ARLINGTON, Texas — Growing up in Jersey City’s Duncan Avenue housing projects, there were more ways to get in trouble than to get out. Mike Rosario saw shootings and stabbings, poverty and danger. But he also saw basketball as a path toward something better, and has followed that path all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Rosario, a redshirt senior guard, leads third-seeded Florida (29-7) against No. 4 seed Michigan in today’s South Region final at Cowboys Stadium. Rosario still has a Duncan tattoo to remind him where he came from, but it’s where he hopes to go that matters: to Atlanta for next weekend’s Final Four.
“That tattoo just reminds me of all the ups and downs I’ve been through growing up, and people saying I can’t do things I set goals for myself to get accomplished. Coming from where I come from, a lot of people don’t have the opportunity I’m having,’’ said Rosario, averaging a team-high 12.6 points. “I’ve seen … a lot of violence growing up.
“Being active with sports was going to keep me from being around that stuff. I told myself I don’t want to grow up being around that, joining gangs. I just made basketball my love. That’s what took my mind and took all my time, so I wouldn’t have to be in those situations or hanging out with the worst crew.’’
The road here was winding and often maddening, with Rosario developing bad habits throughout two years of losing at Rutgers, which he left in 2010 to transfer to Florida. He needed somebody — in his own words — to put a foot up his behind. Enter Gators coach Billy Donovan.
“I really held him accountable,’’ said Donovan, a Rockville Centre, L.I., native. “Mike’s the kind of guy you give an inch, he’ll work to get it to six, get it to be a foot and before you know it, I’m one of the players and he’s coaching the team. He needed to understand [there’s] a way we’re going to do things and an expectation here. He really struggled with that. He was going to go in and just rely on talent.
“It was a real growing and maturing process. For me, it’s been very rewarding and gratifying to see where he was to where he’s come to. Last year, I didn’t think him playing as many minutes [as he is] … would’ve even been possible. He’s really made a great commitment. I’m really proud of what he’s been able to do.’’
The Gators can do even more, but they’ll need to slow Michigan (29-7) and what Donovan called the country’s best offense. Guard Trey Burke carried the Wolverines past No. 1 Kansas with 23 points, 10 assists and a 27-foot 3-pointer to force overtime. Scottie Wilbekin gets the task of guarding Burke, but Tim Hardaway Jr., Glen Robinson III and Nik Stauskas all average in double-figures.
“This team is playing with a lot of toughness, especially down the stretch. … They know it’s win or go home right now, so everything’s on the line,’’ Hardaway said.
“You’re not the team until you’re the team, and the only way you can be the team is that you win the championship,’’ said Michigan coach John Beilein. “We’re trying to get one more every game. And if one more leads us to one more, we’ll concentrate on that game. But we’ll be hungry.’’