Top Twenty Reasons Florida Will Beat UCLA

ESPN.com ^ | 4/3/06 | Pat Forde

[subterfuge]

By Pat Forde ESPN.com

1. Find the weakness in Florida. Go ahead. I'll wait

2. Billy Donovan has been here before. Ben Howland has not.

3. Banners don't win championships, players do Tradition is a valuable thing to have on your side in the banter between fans. But UCLA's 11 national championships won't help the Bruins one iota come tipoff Monday.

4. Florida has had the stronger tournament run

5. UCLA used up all its good karma escaping Gonzaga The Bruins' desperate scramble to score the final 11 points of the game and extricate themselves from near-certain defeat was the Rally of the Year. 6. Balance Florida has five players averaging double figures for the season. And for the postseason. And for the NCAA Tournament.

7. Layups, dunks and Lee Humphrey That's been Donovan's offensive mantra this NCAA Tournament. The Gators are pounding it inside, driving hard to the basket, getting high-percentage shots ... or kicking it to Humphrey

8. Corey Brewer: matchup trouble The 6-foot-8 Brewer has had a great Tournament, averaging 14.4 points and making 50 percent of his 3-point shots. He killed George Mason Saturday night, and he'll be a handful for UCLA as well.

9. The Bruins don't want to run with Florida

10. Florida doesn't mind grinding with the Bruins .

11. This is not a dance team mismatch Yes, UCLA's dance team is a No. 1 seed -- one of the strongest No. 1s in recent memory. Wow.

12. Scratching the 10-year title itch It's been a decade since Florida won the national title it most cares about, in football.

20. It's Florida's time It's time for the worshipers of the pointed ball to realize what can happen with the round one. Florida 65, UCLA 59.

[Perdogg]

Tell me about!!! ;) Athletic UCLA dance team v the Florida Buxeom Southern Belles, we all win! I am going for the Gators tonight, so stop hatin on Roy! ;)

[Richard Kimball]

Spurrier reminds me of Bobby Knight. If they had a personality contest there might not be a winner. Love to watch their teams play. Wouldn't want to be standing next to them after a turnover.

[Richard Kimball]

I think you intended that comment for someone else.

[muawiyah]

Those assets were not very good on holding the lead. There are only 3 Florida players who carry the load when Humphrey is off his feed, and he will be tonight.

Can you say "partytime".

I think part of your impression of Florida's capabilities comes from too much watching of their games in an otherwise weak conference.

Then, too, there's that NBA thing, and these guys know the NBA scouts are in the audience.

[js1138]

Depends on whether you'd rather be hit by a hat or a chair.

[Richard Kimball]

That's funny.

[skaterboy]

There are a few people on ESPN who know what they are talking about but I dont consider this guy one of them

[dfwgator]

Spurrier reminds me of Bobby Knight.

Yep, everybody hates them except their team's fans, and their players, who would walk across a minefield for their coach.

[Perdogg]

Did you see this?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/writers/seth_davis/10/21/hoop_thoughts/index.html

[Richard Kimball]

Yeah, and that's really the point. I didn't start liking Knight until Sports Illustrated did a hit piece on him. If the players like them and they're not letting the players get away with murder, what everyone else thinks really doesn't matter. Most of the great coaches I've known have not been public relations geniuses.

[dfwgator]

Yep, and I would wager that those students that have played for Bobby Knight, have been more successful in life, than under almost any other coach.

[PRND21]

Time for another banner.

[hole_n_one]

What's up with Jenna?

Did someone important at UCLA lose a bet to someone at USC?

[muawiyah]

We are real close to game time.

[hole_n_one]

The ESPN yacking heads all have Fla. over UCLA.

Digger Phelps, by virtue of his insistence that Fla. will win easily, convinced me that UCLA will win in a rout.

[muawiyah]

ESPN's talking heads are dreadful. They're the kind of guys who used to fawn all over Lefty Driesel, America's nastiest coach ~ ever!

If you watch the game with the sound off you will catch Noah's Ali Shuffle where he keeps forgetting to dribble the ball.

[cyn]

WOOHOO!

GooooOOoo GATORS!!!!!

Gaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbaitgaterbait

[dfwgator]

We are the boys of old Florida
F-L-O-R-I-D-A
Where girls are the fairest
The boys are the squarest
Of any old state down our way

We are all strong for old Florida
Down where the old Gators play - GO GATORS!!!!
In all kinds of weather
We all stick together
For F-L-O-R-I-D-A


Twenty more minutes to glory. Git R Done Gators!!!

[cyn]

lol, here's something, Julie. I can't watch & post, but I'm enjoying this game big time! it's obvious we wanna win this thing -- great D!

47- 29, GATERRRRRRSSSS!

[texan75010]

Gators are own3ing!