Saturday, February 15
Gainesville, FL
8 PM
Florida Gators
vs
Vanderbilt
What the Gators offensively earlier this week at Texas A&M was the best the team had looked all season, according to UF coach Mike White.
Gators Court Consistency on 'Billy D Court'
Saturday, February 15, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When Mike White arrived in May of 2015, a University Athletic Association official in the operations department approached the new Florida basketball coach and asked him what he'd like to do about the mural in the atrium of the team's practice facility.
That would be the giant 8x8 photo of Billy Donovan, who'd left to coach the Oklahoma City Thunder.
White was taken aback by the question and did not hesitate with his answer.
"Nothing," he said. "Leave it right where it is."
For the last five years, Gators coaches, players, support staff and anyone else entering the facility have walked past the image of Donovan that provides a daily reminder of the standard to which their teams aspire. That's the legacy Donovan left behind after amassing a record of 467-186 over 19 seasons, along with the way reaching 14 NCAA tournaments, winning six Southeastern Conference titles and two national championships.
That standard, that legacy will be revisited Saturday night when the Gators (15-9, 7-4) face Vanderbilt (9-15, 1-10) at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. At halftime, Donovan will take the floor and take a resounding bow when the sold-out O'Dome crowd officially celebrates the commemoration of "Billy Donovan Court."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Most of the players on the current roster were in middle school when Donovan coached his last game at UF, but they pass by that mural every day, just like White, and very likely wound up playing for the Gators because of the things Donovan accomplished over his 19 seasons on the Florida sidelines.
"A Hall of a Fame coach, a memorable guy who's had multiple memorable teams, as well," freshman wing Scottie Lewis said when asked about Donovan and the circumstances surrounding the special weekend. "That puts a lot of weight on our shoulders, but I don't think it's a distraction. I think it's going to lift us up more than anything to show that Coach White is a great coach and that he can accomplish a lot of things that Billy Donovan did and I know he aspires to do. We aspire, as a team, to do some of the things his teams did."
Said sophomore shooting guard Noah Locke: "It's great to give back to him."
The best way to honor Donovan — and his legacy — would be to roll out against the Commodores the kind of across-the-board effort the Gators turned in during Wednesday night's 78-61 road win at Texas A&M. Against one of the better defenses in the conference, UF displayed its most crisp and unselfish execution of the season on the way to shooting 52 percent from the floor and hitting 12 of 27 shots from the 3-point line. The game was close early in the first half and turned quickly.
The Gators, frankly, looked like a different team.
"The lights went on and hopefully they stay on," White said.
That's been something a familiar refrain after previous victories this season. The light, invariably, has not stayed on. There are only so many more games left, however, so if carryover isn't going happen now, then when?
"Ultimately, if like last game, we can have everyone that's wearing a Gator uniform just play for the right shot — for our shot. 'Let's play our way, not my way,' " White said. "Everyone struggles in the game of basketball dealing with some selfish issues, some agenda issues. 'I want to win, but I want to get mine, too'. And this team has grown with the unselfishness. We exhibited that the most last game, and we certainly hope we see that moving forward. But guys shouldn't be worried about if they get their number called, let's just move it. Somebody's open. The defense is going to dictate what our best shot is, and, again, it has to be our shot."
Playing the right way. It's a phrase Donovan used often.
The icon coach made an appearance at the UF basketball facility Friday to visit with White and his players, then a couple hours later got a look at the O'Dome, which underwent a $64.5 million renovation three years ago, for the first time since he coached his last game there March 3, 2015.
Earlier in the afternoon, White said (rightly so) his team could not afford to be caught up in the pending hoopla; that the Gators' focus had to be on the Commodores, a team that despite just one win in league play smashed SEC leader LSU 10 days ago and twice in the last two weeks has held second-half leads on Kentucky. HIs predecessor would have told his teams the exact same thing.
But White also spoke of what Donovan left behind in 2015 and what his program has tried to maintain. Namely, the culture.
"Winning. Developing young men on and off the court," said White, referencing the championships and Final Fours before eventually getting to the point that invariably comes up when when Donovan is the topic. "The way people revere him as a human being is equally, if not more impressive."
The mural and the memories remain.
Play the right way. It'd be great if the Gators did Saturday for "Billy D," but more importantly if they did it for themselves. And continued to do it.
That would be the giant 8x8 photo of Billy Donovan, who'd left to coach the Oklahoma City Thunder.
White was taken aback by the question and did not hesitate with his answer.
"Nothing," he said. "Leave it right where it is."
For the last five years, Gators coaches, players, support staff and anyone else entering the facility have walked past the image of Donovan that provides a daily reminder of the standard to which their teams aspire. That's the legacy Donovan left behind after amassing a record of 467-186 over 19 seasons, along with the way reaching 14 NCAA tournaments, winning six Southeastern Conference titles and two national championships.
That standard, that legacy will be revisited Saturday night when the Gators (15-9, 7-4) face Vanderbilt (9-15, 1-10) at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. At halftime, Donovan will take the floor and take a resounding bow when the sold-out O'Dome crowd officially celebrates the commemoration of "Billy Donovan Court."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Most of the players on the current roster were in middle school when Donovan coached his last game at UF, but they pass by that mural every day, just like White, and very likely wound up playing for the Gators because of the things Donovan accomplished over his 19 seasons on the Florida sidelines.
"A Hall of a Fame coach, a memorable guy who's had multiple memorable teams, as well," freshman wing Scottie Lewis said when asked about Donovan and the circumstances surrounding the special weekend. "That puts a lot of weight on our shoulders, but I don't think it's a distraction. I think it's going to lift us up more than anything to show that Coach White is a great coach and that he can accomplish a lot of things that Billy Donovan did and I know he aspires to do. We aspire, as a team, to do some of the things his teams did."
Said sophomore shooting guard Noah Locke: "It's great to give back to him."
He had to see it first, be there tomorrow as we honor Billy.
— Florida Gators Men's Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 15, 2020
2.15.20 pic.twitter.com/DWcQJQAqYz
The best way to honor Donovan — and his legacy — would be to roll out against the Commodores the kind of across-the-board effort the Gators turned in during Wednesday night's 78-61 road win at Texas A&M. Against one of the better defenses in the conference, UF displayed its most crisp and unselfish execution of the season on the way to shooting 52 percent from the floor and hitting 12 of 27 shots from the 3-point line. The game was close early in the first half and turned quickly.
The Gators, frankly, looked like a different team.
"The lights went on and hopefully they stay on," White said.
That's been something a familiar refrain after previous victories this season. The light, invariably, has not stayed on. There are only so many more games left, however, so if carryover isn't going happen now, then when?
"Ultimately, if like last game, we can have everyone that's wearing a Gator uniform just play for the right shot — for our shot. 'Let's play our way, not my way,' " White said. "Everyone struggles in the game of basketball dealing with some selfish issues, some agenda issues. 'I want to win, but I want to get mine, too'. And this team has grown with the unselfishness. We exhibited that the most last game, and we certainly hope we see that moving forward. But guys shouldn't be worried about if they get their number called, let's just move it. Somebody's open. The defense is going to dictate what our best shot is, and, again, it has to be our shot."
Playing the right way. It's a phrase Donovan used often.
The icon coach made an appearance at the UF basketball facility Friday to visit with White and his players, then a couple hours later got a look at the O'Dome, which underwent a $64.5 million renovation three years ago, for the first time since he coached his last game there March 3, 2015.
Earlier in the afternoon, White said (rightly so) his team could not afford to be caught up in the pending hoopla; that the Gators' focus had to be on the Commodores, a team that despite just one win in league play smashed SEC leader LSU 10 days ago and twice in the last two weeks has held second-half leads on Kentucky. HIs predecessor would have told his teams the exact same thing.
But White also spoke of what Donovan left behind in 2015 and what his program has tried to maintain. Namely, the culture.
"Winning. Developing young men on and off the court," said White, referencing the championships and Final Fours before eventually getting to the point that invariably comes up when when Donovan is the topic. "The way people revere him as a human being is equally, if not more impressive."
The mural and the memories remain.
Play the right way. It'd be great if the Gators did Saturday for "Billy D," but more importantly if they did it for themselves. And continued to do it.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
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