View Poll Results: Will the Gators be back?
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Yes
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75.00% |
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No
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0% |
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Maybe, if...
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25.00% |
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07-30-2009, 08:40 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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'10 Nat'l Champs
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,593
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Billy the kid's lost his shine
Shine is off Florida's Billy Donovan
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Billy Donovan lost his star player to a pro team ... in Greece, not the NBA.
He's lost recruits to the likes of Kentucky, Arizona and even Manhattan in the past four months.
Attendance fell to the lowest total in almost a decade.
Two years removed from back-to-back NCAA titles and an infamous flip-flop on the Orlando Magic job, has Billy Donovan's star begun to fade at Florida?
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07-30-2009, 08:53 AM
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#2 (permalink)
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Wrath
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lovetron
Posts: 63,846
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
Well I remember some calling him in the best coach in America not too long ago, guess they'll be eating their words right about now. Cal's taking his shine, and the top recruits all seemed linked to Kentucky nowadays, Florida's in a tough spot.
__________________
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I don't need your opinion, me and I agree - Crooked I
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07-30-2009, 09:41 AM
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#3 (permalink)
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: MIAlien
Age: 24
Posts: 1,990
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
meh, I mean dude won back to back championships, the cupboard was emptied after that run. Sure it was disappointing not making the tourney the past 2 years, but that can happen when you lose you starting 5 and some more, as well as Assistant Coaches.
Sure he lost some recruits, who doesn't? Specially recruiting from UF which although its become a good basketball program, definitely does not have the tradition and history of the heavy hitters.
People love to panic nowadays and there's no need to, at least not yet. (Sure could use some type of BIG inside tho.)
__________________
Quote:
He basically stopped coaching. Threw out his X's and O's. Quit giving advice. Stopped drawing up plays.
So what did he do? He screamed at his guys like a boxing trainer. You're tougher than them! YOU'RE TOUGHER THAN THEM! Don't let up! They are ready to quit! They are ready to fold! Keep attacking them! Keep getting to the rim! Keep knocking their asses down! No layups! No dunks! Stay together! YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN THEM! YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN THEM! That's what he did for the entire second half. Eventually, his players believed him.
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-Bill Simmons on Pat Riley in Game 6 of the '06 finals.
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07-30-2009, 10:22 AM
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#4 (permalink)
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Limehouse Blues
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 15,508
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
I don't believe any objective observer ever believed he was a great coach.He's a good coach who has recruited a lot of good players.If he doesn't have a talent edge he's going to struggle,but if you took away Calipari's talent he'd be too sleazy to get a job in the big time.
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07-30-2009, 10:28 AM
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#5 (permalink)
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Wrath
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lovetron
Posts: 63,846
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
I give Cal 5 years at Kentucky, if no title, they'll turn on him. He can bring in all the talent in the world but if they dont win he's gone!
__________________
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I don't need your opinion, me and I agree - Crooked I
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07-30-2009, 11:28 AM
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#6 (permalink)
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Free Lupe
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Orlando, Florida
Age: 21
Posts: 8,550
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
Not at all. Billy D made Florida basketball. Billy D is Florida basketball!
He just has to start from scratch. His 3 lead assistants all got hired for head coaching jobs after the two title runs.... His top 6 rotation players all went pro or graduated in '07.... His best young talent, Spieghts, went pro the following year and Jai Lucas left because he didn't want to play behind Calathes. And now Calathes, i guess tired of losing and playing with no talent, decided it would be better for him to take his game elsewhere....
It's just been like the great depression. A rough stretch of tough breaks, from injuries to transfers to guys going pro, but he'll be back on top. If he can land some key recruits in the coming years we'll be back. We already have the top PG in '11, Austin Rivers, locked up so the future is looking up.
__________________
The Renaissance Man

[SIZE]Boston Celtic's >>> Orlando Magic[/size]
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07-30-2009, 11:50 AM
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#7 (permalink)
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Owner of the Hideaway
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Mitten
Age: 19
Posts: 17,248
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
It's just been a bad stretch for Florida basketball. Donovan is far from a bad coach. Bad coaches don't win back to back national championships, it just doesn't happen.
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07-30-2009, 11:54 AM
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#8 (permalink)
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-LIFETIME MEMBER-
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Germany
Age: 23
Posts: 16,039
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
Quote:
Originally Posted by HB
I give Cal 5 years at Kentucky, if no title, they'll turn on him. He can bring in all the talent in the world but if they dont win he's gone!
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He will get one in the first year.
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07-30-2009, 12:44 PM
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#9 (permalink)
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Wrath
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lovetron
Posts: 63,846
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
^O Rly? Based on....
__________________
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I don't need your opinion, me and I agree - Crooked I
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07-30-2009, 02:31 PM
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#10 (permalink)
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'10 Nat'l Champs
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,593
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
ya that's a big statement about a guy that's never even won a national championship
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07-30-2009, 07:01 PM
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#11 (permalink)
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Don't Hate... Appreciate
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Tennessee
Age: 33
Posts: 8,269
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
Wow croco, I'm shocked that you would say that. It's possible but not likely. You never know. We are about to see a brand of basketball never before seen in the Bluegrass State. Anybody with any basketball knowledge knows that big things will happen for UK... they just don't want to admit it.
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07-30-2009, 09:25 PM
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#12 (permalink)
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: MIAlien
Age: 24
Posts: 1,990
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
^Someones ego has risen to massive proportions
Am I the only one who thinks that Kentucky squad might be one of those too good to be true type stories waiting to happen? I mean gotdamn they're stacked.
And BB, as a Gator/PITT fan if we beat y'all ONE game, it will make my season, i wouldn't even care if we went 1-28. 
__________________
Quote:
He basically stopped coaching. Threw out his X's and O's. Quit giving advice. Stopped drawing up plays.
So what did he do? He screamed at his guys like a boxing trainer. You're tougher than them! YOU'RE TOUGHER THAN THEM! Don't let up! They are ready to quit! They are ready to fold! Keep attacking them! Keep getting to the rim! Keep knocking their asses down! No layups! No dunks! Stay together! YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN THEM! YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN THEM! That's what he did for the entire second half. Eventually, his players believed him.
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-Bill Simmons on Pat Riley in Game 6 of the '06 finals.
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07-30-2009, 10:20 PM
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#13 (permalink)
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Owner of the Hideaway
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Mitten
Age: 19
Posts: 17,248
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
UK is going to have staying power in the top 10 for a long time, or until the NCAA hands down punishment on Calipari. The last two seasons at Memphis were the first two with truly elite recruits on the roster (Rose, Evans) and both were top 10 teams. Calipari and Worldwide Wes are always going to bring in elite prospects. UK is here to stay hate it or love it.
That said i'm looking forward to a good Wildcat/Tar Heel matchup for once.
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07-31-2009, 01:55 AM
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#14 (permalink)
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-LIFETIME MEMBER-
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Germany
Age: 23
Posts: 16,039
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
Quote:
Originally Posted by HB
^O Rly? Based on....
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Talent wins, you should know that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueBaron
Wow croco, I'm shocked that you would say that. It's possible but not likely. You never know. We are about to see a brand of basketball never before seen in the Bluegrass State. Anybody with any basketball knowledge knows that big things will happen for UK... they just don't want to admit it.
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Shocked ? Come on Blue Baron, there is no reason to be low key about the goals for the year. Calipari didn't come to Kentucky to slowly get things rolling again, the roster is stacked and ready to win. Everyone knows that he is aiming for the highest and I'm sure as do the players. No screwing around when you recruit possibly the best guard and big man in the class.
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07-31-2009, 02:28 AM
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#15 (permalink)
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Limehouse Blues
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 15,508
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Re: Billy the kid's lost his shine
Calipari came to Kentucky because the NCAA was about to chuck Memphis into the woodchipper
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