MEMPHIS, Tenn. — You might think Billy Donovan subscribes to the theory that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” That would seem logical considering the enormous success he has achieved at Florida.
In addition to the back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007, the Gators have now reached the Elite Eight for the fourth straight season after a 79-68 victory over fourth-seeded UCLA Thursday night at the FedEx Forum. But Donovan’s senior class — four of them are starters — are still looking for their first trip to the Final Four.
The top-seeded Gators (35-2) will play 11th-seeded Dayton on Saturday in the South Regional final.
Florida won its 29th straight game and moved to 4-0 against the Bruins in the last eight NCAA Tournaments, but the smile on Donovan’s face these days comes with the comfort of knowing the success is more for the players than himself.
“We all want to win national championships,” Donovan said. “I think every coach will tell you that. But for me, there’s a lot I’ve learned as it relates to life and as it related to the drama of the NCAA Tournament. What are these guys going to take from this experience? And how equipped are these guys to take the next step in their life.”
The next step is their date with Dayton, which hardly looks like a team that’s on some Cinderella magic carpet ride. The Flyers eliminated the 10th-seeded Cardinal, 82-72, in a game they controlled from start to finish.
Among those impressed was John Miller, the father of Dayton coach Archie Miller and Arizona coach Sean Miller, who also advanced to the Elite Eight by beating San Diego State.
The elder Miller won four state championships and 657 games as a high school coach, but watching his sons on this night was “nerve wrecking,” he said. It’s a good kind of stress.
“I don’t like to get around a lot of people,” John Miller said. “I’d rather watch and sit and study the game. It’s neat because they have the same system that Sean has. I’ve watching them both play and I watch them executing the same stuff. The Flyers took it to them.”
UCLA tried to take it to Florida, but the Gators defense had the answers. Florida’s front wall of 6-foot-9 Patric Young and 6-8 Will Yeguete weren’t easily moved. The Bruins shot 42 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 40-30. UCLA made just 3-of-18 3-point shots.
It was the kind of game Donovan expects from his team, persistent, determined, and resilient.
“I thought it was a team effort at different points in time,” Donovan said. “Some different guys stepped up and helped in the win.”
Michael Frazier II scored 19 points for the Gators, mostly on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range, while Scottie Wilbekin added 13, including a crazy, twisting lay-up that gave the Gators a 70-63 lead with 2:33 to play.
“I thought it initially had no chance of going in,” Donovan said. “It helps to be lucky and good.”
UCLA got 17 points from Jordan Adams and 14 from Travis Wear, but the Bruins never seemed to be stout enough on defense to overcome the Gators.
“We just didn’t have a good game shooting from the perimeter,” said UCLA guard Kyle Anderson, who had 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Now the top-seeded team overall takes on the upstart Flyers in what will be built as a David vs. Goliath matchup. Dayton will show up.
“We’re a tough group of guys and we’re a tough group of competitors,” said Dayton’s Devin Oliver, who scored 12 points against Stanford. “We believe that on any given night we can beat anybody.”
There will be more life lessons for the Gators.
“To see what those kids have done in terms of trying to come together as a team, that stuff to me is really what it’s about, more so than just the end of result of winning,” Donovan said.
We’ll see what he has to say Saturday night.