March Madness Flashback: The end of one era, start of another
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 | Men's Basketball, Men's Tennis, Chris Harry
GATORZONE MARCH MADNESS FLASHBACK
On this day in Florida NCAA history: March 20, 2005
It might have been the greatest loss in Florida basketball history.
Not for anything the Gators achieved that day, mind you, but for what Villanova's 76-65 second-round win set in motion for a certain core group of players who wore orange and blue.
Al Horford made one basket in the game. Taurean Green made two, the same as Lee Humphrey. Joakim Noah made none in two measly minutes.
The final game for the ultra-productive trio of David Lee, Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson meant it was time for the aforementioned quartet -- plus incumbent freshman starter Corey Brewer and junior frontcourt reserve Chris Richards -- to step up.
In time, oh how they did, but's that's a story for another “Flashback.”
The Lee-Walsh-Roberson triumvirate was eliminated by a lower seed for the third straight year. The Gators, champions of their first Southeastern Conference Tournament and seeded fourth, fell behind the fifth-seeded Wildcats by 14 in the first half and never recovered on the way to a 76-65 defeat.
Nova's Jason Fraser came off the bench to lead all scorers with 21 points, with guard Randy Foye tossing in 18 more. Lee carded the 22nd double-double of his career with 20 points and 10 rebounds to help UF close within a point in the second before the Wildcats ran of 10 straight and were never threatened the rest of the way.
In the aftermath of Coach Billy Donovan's fifth straight season of failing to get out of the NCAA Tournament's first weekend -- Anyone remember the catcalls of underachievement? -- a magical bond that began with the arrival of a group that eventually became known simply as “The '04s” only got stronger.
From that loss grew arguably the most powerful college basketball force since John Wooden's might UCLA teams ruled the college basketball roost 40 years ago.
And it began seven years ago today.
