MEMPHIS, Tenn. — He is the kid Billy Donovan wasn’t sure he wanted to keep. Now he can’t do without him, especially because the Gators are headed to the Final Four.
Florida point guard Scottie Wilbekin came this close to being permanently kicked off the Gators basketball team after he was suspended last June for violating team rules. It was the second time within a year Wilbekin had been suspended, missing three games during the 2012-13 season.
Plus, he was already on shaky ground with Gators fans upset for his play in a loss to Michigan in the Elite Eight last season, and his half dozen turnovers in the South Regional final against Louisville two years ago.
It wasn’t as if many tears would have been shed if Wilbekin remained suspended indefinitely or transferred, which Florida coach Billy Donovan initially suggested. Wilbekin wound up missing just five games at the start of this season, only because Donovan showed compassion by giving him a third chance.
“In our program with the amount of time that we spend with them individually in player development, if a guy does stay here for a long period of time, he’s going to get better, he’s going to improve and he’s going to reach his potential,” Donovan said. “I don’t think there’s maybe a bigger example of that than Scottie.”
Believing in Wilbekin continues to pay dividends for the Gators. He was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as Florida won the SEC regular-season and tournament championships. Now the top-seeded Gators are headed to the Final Four after a 62-52 victory over 11th-seeded Dayton at FedEx Forum in Memphis.
A string of three straight defeats in the Elite Eight ended, thanks largely to Wilbekin. It wasn’t just his 23 points to lead all scorers or tallying Florida’s final seven points of the game after the Flyers threatened to rally.
It was his poise, patience and leadership that carried the Gators to their 30th straight win. He had no turnovers, while shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and was named the Regional’s Most Outstanding Player.
“I’m happy about the award,” Wilbekin said. “But it’s nothing compared to winning. I’m just happy that we were able to achieve what we did so far with this group of guys.”
Wilbekin had 14 points at halftime, where the Gators roared to a 38-24 lead, punctuated by a 3 at the buzzer by Wilbekin, who ran off the court with his hands in the air, carrying the game’s momentum with him.
“It was a big shot,” he said. “It gave us a bigger lead.”
The Flyers spent the second half trying to trim their deficit under double digits. A promising start that included 3s by Devin Oliver and Dyshawn Pierre cut it to 38-30, but Florida re-established control with a 15-6 run.
A three by Wilbekin would later give Florida a 58-45 advantage, and he made four more free throws in the final 66 seconds to seal the win.
“I give them a lot of credit,” Wilbekin said of Dayton. “They didn’t give up. They fought through the whole 40 minutes but we did the same.”
A piece of the basketball net dangled from the South Region Champion cap Wilbekin would rest on his head after celebrating the Gators’ first trip to the Final Four since winning the national championship in 2007 for a second straight year. It’s a memento that didn’t seem probable when the season began.
Long before this magical night in Memphis, Wilbekin had to regain the trust of the teammates, and did so by living with his parents and attending dawn workout sessions. He has gone from not being trusted to being admired.
“He’s a guy that almost hit rock bottom and saw how fragile his basketball career is,” center Patric Young said. “He just wanted to build that trust back and stick to the process.”
Wilbekin said he believes the adversity he and others on the team went through helped bring them closer as a team.
“I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life right now,” Wilbekin said.
Wait until he gets to Arlington.