What's your worst Gator basketball memory?

[gogators73]

Besides the obvious ones like season ending losses...

I figured we might as well try this thread to keep us grounded as we pummel team after team.

I think mine has to be at Kentucky in 2003. I remember I was SO psyched for us to be #1 and then we were down 20 at half in Rupp. I remember it being a Monday game because I thought we got pummeled just hours after being named #1 but it says it was a Tuesday so maybe that bad memory is fading a bit.

If you go on UK message boards a lot of them still talk about that game as one of the top moments in Rupp Arena history.

[GatorLurker]

Hearing from an insider at a lunch time pick-up game that Vince Carter was going to UNC before the public announcement.

[gatorsfa]

Being excited as an undergrad to get within 20 points of UK at the Alley. And realizing that was as good as it was going to be. Nice players--Cesare, Hannah and Clarson. But facing Macy, Phillips and Bowie.

[red4512]

Playing Mich State in the final in the early ninetys. The UF guards didnt show up & shot 2-20 or so and UF lost.

[ApexNC]

The entire Don DeVoe season

[HALLGATOR]

I was helping my sister and brother-in-law move out of the married housing at UF when it came on the TV that Sloan had been fired due to violations.

[UFish]

When Beal traveled after Louisville took the lead in the Elite 8 last year. It wasn't as painful a thought later, after reflecting on back go back regional finals, but I wanted to puke at the time.

[1bobcat]

Loss to Syracuse in first ever Sweet 16.

[oneatatime]

The entire Don DeVoe season

ditto

[hgators]

1986 or 1987 first round SEC tourney loss to a really bad LSU team.

[malscott]

Losing to Gonzaga, or was it Butler in Arizona when we were supposed to be good. I don't know...maybe it was Mich state and Izzo early 2000's., with all the Mr. Basket ball hoopla. for some reason my memory is better from the 70's...go figure. Chance I wasn't medicated back then...

[tegator80]

The entire Don DeVoe season

We have a winner!

[ufgator4ever]

Losing to rony seikaly and the cuse. For some reason I thought that team had final 4 ability.
Losing to msu in the final and the last two elite 8 losses were disappointing as well.
Captain ahab's season was necessary to humble and make me truly appreciate the success of kruger and program billy d has built.

[akaGatorhoops]

Last year's loss to Louisville ranks very high.
The buzzer beater defeat to creighton was painful.
For some reason that loss to manhattan really stung. Walsh crying on the bench was a tough scene

[alietigator]

2005 loss to villanova in the 2nd round. That team is often overlooked. Starting lineup of Roberson, walsh, brewer, horford and lee. That is nasty. Except that game roberson decided to have like 4 points that game. I still remember that being Lee's last game and crying and horford consoling him. That team is what started the great run with beating UK and UFs first SEC championship. Could have won the whole thing that year.

[Brewski]

When Billy D went to the Magic...even if it was only for a short amount of time. I was still crushed; but thrilled when he returned.

[gator1986]

Whenever they lose to OSU... I fu**ing hate losing to OSU in any sport!!!!!!

[MiddleTNgator]

Watching Brent Wright run with the ball and get called for traveling then losing to Gonzaga.

The Manhattan fiasco.

Creighton was bad too.

[born2beagator]

I'm fairly new to the Gators by many's standards. So my worst memories would have to be the last two elite 8 games, Specifically Refler...er.. I mean Butler.

[CASontag]

Not sure if it was my worst memory but it was awfully bittersweet. So my memory would be when UF lost to Duke in the Final Four in 1994 NCAA tournament. I was so excited for UF to just make it to the Final Four (da meat hook!) but then they actually had a lead at the half and I thought they had a good chance to beat Duke! However they couldn't maintain the momentum of the 1st half and Duke managed to win (curse you Grant Hill!) but at least Duke ended up losing to Arkansas in the final. Was hoping for an all SEC final (maybe get revenge for an earlier 12 point loss at Arkansas) but it just wasn't meant to be *sigh*

[General]

My freshman year in 1981. We started the seas. 4 and 1 and finished 5 and 22 if memory serves me correctly. I

[ApexNC]

Not sure if it was my worst memory but it was awfully bittersweet. So my memory would be when UF lost to Duke in the Final Four in 1994 NCAA tournament. I was so excited for UF to just make it to the Final Four (da meat hook!) but then they actually had a lead at the half and I thought they had a good chance to beat Duke! However they couldn't maintain the momentum of the 1st half and Duke managed to win (curse you Grant Hill!) but at least Duke ended up losing to Arkansas in the final. Was hoping for an all SEC final (maybe get revenge for an earlier 12 point loss at Arkansas) but it just wasn't meant to be *sigh*

Yeah, I was at that FF loss to Grant Hill. He single-handedly beat us in the second half. So glad to see Arky beat them

[LoyalGatorFan]

Last year's Louisville game is up there for me as well....I guess because its still pretty fresh in my mind...but also going back to a collective bad memory...the early 2000's when it seemed like every year UK would beat us in the final seconds...most notably @Rupp when that fn Tayshaun Prince was there....

[gatorbogey]

i think when we got positively pounded by michigan state in the tampa 'pod' - we were a 2 seed, in tampa, i think izzo's team was something like a 10 seed. we got slaughtered that evening. i sat next to some dweed - probably a local nole fan - who loved every second of it and his obnoxious kids.

the manhattan loss was humbling but at least i was driving around from meeting to meeting on I-95 during that embarrassment.

[regurgigator]

Various horrors seared indelibly in my mind:

I think Creighton was the worst with all the various unlucky bounces that went against us leading to the improbable final shot.

One regular season memory was when we lost to Bama in a game that I think cost us a share of the SEC title. We were up 1 and had the Bama guard boxed in on the baseline on the left side of the lane with nowhere to go. I was literally rising from my chair for a victory shout when a Bama player broke free on the right side of the lane (I think it may have been James White who lost his man) for the buzzer-beating layup to beat us :sad:

Losing to Butler in the Elite 8 hurt me a lot more than Louisville, because I was convinced (still am) that the refs had gotten Butler back in the game when we were about to blow it open in the 2nd half.

The last-second loss to Gonzaga - which was also pretty unlucky for us that the tip went in.

Another excruciating regular season loss was the one to UK where Drejer had 11 assists and should have had the game-winning 12th assist, but the refs called a charge when Drejer hit a UK player about a step and a half after releasing the pass. Pure BS call!

Losing to Mich St in the Final, because I'm convinced MSU shot the ball way better than they ever had before. Even Cleeves was hitting outside jumpers!

One that hasn't been mentioned: I believe it was Donovan's first post-season at UF and we were hosting an NIT game. We had the lead and lost the ball with a few seconds left. It was agony watching the opposing player dribble down the court and score the winning layup with just barely enough time on the clock to get the shot off.

[BA69MA72]

Losing Dwayne and Chatman to injury and Ahabism. That was a heckuva team.

[BA69MA72]

Various horrors seared indelibly in my mind:


One that hasn't been mentioned: I believe it was Donovan's first post-season at UF and we were hosting an NIT game. We had the lead and lost the ball with a few seconds left. It was agony watching the opposing player dribble down the court and score the winning layup with just barely enough time on the clock to get the shot off.

Georgetown--I considered that. We were tied or 1 point ahead, and no one guarded the guy who drove the length of the court. Everyone there watched it in horror as it unfolded. We ended 1 game under 500 in Billy's 2d year. Would have ended 500 or better

[regurgigator]

Georgetown--I considered that. We were tied or 1 point ahead, and no one guarded the guy who drove the length of the court. Everyone there watched it in horror as it unfolded. We ended 1 game under 500 in Billy's 2d year. Would have ended 500 or better

Yep, slo-mo!!

It was off a turnover wasn't it? I think I recall Donovan kind of laying into the player who turned the ball over in post-game comments.

[madgator]

Hearing from an insider at a lunch time pick-up game that Vince Carter was going to UNC before the public announcement.

yeah that was pretty well known to everybody for about a year before the announcement.

Carter gave us a listen but was never really serious about us.

[don23lucia]

Besides the obvious ones like season ending losses...

I figured we might as well try this thread to keep us grounded as we pummel team after team.

I think mine has to be at Kentucky in 2003. I remember I was SO psyched for us to be #1 and then we were down 20 at half in Rupp. I remember it being a Monday game because I thought we got pummeled just hours after being named #1 but it says it was a Tuesday so maybe that bad memory is fading a bit.

If you go on UK message boards a lot of them still talk about that game as one of the top moments in Rupp Arena history.

Great thread and I remember so vividly how excited I was and how sad i was all in one day.

[appgator]

two stand out...

The Mich State Loss in the championship, and cant remember the exact year but gonna guess 00. Uf was favored big at UT, drove from Boone nc with my boss a huge UT fan and we got WAXED...

John

[HotlantaGator]

Loss to Syracuse in first ever Sweet 16.

That was mine too, I think we had a 7 point lead with 2 minutes left, got beat by Rony Siekaly...

[gatorev12]

2005 losing to Villanova. That hit David Lee and Walsh extremely hard--and my heart really went out to the two. Had the privilege of knowing both when at UF (not well, and mostly because I knew David Lee's girlfriend) and they genuinely loved the University and would have given anything they had to give Gator Nation our first basketball championship.

[madgator]

That was mine too, I think we had a 7 point lead with 2 minutes left, got beat by Rony Siekaly...

that syracuse team was stacked though. didn't they also have Derrick Coleman and Sherman Douglas?


Billy Owens wasn't there yet.....


speaking of Rony Seikaly.....talk about a guy who has led a charmed life. dear lord

[co_gator89]

Mine have all already been mentioned. Creighton, Manhattan, and Gonzaga.

But Butler two years ago is particularly gut-wrenching to think about. Not a doubt in my mind that we would have waxed UConn in that title game had we gotten there.

[gatordavisl]

The entire Don DeVoe season No way, man! We had at least one good memory in there: Josie Grimsley - "He's a Skywalker!" with the win over Shaq, Stanley, and the LSU Tiggers.

[fox]

Capt. Ahab

Tennis anyone

Vernon

[gatorsfa]

I admire this thread. When I attended and long before that, we were a giant sucking noise. You read this and realize how much
Sloan the second time started a trend that Kruger continued and Billy has taken to the top. Instead of being a classic SEC school that gets crunched by UK and prepares for spring football, we expect to be a power. Ignoring the entitlement threads when people came on here when we were in the NIT with 20 win seasons and better, sanding to fire Billy. I guess that comes with the territory. Success breeds entitlement. But what a wonderful world we are in, where people are crushed when we lose final four or close. I pray my remaining days have threads like these. Beats heck out of watching us lose every recruit in the state while preparing for another losing season in the old gym and its aura of early American high school gym locker!

[NorthCaptivaGator]

Christian Drejer quitting mid season- a really low point in the Donovan era

[gulfgator]

The entire Don DeVoe season


Dang, now look at what you've done... I have tried to completely blot that from my memory. ; )

[Distant Gator]

Surprised no one has mentioned the Temple loss in the 2nd round of the NCAAs in 2001.

Being out of state I missed 1 or 2 games of our 2000 run, and I was determined not to miss what I thought would be an equally glorious 2001 run. So I paid $20 to join a sports bar so I could watch our 2nd round game vs Temple on a Sunday afternoon.

I figured an easy win- we were a #3 seed, Temple was an #11 seed. We had been to the final game the year before, Temple was only there because of an upset. We were even ranked in the top 10. Instead we didn't show up and lost by over 20. And it wasn't that close.

I don't mind a hard-fought loss to a good team- like Louisville last year. That's sports. But not showing up vs an #11 seed in the 2nd round of the NCAAs- that is inexcusable. Billy should have apologized to the fans for that one. And reimbursed me my $20.

[ArtVandelay]

1) Michigan State in Finals

2) Butler/Louisville in Elite Eight

3) Gonzaga

4) Creighton/Manhattan upsets

5) Villanova crushing us (we forgot to show up for the game)

[SmootyGator]

Michigan State for me. I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that was the year with we beat both UNC and Duke in the tournament. At the end of those games, both of those teams were totally sucking wind because we had played like 9 guys all game and wore them out. I think it was UNC in particular that it was close or we were barely winning most of the game, but we just totally pulled away once there was like 5 minutes left and we never looked back. Their players were so drained they couldn't even hit a free throw.

I thought for sure that we were going to do the same to Michigan State, but then Mateen Cleaves (sp?) AKA Pac-Man destroyed is in the finals! :(

[ReggieNelson]

Various horrors seared indelibly in my mind:

Another excruciating regular season loss was the one to UK where Drejer had 11 assists and should have had the game-winning 12th assist, but the refs called a charge when Drejer hit a UK player about a step and a half after releasing the pass. Pure BS call!



doug shows, worst call ever

[themistocles]

I don't think one can have a "Worst" memory, or a "Best" memory, unless there are very few successful moments. I think that for Gator Basketball fans, there are probably more "Bad" than "Good" memories, but that is also probably true for followers of any given team.

Two that no one else so far has mentioned:

(1) Arizona this year (that one was worse then when Brent Wright traveled), and
(2) that SEC season-ending loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville (one of many) back in the 60s (if I recall correctly) that kept the Gators from the SEC title and therefore meant no NCAA tournament bid in the days of a 16-team tournament. If I recall correctly that was the frontcourt of Walk and Keller.

The rest of you have dredged up some painful memories, especially regurgi - Ouch! - Ouch!! - Ouch!!! - Ouch!!!! - Ouch!!!!! - Ouch!!!!!!.....

Regarding losing Vince Carter to Duke - that actually was a major reason Lon Kruger gave for leaving: "Can't recruit top players to a football school." Which really is pretty true, and makes you appreciate guys like Sloan and Billy D especially, even more (I put Billy D with Mack Brown as a recruiter - AMAZING).

[GothamGator]

Some pretty thoughtful stuff here.

One of my worst memories is also from 2001. We were up 1 against UK at Rupp with a few seconds left and missed a shot giving Kentucky the ball. Tayshaun Prince hit a tough, well-defended hook shot in the lane to give UK the win. That loss not only ended up costing us sole possession of the SEC Championship (we ended up sharing with UK), but it also prevented Brett Nelson from becoming the first Gator to win the SEC MVP award. He lost by one vote to Prince.

That 2001 team was really special. They started 1-3 in conference and lost 3 starters to injury. At one point, they were down to 7 scholarship players. Yet, they won every conference game after that 1-3 start, except for the one point loss at Rupp. They were exhausted by the time of the NCAAs, and it showed in that loss to Temple.

[gatorfan96]

The loss to Butler two years ago. I was mad for two weeks because the refs handed the game to them

[MJGator8104]

I have to admit that for the most part, I've done my best to NOT remember the losses (even the bad ones). Helps keep the blood pressure low...;)

[tilly]

When the 04's decided not to go for a third. :(

[Go2gtr]

Being excited as an undergrad to get within 20 points of UK at the Alley. And realizing that was as good as it was going to be. Nice players--Cesare, Hannah and Clarson. But facing Macy, Phillips and Bowie.
'77?

[allig8ralli]

for me it was the loss to butler in the elite 8, the team that went on to stink it up in the final, all the while thinking that we should be here

[ArtVandelay]

Regarding losing Vince Carter to Duke -

UNC

[Shnicker]

Surprised no one has mentioned the Temple loss in the 2nd round of the NCAAs in 2001.

Being out of state I missed 1 or 2 games of our 2000 run, and I was determined not to miss what I thought would be an equally glorious 2001 run. So I paid $20 to join a sports bar so I could watch our 2nd round game vs Temple on a Sunday afternoon.

I figured an easy win- we were a #3 seed, Temple was an #11 seed. We had been to the final game the year before, Temple was only there because of an upset. We were even ranked in the top 10. Instead we didn't show up and lost by over 20. And it wasn't that close.

I don't mind a hard-fought loss to a good team- like Louisville last year. That's sports. But not showing up vs an #11 seed in the 2nd round of the NCAAs- that is inexcusable. Billy should have apologized to the fans for that one. And reimbursed me my $20.

That was a really tough loss, but I have a completely different viewpoint on it than you. Yes, we were a top 10-12 team and we were a 3 seed. But that year was really really difficult for the team. Billy and his wife had that heartbreaking loss right before the season started. Justin Hamilton tore his ACL. Brent Wright had a foot injury and Teddy Dupay was out for a while with a back injury. Yet we STILL had our longest SEC winning streak to that point. I can't remember what the number was, but it was pretty high (and probably eclipsed since then). That team was a really scrappy team that just found ways to win. We didn't win the SEC tourney and we beat a really overmatched team in the first round. But the guys just ran out of gas, and you can't fault them for that. You might say that it was inexcusable to be a 3 seed and lose in the 2nd round, but I thought it was incredible that we were even a 3 seed to begin with. That 2000-2001 team had a lot of guts, and they'll always be one of my favorites because of that.

The losses to Creighton and Manhattan were disappointing, but they were a 12 seed over a 5 seed. In fact, we limped into the 2004 tournament. We were overrated as a 5 seed and NO ONE had us winning that game against Manhattan, which was on a hot streak. All the talking heads chose that as their 12/5 upset and all of them patted themselves on the back for that one.

For me, it was the Gonzaga game. That was my freshman year and I was really really into the team. We went to the game vs Auburn when they had Chris Porter and were a 1 seed and beat us convincingly. We were the only Gator fans there but we were cheering our heads off and a cop there actually told us to keep going and he'd have our backs. We also went to the Georgia game in Athens and beat the dawgs there. That Gonzaga loss was so crushing, and it didn't help that within 5 minutes, we lost, my parents called to tell me a family friend had died, and the cops knocked on my door and arrested my roommate.

[themistocles]

UNC

Whoops - I always have trouble distinguishing the public versus independent schools in the Research Triangle.

Whoops.

That's much like saying Southern California when you mean UCLA (roughly the same distance apart as Duke and UNC).

[insuragator]

for me it was the loss to butler in the elite 8, the team that went on to stink it up in the final, all the while thinking that we should be here

That one has to be it for me. I reflect back to the 1994 team against Duke as being painful, but Arkansas was a machine that year.

I do think we would have won it all had we held on to the lead against Butler.

The Creighton loss was just the stars aligning wrong. If memory serves, that guy his 9 three pointers all in the second half. The final shot was well contested too. We had a good squad that year. That dude just could not miss.

Go Gators!!! Man!! This year is fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shnicker]

The Creighton loss was just the stars aligning wrong. If memory serves, that guy his 9 three pointers all in the second half. The final shot was well contested too. We had a good squad that year. That dude just could not miss.


Kyle Korver... I still hate him.

[g8r2g8r]

Chris Jackson

[iam4uf]

i think when we got positively pounded by michigan state in the tampa 'pod' - we were a 2 seed, in tampa, i think izzo's team was something like a 10 seed. we got slaughtered that evening.

I was visiting a friend in Tampa, watched it at a bar with enough non-Gators to make for a miserable game. That was a tough loss. Another that sticks out for me was the 2000, nineteen point loss to Temple in the second round. We had closed out the season on a 9-1 run, including a first-round, 13-point win against 24-6 Western KY. The Manhattan game was also terrible, I think I remember being pissed at some poor shot selection.

[regurgigator]

Kyle Korver... I still hate him.

We held Korver in check. It was the bench player (I think his name was something like Michael Jordan...or he was a big fan of Jordan or something) who killed us. One of the greatest shooting exhibitions I've ever seen in the Tournament (just short of Goose Givens and Bill Walton's shooting exhibitions) and he didn't even have the decency to do any of it in the 1st half so that we could have tried to come up with some half-time adjustments. It was all in the 2nd half. And, it wasn't just 3-pointers: the guy was driving to the hoop, hitting runners, and hitting pull-up mid-range jump shots as well :ill:

But, that guy still wouldn't have had the chance for that final winning shot if the refs had called the foul on Creighton when their guy held Hamilton to keep him from getting to the ball when Hamilton knocked it away from the dribbler with about 3 seconds left :angry: And, one of our players (I want to say David Lee, but not sure if he was even on the team) came a hair-breadth away from grabbing that loose ball before it went out of bounds. EXCRUCIATING!!!!! :sad:

[regurgigator]

The close losses are much harder to get over for me. When we get whipped, we get whipped is my take on the bigger losses.

[diamondted13]

Last year's Louisville game is in a separate category altogether. It is too fresh and I still can't talk about it. In part because I have completely blocked out the last 6 minutes. I am sure it will still be #1 years from now.

Butler (11) and Creighton (02) are the angriest I have ever been watching Gator basketball. Watching the refs very obviously take over the Butler game when we got up double digits had me ready to kill someone. Not to mention my wife was so pist at the scene I made (we were at her niece's wedding....not good). The 2002 team drove me crazy all year. Orien Greene's mental lapse on the 5 second call is probably the angriest I've ever been at an individual player.

If I had to pick a singular moment...Brent Wright picking up his dribble in the backcourt vs. Gonzaga (99). He was my favorite player on that team and I felt so bad for him. We were on the brink of making history (Elite 8). Damn you Casey Calvary!

[Shnicker]

We held Korver in check. It was the bench player (I think his name was something like Michael Jordan...or he was a big fan of Jordan or something) who killed us. One of the greatest shooting exhibitions I've ever seen in the Tournament (just short of Goose Givens and Bill Walton's shooting exhibitions) and he didn't even have the decency to do any of it in the 1st half so that we could have tried to come up with some half-time adjustments. It was all in the 2nd half. And, it wasn't just 3-pointers: the guy was driving to the hoop, hitting runners, and hitting pull-up mid-range jump shots as well :ill:


You're right, it wasn't Korver (but I still hate him). That was a really tough game. It seems like that's what made Orien Greene transfer - when he didn't inbound the ball in time and we turned it over.

[your_perfect_enemy]

the 2 years after the 04's left were 2 of the least enjoyable seasons I remember watching. Those teams played with no heart whatsoever and just weren't fun to watch. That second team probably only needed to win one game in the SEC tournament against Bama to make the dance, they were finishing the season right as I was moving back to Gainesville and I remember making a run to goodwill right before tip-off thinking I wouldn't miss much, I got back less than 8 minutes into the game and we were already down like 15 points after not bothering to show up.

[gatordd]

Being in Atlanta when we won our first SEC Championship with David, Anthony, Matt, and '04 as Freshmen... I cried

TIED

Winning our first championship in Indy! Being lower level and hugging Joakim after!

[jcp]

Not to mention my wife was so pist at the scene I made (we were at her niece's wedding....not good).

That's her niece's fault, not yours! :joecool:

[diamondted13]

That's her niece's fault, not yours! :joecool:

Agreed. My wife doesn't see it the same, however. It was a nice wedding at Haille Plantation. They were nice enough to put it on at the bar for me and a couple other diehards. I was quite antisocial after the game. I was in the doghouse that night and the next morning. The old "why does everything we do have to revolve around a frickin' game" treatment. Same as when I went to cool off in the garage after the Louisville game. I was there for 5 hours. :sad:

[jcp]

Agreed. My wife doesn't see it the same, however. It was a nice wedding at Haille Plantation. They were nice enough to put it on at the bar for me and a couple other diehards. I was quite antisocial after the game. I was in the doghouse that night and the next morning. The old "why does everything we do have to revolve around a frickin' game" treatment. Same as when I went to cool off in the garage after the Louisville game. I was there for 5 hours. :sad:

Hehe, I've had that issue with my girlfriend myself. She is a Gator but still doesn't understand it.

[diamondted13]

Hehe, I've had that issue with my girlfriend myself. She is a Gator but still doesn't understand it.

Yeah, my wife's become a pretty good sport about it since we met. Sporting events were pretty foreign to her until she met me. She's become a fan, but still isn't at that crazed level (unless Tebow's involved). We have a "30 minute rule" after tough losses. As in, please don't say dumb things like "what's your problem," "It's just a stupid football/basketball/baseball game," "I wish you cared that much about our marriage," etc. When she violates that 30 minute window is when we run into trouble:laugh:

[PhinGator]

We held Korver in check. It was the bench player (I think his name was something like Michael Jordan...or he was a big fan of Jordan or something) who killed us. One of the greatest shooting exhibitions I've ever seen in the Tournament (just short of Goose Givens and Bill Walton's shooting exhibitions) and he didn't even have the decency to do any of it in the 1st half so that we could have tried to come up with some half-time adjustments. It was all in the 2nd half. And, it wasn't just 3-pointers: the guy was driving to the hoop, hitting runners, and hitting pull-up mid-range jump shots as well :ill:

But, that guy still wouldn't have had the chance for that final winning shot if the refs had called the foul on Creighton when their guy held Hamilton to keep him from getting to the ball when Hamilton knocked it away from the dribbler with about 3 seconds left :angry: And, one of our players (I want to say David Lee, but not sure if he was even on the team) came a hair-breadth away from grabbing that loose ball before it went out of bounds. EXCRUCIATING!!!!! :sad:

I am pretty sure his name was Terrel Taylor. That was excrutiating. Billy D said in the postgame that day that David Lee saved the ball from going out, but the call went against us. Taylor was throwing up garbage left and right and everything went in.

If you have the stones, here is the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWfiyAvoW2M

[PhinGator]

Here is another one, although less meaningful because it was in the regular season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t_HeVHgZ2k

[GatorAvatar]

Losing to Butler.

[patsyruth2008]

That was mine too, I think we had a 7 point lead with 2 minutes left, got beat by Rony Siekaly...

Man, this is a great topic..............

Hotlanta;

That was the 3M Company team (Maxwell, Moten and Montgomery). Dwayne S. started at Center as a freshman and Joe Lawrence at Power Forward and his brother Pat was first off the bench.

If memory serves we had a five point lead with 2+ minutes left, which was amazing in itself because Syracuse was killing us in the first half. We had just regained possession of the ball on some type of out of bounds on Syracuse. Billy Packer was doing the game (I hated him), but I remember him saying:

Para-phrasing here:

"Look at the Syracuse players........... They are gassed.......... All of them, they have their hands on their kness and they are done. Florida is going to win this game"!!!!

And you looked at the television screen and he was right and you started to go OMG we are going to the Elite Eight..............

We had the ball, ran our offense to perfection and one of the 3M boys (I think is was Moten) drove the lane wide open for a lay-up that was going to put us up by 7. When all of sudden out of nowhere someone from Syracuse (Derrick Coleman?????) came flying across the lane and blocked the shot. Syracuse came down on a fast break and one of their players hit a three pointer..... It was a seven point lead (dagger) to two in like five seconds and took the momemtum completly away from us.

And to make matters worse, that Syracuse team, which we were better than, lost in the finals to Indiana on a last second shot by Keith Smart........Sorry for this being so long, but that game really hurt.

[patsyruth2008]

Being excited as an undergrad to get within 20 points of UK at the Alley. And realizing that was as good as it was going to be. Nice players--Cesare, Hannah and Clarson. But facing Macy, Phillips and Bowie.

That was my freshman year. I actually got to practice with/against those guys. We had:

Richard Glaspar: PG (he could sky!!!!!!)
Al Bonner: SG
Reggie Hannah: SF
* he was my key to work out with them. I played against Reggie three times our Senior year and Coach Lotz was always there. My Dad would go up at halftime and schmooze with him about his son and I always had good games against Titusville and he noticed.
Malcome Cesare: PF
I can not remember our Center's first name (dang it), but his last name was Brewster.
And Rick Clarson was first off the bench.


We were good that year, 17-9 if memory serves, but everyone but Reggie was a senior on that team and Reggie could not make grades and had to transfer to South Alabama the next year.

Gatorsfa;

I do not think Sam Bowie was on that team though......... They won the national championship (over Duke) that year, but their front line was Philips and Robey along with Goose Givens....... Thanks for the trip down memory lane though.....

[patsyruth2008]

If I had to pick a singular moment...Brent Wright picking up his dribble in the backcourt vs. Gonzaga (99). He was my favorite player on that team and I felt so bad for him. We were on the brink of making history (Elite 8). Damn you Casey Calvary!
Read more: http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/showthread.php?t=255553&page=4#ixzz2JPOix53v

Diamond;

The Gonzaga game gets my vote for the worst, but I wanted to comment on this quote because it really hit home.

Brent Wright was one of my favorites too and he had had one of his best games, if not his best that night. He scored something like 25-27 points and literally brought us back by himself it the first half after we got down by double didgits.
Second, it still bugs the crap out of me that Casey Calvary was not called for over the back on that play. I thought it was blatant............

What I will always remember about that game is the fact we did not get the game in Atlanta, we got St. Johns and Ohio State. So the entire family went down to our basement, got our computer radio the WRUF and listened to Mic do the game while watching the TV game with no sound. Well, Ohio State started blowing out St. Johns in the second half so they went to our game. But, by that time we had gotten a second half lead and I am SOOOOOO superstitous that we kept the sound down on the TV and stayed with Mic even though there was like a 10-15 second delay on radio.

I can still remember when Greg Stolt hit that three pointer late to put us up three thinking we were going to pull it out. Then Brent traveled and Casey's no call killed us........ And because of my stupid strategy I got to see the plays live with no sound and then 10-15 seconds latter hear Mic recount them. The basement took quite a beating that night.............

[msa3]

Just for personal reasons, the 2000 Championship loss to Michigan State. My dad was a Gator alum and a huge college basketball fan -- it was all he watched during the season. We'd make a weekend of the first tournament weekend -- he'd pull me out of school, or i'd ditch classes (and later work) and we'd sit around all day and watch games. Great memories. Anyway, he was sick with cancer and we watched the tourney together, like we had when I was a kid. That night he was weak but we watched the whole thing, us bantering back and forth like we always did. He died about two weeks later at 54. That was the last game he ever watched; it would have been nice for him to see a win.

[g8wayg8r]

Being excited as an undergrad to get within 20 points of UK at the Alley. And realizing that was as good as it was going to be. Nice players--Cesare, Hannah and Clarson. But facing Macy, Phillips and Bowie.

That's a down game moment too. Watching Dan Cross getting hacked by a Duke defender with a few seconds on the clock in their first final four hurt the worst.

I was always very disappointed to find out that Andrew Moten and Vernon Maxwell we not the best role models.

[WarDamnGator]

Mateen Cleaves ... had to watch that game with my wife's family who were down from Michigan and big time MSU fans.

[phatGator]

Mateen Cleaves ... had to watch that game with my wife's family who were down from Michigan and big time MSU fans.

His hurt puppy dog act scooting across the floor, the way the announcers blamed Dupay for Cleeves tripping himself, the way the camera followed him down the hallway instead of showing the game, and the announcers fawning all over him were all barfmatic. And then dancing his little jig as the game was winding down topped it off. Definitely the worst for me as a Gator fan.

[regurgigator]

His hurt puppy dog act scooting across the floor, the way the announcers blamed Dupay for Cleeves tripping himself, the way the camera followed him down the hallway instead of showing the game, and the announcers fawning all over him were all barfmatic. And then dancing his little jig as the game was winding down topped it off. Definitely the worst for me as a Gator fan.

Yes, it was very aggravating when Packer called Dupay a thug (if I recall correctly) when all Dupay tried to do was a standard wrap-up on Cleeves on the fast break (well away from the basket) so that Cleeves couldn't hit the layup and get a 3-point play opportunity. Cleeves refused to quit trying to get to the bucket and elbowed Dupay in the face in the attempt to get by him. Dupay correctly continued to hang on to Cleeves, their feet got tangled, and poor baby Cleeves turned his ankle.

I got pissed the next day when my co-worker said she and her husband (Gonzaga fans out here in Washington St) decided to pull for MSU after that play because our player had made such a dirty play. BS!!!! (but I held my tongue)

[gatorbogey]

yeah, i hated that play too. really had alot of disdain for packer after that, if not already.

you could see dupay was just attempting to make a good basketball play. it was unfortunate that cleeves was trying to make one himself by continuing to get the ball in the bucket and the foul....legs tangled accidently. thought dupay tried to catch cleeves too and prevent him from falling, if memory serves.

[ofmgator]

Too many to count! Losing to any team we were supposed to beat...generally because players played with no emotion and we lost to inferior teams.

[GothamGator]

That was a really tough loss, but I have a completely different viewpoint on it than you. Yes, we were a top 10-12 team and we were a 3 seed. But that year was really really difficult for the team. Billy and his wife had that heartbreaking loss right before the season started. Justin Hamilton tore his ACL. Brent Wright had a foot injury and Teddy Dupay was out for a while with a back injury. Yet we STILL had our longest SEC winning streak to that point. I can't remember what the number was, but it was pretty high (and probably eclipsed since then). That team was a really scrappy team that just found ways to win. We didn't win the SEC tourney and we beat a really overmatched team in the first round. But the guys just ran out of gas, and you can't fault them for that. You might say that it was inexcusable to be a 3 seed and lose in the 2nd round, but I thought it was incredible that we were even a 3 seed to begin with. That 2000-2001 team had a lot of guts, and they'll always be one of my favorites because of that.

The losses to Creighton and Manhattan were disappointing, but they were a 12 seed over a 5 seed. In fact, we limped into the 2004 tournament. We were overrated as a 5 seed and NO ONE had us winning that game against Manhattan, which was on a hot streak. All the talking heads chose that as their 12/5 upset and all of them patted themselves on the back for that one.

For me, it was the Gonzaga game. That was my freshman year and I was really really into the team. We went to the game vs Auburn when they had Chris Porter and were a 1 seed and beat us convincingly. We were the only Gator fans there but we were cheering our heads off and a cop there actually told us to keep going and he'd have our backs. We also went to the Georgia game in Athens and beat the dawgs there. That Gonzaga loss was so crushing, and it didn't help that within 5 minutes, we lost, my parents called to tell me a family friend had died, and the cops knocked on my door and arrested my roommate.

Great post, and you are exactly right about that 2001 team (see my post #46 above). Maybe Billy's best coaching job ever. We started 1-3 in conference, lost 3 starters to injury, and still finished 11-1 down the stretch to tie Kentucky for the conference title - our only loss was by 1 point in Rupp. Basically, Brett Nelson and Udonis Haslem willed us to the SEC Championship. Nelson's play in conference that year is better than any Gator I can recall.

[diamondted13]

I see a lot of votes for the title game vs. MSU. I guess I look at that one differently because we were huge underdogs going into that game. That MSU squad was one of the best teams of the last 20 years. I was pleasantly surprised that we were as competitive as we were in that game. Getting to the title game was gravy that year. Beating Coach Kruger, Duke, and UNC on the way to the title game was priceless. Especially Duke w/ Battier and Williams (they went on to win it all the next year). Not to mention Miller's buzzer beater. A hell of a fun ride.

[regurgigator]

I see a lot of votes for the title game vs. MSU. I guess I look at that one differently because we were huge underdogs going into that game. That MSU squad was one of the best teams of the last 20 years. I was pleasantly surprised that we were as competitive as we were in that game. Getting to the title game was gravy that year. Beating Coach Kruger, Duke, and UNC on the way to the title game was priceless. Especially Duke w/ Battier and Williams (they went on to win it all the next year). Not to mention Miller's buzzer beater. A hell of a fun ride.

They were good, but I didn't think they were all that great. I watched them a number of times before our game and their outside shooting was always poor. They were on fire against us with big men hitting threes off the dribble and even Cleeves hitting jumpers that I never saw him hit before. Good for them! :sick:

[HALLGATOR]

Just for personal reasons, the 2000 Championship loss to Michigan State. My dad was a Gator alum and a huge college basketball fan -- it was all he watched during the season. We'd make a weekend of the first tournament weekend -- he'd pull me out of school, or i'd ditch classes (and later work) and we'd sit around all day and watch games. Great memories. Anyway, he was sick with cancer and we watched the tourney together, like we had when I was a kid. That night he was weak but we watched the whole thing, us bantering back and forth like we always did. He died about two weeks later at 54. That was the last game he ever watched; it would have been nice for him to see a win.

It's a real shame he didn't get to see the 04s play. As a basketball fan that would have been a great thing and, of course, even better for you two to have enjoyed it together. A former brother-in-law of mine was the one who got me back interested in Gator bb right about the time the O-Dome was built. He too was a huge fan and didn't live long enough to see the NCs.

[diamondted13]

They were good, but I didn't think they were all that great. I watched them a number of times before our game and their outside shooting was always poor. They were on fire against us with big men hitting threes off the dribble and even Cleeves hitting jumpers that I never saw him hit before. Good for them! :sick:

They were the #1 overall seed going into the tournament and the best team all year. Cleeves and Mo Peterson were great college players. The team was deep, talented, experienced, and, like most Izzo teams, incredibly physical. It was by far Izzo's best team and he's had some really, really good ones. Like most of Izzo's teams, they weren't always pretty to watch. You can argue with the style of ball (methodical, super physical), but can't argue with the results. I remember at the time thinking they were the best team I had seen since Duke (92) and UK (96). If we played them 10 times, they beat us 8 times. Not a knock on our team, I just thought that was a pretty special team we ran into. I think they had 5 or 6 seniors in their rotation. You don't see that anymore.

[Distant Gator]

Thanks to Gotham and Shnicker for filling in the details about the loss to Temple in 2001. Our team had done well so I expected a repeat of our 00 run but I guess that was unrealistic. Still a bad day for a lot of reasons, but that's going to happen in sports.

[qwghlmgator]

Great post, and you are exactly right about that 2001 team (see my post #46 above). Maybe Billy's best coaching job ever. We started 1-3 in conference, lost 3 starters to injury, and still finished 11-1 down the stretch to tie Kentucky for the conference title - our only loss was by 1 point in Rupp. Basically, Brett Nelson and Udonis Haslem willed us to the SEC Championship. Nelson's play in conference that year is better than any Gator I can recall.

Brett should have won SEC POY that year over Prince. Prince got it because he was a better pro prospect. That was perhaps the biggest POY miscarriage of justice ever.

[gatorlover974]

Brett should have won SEC POY that year over Prince. Prince got it because he was a better pro prospect. That was perhaps the biggest POY miscarriage of justice ever.

Also Roberson should have won his sophomore year over Bass. That was pretty bad as well IMO

[regurgigator]

They were the #1 overall seed going into the tournament and the best team all year. Cleeves and Mo Peterson were great college players. The team was deep, talented, experienced, and, like most Izzo teams, incredibly physical. It was by far Izzo's best team and he's had some really, really good ones. Like most of Izzo's teams, they weren't always pretty to watch. You can argue with the style of ball (methodical, super physical), but can't argue with the results. I remember at the time thinking they were the best team I had seen since Duke (92) and UK (96). If we played them 10 times, they beat us 8 times. Not a knock on our team, I just thought that was a pretty special team we ran into. I think they had 5 or 6 seniors in their rotation. You don't see that anymore.

Agree to disagree. I think we would have beaten them most of the time when they were having an average (for them) shooting game. We handled their physicality well enough to score pretty well.

I think Cleeves' NBA career was so short because of his usually poor shooting touch. Otherwise, he was a tough hard-nosed player.

Peterson was quite talented. (but we had a little talent also :happy:)

Some people thought one of the biggest reasons they beat us was the layups they got off our press. I didn't think so. They got a few layups (maybe 4 or 5), but I could live with those. I was just amazed (and dumbfounded and pissed...) at their hot outside shooting after watching them throw up a ton of bricks (including wide open shots) in every other game I saw them play.

[gogators73]

Louisville isn't THAT bad for me because as cool as going to the Final Four would have been, I'm 99% sure UK would have beaten us.

Butler in 2011 was worse. I think we could have won the national title if we had beaten them.

[GatorLurker]

Louisville isn't THAT bad for me because as cool as going to the Final Four would have been, I'm 99% sure UK would have beaten us.

Butler in 2011 was worse. I think we could have won the national title if we had beaten them.

+1

That was some low hanging fruit waiting to be picked.

[MJGator8104]

Gotta admit, the reffing in the Butler game made me angrier than most of our other losses.

[GatorLurker]

I have learned a long time ago that being upset about losses is a losing proposition. Be overjoyed when they win and commiserate when they lose.

Treat your children the same.

You will be a happier person and have a better life if you do.

[austingtr]

The entire Don DeVoe season

This

[phatGator]

Yes, it was very aggravating when Packer called Dupay a thug (if I recall correctly) when all Dupay tried to do was a standard wrap-up on Cleeves on the fast break (well away from the basket) so that Cleeves couldn't hit the layup and get a 3-point play opportunity. Cleeves refused to quit trying to get to the bucket and elbowed Dupay in the face in the attempt to get by him. Dupay correctly continued to hang on to Cleeves, their feet got tangled, and poor baby Cleeves turned his ankle.

I got pissed the next day when my co-worker said she and her husband (Gonzaga fans out here in Washington St) decided to pull for MSU after that play because our player had made such a dirty play. BS!!!! (but I held my tongue)

Packer did say that. It was while they were showing the replay. To me, who is extremely objective on matters like this :yes:, Cleeves lost his balance while throwing an elbow at Dupay. They then tangled and went to the floor. Packer was going on and on about Dupay being a thug. The announcer, Jim Nantz, on seeing Cleeves throw the elbow in the replay, said that a foul could have been called. Packer, without realizing Nantz meant a foul on Cleeves, exclaimed, "Yes. And a foul too!"

That's what bothered me so much about that game. It wasn't the loss. As has been pointed out the Gators were big underdogs. It was that instead of a championship game broadcast, it was a documentary/reality TV of the Flintstones, as Cleeves and his teammates from Flint called themselves.

No, I'm not bitter! :angry:

I did soften my attitude of Cleeves a few years later when his brother was murdered. No one should see the untimely death of a loved one.

However, the game did not detract from the great joy that tournament run gave me. It was then that I realized what a jewel we had in Billy Donovan. Starting it off with a buzzer beating tip in by Miller in the first round. There was no listening over the internet then. I had to follow by gametracker that was updated every 30 seconds. It was agony waiting for that last update to see that Miller scored. I jumped up and started dancing around the office. Then to beat Lon Kruger, Coach K, and Eddie Sutton. Then to soundly beat UNC. It was freaking glorious. When I was at UF our only hope in basketball was to pull off a big upset. Now we had played for a national championship.

Oh wait, this thread is supposed to be about worst moments. Sorry...