Silence.
That’s the memory for the Florida Gators. Everyone else recalls Butler outhustling them in 2011 to steal a spot in the Final Four and the steady melt of an 11-point lead against Louisville in last year’s Elite Eight.
But the scene that sticks with Florida is the lifeless locker room in New Orleans. Then in Phoenix. There were wild celebrations down the hall as the Gators quietly sulked and began packing for a dreary flight back to Gainesville.
“That’s something you always remember,” guard Mike Rosario said. “After two years of being in the Elite Eight and not capitalizing to go to the Final Four, you just remember the silence in the locker room.
“That’s what motivates us.”
Redemption is at hand. The Gators’ two-week expedition in Texas ends this afternoon with a third straight appearance in the Elite Eight. No. 3-seeded Florida and No. 4-seeded Michigan, the final survivors in the South Region, collide at Cowboys Stadium with a Final Four trip at stake. It is the first time these teams have met since 1998.
The Gators (29-7) are trying to avoid becoming the only team in NCAA tournament history to lose three straight years in this round. They got here by dropping No. 15-seeded Florida Gulf Coast, a captivating upstart, 62-50 on Friday. UF swept Northwestern State and Minnesota during the opening week of the tournament in Austin, Texas, before busing 200 miles north to Dallas.
Six of the Gators’ eight regular players were part of the past two Elite Eight teams and are eager to bury their bitter shortfalls.
“There’s fear of having a repeat of that same thing,” center Patric Young said, “but also hope that we’re going to come out and we’re going to fight against that and give it all we’ve got for 40 minutes just to not experience that again.”
Florida coach Billy Donovan dismissed the thought that previous heartbreaks have any impact on the current challenge of taking down the Wolverines (29-7).
“This game stands on itself,” he said. “It’s in the moment. It’s now. It’s here. It’s present.”
Michigan, meanwhile, has not been this deep in the tournament since 1994.
The Wolverines start three freshmen and have two others among their four regular bench players. That group was good enough to rank in the top five of the Associated Press poll most of the season, including one week at No. 1.
The leader is sophomore Trey Burke, a point guard who is a national player of the year candidate and averages 18.9 points and 6.8 assists per game.
He led an incredible comeback against No. 1-seeded Kansas on Friday. The Jayhawks were up 10 points with 2:19 remaining before Burke scored eight points in the final 1:15, including a long 3-pointer to tie it with four seconds left.
Burke scored five more points in overtime to secure an 87-85 win, and he finished with 23 points and 10 assists.
“He starts their team,” Gators guard Kenny Boynton said. “If we slow him down, we have a good chance.”
The majority of that burden will fall on Florida point guard Scottie Wilbekin, one of the best stoppers in the SEC.
But Burke is only the beginning. Fellow freshman Mitch McGary, a 6-foot-10 forward, hurt Kansas with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III — sons of former NBA stars — average 14.8 and 11.1 points per game, respectively.
The Wolverines are second in the Big Ten in scoring (75.4 points per game) and first in shooting (48.5 percent). They rank second nationally in points per possession, four spots ahead of UF.
“Maybe the best offensive team in the country,” Donovan said.
Florida’s counterpunch is strong, though. The Gators lead all major-conference teams in defensive efficiency and opponent scoring and are fourth in opponent shooting.
The Gators have prided themselves on defense all season and held their first three adversaries in the NCAA tournament to 53.7 points per game. That is the biggest reason UF still has a chance to march on to Atlanta for the Final Four.
“We’re back at this moment,” Boynton said. “We lost two Elite Eights, but we have another opportunity. What more do you want? We’re in the position that we wanted to be in.”
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