GATORS 84, OHIO STATE 75

Encore!

By ANDY STAPLES The Tampa Tribune

Published: Apr 3, 2007

ATLANTA - When it was over Monday, when the University of Florida was the only team left of the 65 that entered the NCAA Tournament, each Gator stood on a stage at midcourt and held up two fingers.

This was why center Al Horford, forward Joakim Noah and forward Corey Brewer turned down NBA millions to return for their junior seasons. This was why center Chris Richard - who could have started for 99 percent of the teams in the NCAA - accepted his role as the Gators' sixth man without complaint.

The Gator Boys were hot in 2006. In 2007, they made history.

With an 84-75 win against Ohio State on Monday at the Georgia Dome, Florida became the first repeat NCAA Division I men's basketball champion since Duke in 1991-92. Florida also became the first Division I-A school to win football and basketball national titles in the same school year.

In each sport, the Gators beat the Buckeyes to claim their title. On Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., Florida's football team beat heavily favored Ohio State, 41-14, to win the program's second national title. The basketball Gators couldn't claim disrespect as a motivating factor Monday, but they left Atlanta with some new hardware just as well.

"This is what we came back to school for," Brewer said. "This is what we're all about, the University of Florida and winning championships.

"And we're going to celebrate."

The end of Florida's season will touch off rampant speculation about whether Florida coach Billy Donovan will leave for Kentucky. UF president Bernie Machen has said Donovan owes it to himself to examine one of college basketball's elite head-coaching jobs, but Machen also has pledged that Florida won't "lose Billy Donovan to anybody."

If Donovan stays, he probably will have to break in a relatively young team next season. Horford, Noah and Brewer - a year later, still potential NBA lottery picks - stunned the basketball world last year by choosing to return for their junior seasons. That seems less likely to happen this season.

When Noah, Horford and Brewer stood on a stage at the O'Connell Center a year ago and announced they would return to chase a second title, they had no idea how difficult the task would prove. The Gators blitzed through last year's NCAA Tournament. This year, they had to grind out wins against teams determined to keep from being a footnote.

Monday, the Buckeyes (35-4) refused to quit even after the Gators (35-5) built a double-digit first-half lead. Ohio State center Greg Oden struggled with foul trouble for most of the NCAA Tournament, but he committed only one foul in Monday's first half. At the same time, the 7-foot, 280-pound freshman forced Florida's big men into foul trouble and altered many of their shots. Oden scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first half, but he couldn't keep the Buckeyes from heading to the half trailing 40-29.

Oden would finish with a game-high 25 points, but his teammates made only four of 23 3-point attempts while failing to stop Florida's 3-point bombers. Brewer - named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player - guard Taurean Green and guard Lee Humphrey combined to make 10 3-pointers and score 43 points. Horford added 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The Buckeyes cut Florida's lead to 66-60 after an Oden free throw with 5:03 remaining, but Green answered with a 3-pointer 11 seconds later. The Gators would run away in the final minutes.

When the buzzer sounded, Green danced - again. Horford launched the ball so high it seemed it never would come down. Brewer jumped on press row, then dropped away to find someone to hug. Noah threw his shoes into the crowd. Guard Walter Hodge held his son.

And after they collected their trophy, the Gators cut down the nets. Again.

"This," Noah said, "is the greatest experience ever."

Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at (352) 262-3719 or astaples@tampatrib.com.

Keyword: Gators for complete multimedia coverage: •Check out our live blog and photo gallery in Gainesville as fans greet the Gators after their victory. •View photos and video reports from Atlanta. •Comment on the game. Keyword: Gators for complete multimedia coverage: •Check out our live blog and photo gallery in Gainesville as fans greet the Gators after their victory. •View photos and video reports from Atlanta. •Comment on the game.