Tag Archives: Brett Nelson

Program Builders: 2000 UF Team Looks Back On 25th Anniversary Of Magical NCAA Run

The Gators' buzzer-beating victory over Butler 25 years ago kick-started a run to the NCAA title game -- and changed the trajectory of the Florida basketball program.

When Billy Donovan took over as the coach of the Florida men’s program in 1996, the Gators were far from a household name in college basketball. At the time, Florida had made only five NCAA Tournament appearances in its history and it was considered a “football school.” But by Donovan’s …

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