The Florida Gators 84-75 over the Ohio State Buckeyes earned them their second straight national championship. Florida executed a solid game plan that focused on eliminating the Buckeye’s perimeter game. The sent a clear message to the future #1 pick “we don’t think you can beat us alone”. Ohio State thrives on ball penetration and “kicking it out” for open shots. Greg Oden’s presence in the middle forces teams to collapse on him much as NBA defenses have done against Shaq and the Wadeless Heat. Ohio State was unable to adapt to the Gators plan and it was their undoing. Florida unleashed an unselfish, team assault against the Buckeyes; Corey Brewery, Al Hoford, Lee Humphrey, Taurean Green all scored in double figures. Corey Brewer also got the nod for “Most Valuable player”. He was great in the first half and provided the motivational spark that led his team to victory.
This team should go down in history as being one of the best teams to achieve a championship repeat. The NCAA tournament is one of the most competitive and has the smallest margin of error. While the debate continues about who is the “overall” best team in sports history, the 2006-2007 Florida Gators should now be added into this conversation. What’s more unbelievable is that a team of highly talented basketball players as the Florida Gators could actually stay together after winning the championship the first time. In today’s day and age, with student athletes being drawn into professional sports by big pay checks and all the fame that comes with that, the Florida Gators stuck together. They risked big money and gambled on greatness; the gamble paid off.
Florida’s sport programs over the last year have defiantly solidified what being the best really means: winning National Championships. They now have the title of National Champs in basketball and in football. No other sport program in the history of the NCAA has completed winning the National Championship in basketball and football in the same year!
“One more year!!! One more year!!!” ; was what the crowd was cheering after the game. At first I thought that it was really a cliché ending but after thinking about it, even if it wasn’t that same Florida team that took the floor next season a Florida three-peat will put them in even higher company. Only one other team in NCAA basketball history has won three straight championships, the UCLA Bruins, from 1967-1973 (Yeah that’s right seven in a row which is totally unbelievable!). In order to do this Florida must be able to continuously have an amazing recruitment strategy which has been proven already and also handle the extreme adversity of March Madness!!! So you know what I will be saying next year: GO Gators GO!!!
P.S. This was written by our college sports expert Kevin Ramalingam
5 comments:
"While the debate continues about who is the “overall” best team in sports history, the 2006-2007 Florida Gators should now be added into this conversation."
The Floida Gators are playing at a time where the NCAA ranks are severly depleted of talent. Although amazing as it is to win an NCAA championship back to back, calling the 2006-07 one of the best teams ever maybe a stretch. But then I love the Fab Five so what do i know?
I wouldn't say the NCAA is severely depleted in talent.
With the changes to the NBA draft requirements, would be high school lottery picks are now in college for at least one year.
Add to that the fact that teams now grant scholarships to players worldwide and that talent pool isn't as bad as it may have been say four or five years ago.
That UCLA run isn't so hard to figure since it started with a center named Lew Alcindor - now know as Kareem Abdul Jabbar - for four years and then had a center named Bill Walton for three....
Don't ever mention Bill Walton on this blog again.
We should first define what the best ncaa will include; meaning nba talent, wins, achievements, etc. before we further this debate...
oh and alan...floridas first win was last year...thus depleted talent(imo)...this year arguably less so.
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