Gators Arrive in New Orleans with BYU in Their Sight
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Women's Golf, Scott Carter
The Gators arrived in the Big Easy on Tuesday night with a big challenge ahead: defeat BYU on Thursday and then the Wisconsin-Butler winner on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four.
They wasted little time in starting to prepare for BYU (32-4) and sharp-shooter Jimmer Fredette once settling in at the team hotel. Less than two hours after the team plane touched down at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Tuesday around 8 p.m. EDT, the Gators were watching film of BYU during what the team calls a personnel review.
Assistant coach Larry Shyatt led the meeting, discussing each player on BYU's roster and their strengths and weaknesses. Florida coach Billy Donovan often emphasized certain points after Shyatt's initial review, making sure his team understood the task ahead.
Before studying BYU's personnel, the Gators had a team dinner in a hotel hospitality suite. As the Gators (28-7) talked hoops, a business awards conference was going on in an adjacent conference room.
Both parties broke about the same time, prompting several double-takes and photo requests as the players and coaches made their way back to their rooms.
For Donovan and his staff, the night was just starting as they later gathered in a hotel suite to study more film of the Cougars.
Florida holds its first practice in New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon starting at 2:10 p.m. at the New Orleans Arena. The practice is open to the public.
Prior to the open practice, Donovan and the players will meet with the media to discuss Thursday's game. The Gators and Cougars tip off on Thursday night at 7:27 on TBS with a berth in the Elite Eight at stake.
