George Willis

George Willis

Sports

Gators focused on advancing, not run of Elite Eight defeats

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For all the success Billy Donovan has enjoyed in Florida, it’s failure that haunts him as the top-seeded Gators prepared to face 11th-seed Dayton in the South Regional final at FedEx Forum on Saturday night.

This is the fourth consecutive year the Gators have reached the Elite Eight. They were beaten the three previous trips, losing to Butler in 2011, Louisville in 2012 and Michigan in 2013.

That’s why the Gators aren’t going to get caught up in the Cinderella hysteria surrounding Dayton, which stormed through the NCAA Tournament by beating Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford.

“What we try to do is not focus on who we’re playing, but focus on us and focus on how we need to play in order to advance,” Florida senior guard Scottie Wilbekin said.

“We’re striving for greatness, and we have to go into each and every game with that mindset, focused on taking whatever challenges are thrown at us,” senior center Patric Young added. “Even if the team may be a Cinderella, that doesn’t have any bearing on what happens when the ball gets tipped up.”

The Gators (34-2) don’t carry themselves with the swagger of top-seeded team that expects to waltz into the Final Four next weekend in Arlington, Texas. They have learned it’s a difficult process, despite winning back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.

The disappointment of losing three straight games in the Elite Eight remains fresh for most of them, serving as motivation not to take anything for granted against the relentless Flyers (26-10).

“The best team is going to win,” Young said.

When Donovan’s career is over, he may be regarded as one of the best college coaches ever, and Florida’s seemingly annual presence in the Elite Eight should enhance his resume, not take away from it because there were years he didn’t reach the Final Four.

But to Donovan, failing to win a championship is failing to win a championship, whether eliminated in the first round or the Elite Eight.

“I don’t know if there’s ever an easy exit out of the tournament,” he said before a practice session on Friday. “Because of the nicknames — the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight, the Final Four — people determine whether it’s a successful [season] or not successful. I can tell you it was just as painful in 2000 walking off the court losing the national championship game [to Michigan State] as it was losing last year in the Elite Eight.”

The Gators insist they’re not haunted by three straight losses in the Elite Eight.

“What happened in the past has no bearing on what’s going to happen [against Dayton].” Young said.

But clearly there is a sense of urgency, especially for a senior class that wants to leave a legacy of success instead of being known for failing to reach the Final Four.

“What we’ve learned from our first three years here is how important it is to stay in the moment and stay connected to the team,” Wilbekin said. “Since this year started, we’ve done a good job of doing that, so we’re just carrying that with us.”

The scouting report on the Flyers has gotten the Gators’ attention.

“They’re all great at shooting 3s,” Wilbekin said. “They do a good job of getting in the lane. They’re active on defense. They have a lot of depth.”

The Gators game plan is focused on the defensive end, where the goal is to be disruptive.

“We want them to take shots — tough twos — that they don’t want to take,” Young said. “If we can do that, I think we’re doing the best we can on defense.”

Guard play will also be crucial. Wilbekin was solid in the Gators’ 79-68 victory over UCLA on Thursday night, scoring 13 points, while freshman Kasey Hill came off the bench to add 10 assists. Jordan Sibert had 18 points in Dayton’s 82-72 win over Stanford. Freshman guard Scoochie Smith, from The Bronx, also is capable of having big moments.

“It’s going to be a challenge to match up with them and to stick with it for the whole 40 minutes,” Wilbekin said.

Forty-minutes from the Final Four, the Gators are hoping the fourth time is the charm.