took his Gators on a memorable run during his fourth season in Gainesville. The Gators usually play in a cross-regional tournament or two, play a home or away game against another top program, and complete in their annual game against in-state rival Florida State. [3] The Florida Gators have been a premier college basketball team since the 1990s. Senior center Patric Young was named the Defensive Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith was named Sixth Man of the Year, and senior guard Casey Prather was named to the All-SEC First Team.[16]. By the mid-1920s, the team and the university had outgrown the University Gymnasium, which had very little spectator space. The 2013–14 squad became the first team in SEC history to have an 18–0 regular season conference record. The Gators’ men’s basketball offseason started with a bang, but instead of good news, it felt more like a punch to the gut. 4200. He compiled a record of 85–63 in six seasons, including the Gators' first two wins over long-dominant Kentucky in SEC play. Game Leaders. It's why we've been able to … The program did not have an adequate gymnasium until the Florida Gymnasium in 1950, did not hire a full-time basketball coach until Norm Sloan in 1960, and did not play in a modern arena until the O'Connell Center opened in 1980. Staff. The 2013–14 Gators finished the SEC regular season with an 18–0 record in conference play, the first SEC team to ever accomplish the feat, after the SEC re-expanded to an 18-game regular season schedule prior to the 2012–13 season. [13] In doing so, the Gators won their seventh SEC championship, and their third in four seasons. The Gators proceeded to knock off upstart George Mason (who won the Washington, D.C. After four years of rebuilding, Sloan led the Gators to the 1984 NIT, which was only the second postseason appearance in school history. In the national semifinals, Florida knocked off North Carolina to advance to their first NCAA national championship game, before losing to heavily favored and top seeded Michigan State.[10]. P.O. The Athletic College Basketball Staff . Jay Markle. [4], Tommy Bartlett succeeded Sloan as head coach in 1966–67. Former Tennessee coach Don DeVoe was brought in as the interim coach, but the defending SEC champions struggled to a 7–21 record. Florida entered the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as the No. [9] The next year, they returned to the NCAA tournament, but were eliminated in the first round. In his third season, however, Donovan's Gators finished the season with an overall record of 22–9, and earned the No. The Gators defeated Penn and Weber State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in Phoenix, where they were upset by No. Florida is the only program in the nation to have advanced as far as the Elite Eight in each of those seasons from 2011–2013. Florida received the No. The Gators subsequently received the No.