What's your worst Gator basketball memory?

[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]

Originally Posted by Shnicker

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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!

[HALLGATOR]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by regurgigator

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!

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]

Originally Posted by GothamGator

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]

Originally Posted by qwghlmgator

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]

Originally Posted by diamondted13

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 )

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

+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]

Originally Posted by ApexNC

The entire Don DeVoe season

This

[phatGator]

Originally Posted by regurgigator

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 , 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!

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...