I’ll admit it. I was wrong. Ohio State wasn’t a good enough team to beat Florida. Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. were not good enough to overcome the deep and talented Gators. When I made my prediction the night before the national championship, I did so as Gator hater. I looked past the ability that I mentioned-four sure-fire first-round NBA draft picks in the starting lineup, and a shooter perhaps more deadly than J.J. Redick. I looked past the fact that the University of Florida not only has many talented players, but is truly the best team of players in the nation. I looked past the fact that Billy Donovan can flat out coach basketball.
There is something about good basketball teams that everybody hates. The most hated basketball teams in the country year in and year out are seemingly, coincidently the best and most respected. As a North Carolina fan, it’s hard for me to swallow, but at the same time very easy to admit that Duke is a traditional powerhouse. Cal and Stanford fans can hate all they want, but UCLA is one of the best. From all this is where my hate of Florida stems. As a fan of a traditional power, it is never good to see another team step up on the throne as king of college basketball. When my Tar Heels won in 2005, things felt as everything fell the way they should. With Florida’s back-to-back victories, the top of the world is a little more crowded.
Getting past the hate, the past two years of Florida basketball are an absolute rarity. Duke won back-to-back championships in the early ’90s, but did it with two different starting lineups. The Gators won their championships with the same lineup both years. While this shouldn’t be a surprise (if a starting five is good enough one year, surely it is equally as good, if not better the next), it is surprising that the opportunity presented itself. With more and more underclassmen entering the NBA draft, it’s hard to believe that a talented group can stay together long enough to win two championships. Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green all could have jumped to the NBA as sophomores and been selected in the draft. Lee Humphrey will also make a fine 3-point specialist at the next level. However, all five starters came back. The moment after they defeated UCLA in the 2006 championship, their goal was set. do it again next year. Not surprisingly they did, and the same question is being asked: Will the underclassmen all jump to the NBA? The answer isn’t clear and nobody seems to be ready to discuss it. Horford is a sure-fire lottery pick. Noah seems destined for the top 12 as well. Green and Brewer could go in either round and Humphrey will get his shot. No matter what they decide, they have put together another rarity, the makings of a dynasty.
With all that said, another college basketball season is in the books, and another college football season awaits. The Florida Gators football team is coming off a national championship as well. The making of a two-sport dynasty is upon us.