In The (Gator) Zone: NBA Season Near for Donovan, Mama Spice Update, More Tidbits
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 | Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The reality has long set in for close observers of the Florida men's basketball program.
Billy Donovan has left the building and Mike White has moved in and made himself at home. Those formalities took place in May when on consecutive Mondays, Donovan held a news conference to say goodbye and White followed with one to say hello.
In the nearly six months since, both coaches have worked to re-establish themselves at their new jobs. As for those casual followers out there, get ready for a strange scene in 10 days when Donovan returns to Florida to coach a team other than the Gators.
Donovan's Oklahoma City Thunder plays at Orlando on Oct. 30 in its second game of the season. Donovan will make his NBA regular-season debut two nights earlier when Oklahoma City hosts San Antonio in the season opener.
When Donovan took over the Gators 19 years ago, his mission was to rebuild UF into a contender in the Southeastern Conference. The goal is much loftier in OKC.
The Thunder features Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, two of the top players in the league. A Western Conference title would be nice, but Donovan has a team many consider the favorite to win the NBA Championship.
“They have had an enormous amount of success since they arrived in Oklahoma City,'' Donovan tells SI.com in this podcast. “It's a great group to be around. The opportunity to chase and pursue something as a group is what excited me.”
The Thunder plays its final preseason game tonight in Utah. A priority for Donovan in preparation for the season has been to implement his offensive system and rely on OKC's big men to play a larger role in ball movement.
Two of Donovan's former players at Florida – Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and Atlanta forward Al Horford – rank among the NBA's top big men at creating assists.
“They were great passers for big men – really, really good,'' Donovan told The Oklahoman. “When you have good passing bigs, it gives your guards an outlet when there's two on the ball.”
If OKC big men Steve Adams, Nick Collison and Enes Kanter are quick learners, the Thunder will be even more dangerous. And if Durant and Westbrook stay healthy, Donovan has a shot at adding a championship ring to the two he won at Florida.
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Mickie Spicer could not wait to ring that bell. The one at the medical facility near her Texas home where for six weeks she received radiation treatments to fight her breast cancer.
She finally got to on Sept. 20 when she completed her treatment. A few days later Spicer was at UF to celebrate with her daughter, former Gators gymnast Rachel Spicer, as the UF gymnastics team was honored at a dinner to receive rings for a third consecutive national championship.
Soon after learning of her cancer diagnosis, Spicer was moved when she attended the Gators' annual Link to Pink meet in February in honor of breast cancer awareness.
“That Link to Pink meet was encouragement for me,'' Spicer said Tuesday. “Any time I would get down, I would watch the video and say, 'I can do this.' Women who have gone through this, you really have to be tough. It's not easy.”
Nicknamed "Mama Spice" by the Gators, Spicer underwent chemotherapy, radiation treatment and a double mastectomy in her fight against the disease. She recently got a clean bill of health and plans to have reconstructive surgery by year's end.
“I'm cancer-free. It was good to hear those words. Things are going well,'' she said. “I just want my body to heal and my hair to grow back.”
Spicer is looking forward to another trip to UF in December. That is when Rachel is scheduled to graduate.
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The UF baseball team's fall practice is underway and the Gators, four months from the start of the season, are already a popular draw.
Scouts from numerous major league teams attended Sunday's scrimmage with several pro prospects on the mound, including juniors Logan Shore and A.J. Puk.
The early buzz from scouts who have seen @GatorsBB fall workouts is not so surprisingly very good. One said, "they are ridiculously good."
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogersD1) October 19, 2015
Entering his ninth season, head coach Kevin O'Sullivan has once again assembled one of the nation's top recruiting classes. Six members of Florida's 2015 signing class were drafted last summer, highlighted by right-hander Brady Singer, the 56th overall pick in the MLB Amateur Draft by Toronto.
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The most-asked question on Twitter by Gators fans since Saturday night is why LSU's fake field goal counted when holder Brad Kragthorpe's knee was down when he tossed an overhand lateral to kicker Trent Domingue, who raced 16 yards for the game-winning score.
For the record, here is the official rulebook explanation, NCAA Rule 4, Section 1, Article 3:
A live ball becomes dead and an official shall sound his whistle or declare it dead:
b. When any part of the ball carrier's body, except his hand or foot, touches the ground or when the ball carrier is tackled or otherwise falls and loses possession of the ball as he contacts the ground with any part of his body, except his hand or foot [Exception: The ball remains alive when an offensive player has simulated a kick or at the snap is in position to kick the ball held for a place kick by a teammate. The ball may be kicked, passed or advanced by rule].
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Former UF football player Tyrone Young was known as “Big Slim” by his teammates when he played for the Gators from 1979-82. A standout at Ocala Forest High, Young is perhaps best remembered for his 10-catch, 183-yard game against Georgia in 1980.
Young was the game's star receiver until Georgia's Lindsay Scott caught a pass from Buck Belue in the final minute and raced for a game-winning 93-yard touchdown that catapulted Georgia to the national title.
Young passed away at age 55 on Thursday night in San Diego after a long bout with cancer. Funeral services are scheduled for Young on Saturday at Greater Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Ocala.
