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This is hardly breaking news, but Saturday evening will be Florida’s sixth appearance in the Final Four.
It will also be Florida’s third Final Four as a No. 1 seed.
So let us review as The High Five looks at the other Final Fours in Florida history:
- 1994 – The third-seeded Gators shocked the world by making it all the way to Charlotte.
Duke was in the way, and Dan Cross will tell you that the charge that was called on him very late in a one-possession game was bogus.
But Duke won 70-65.
- 2000 – Florida was a No. 5 seed and used Mike Miller’s shot against Butler in the first round to propel itself through Winston-Salem and Syracuse, N.Y., to get to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
There, the Gators played a rare Cinderella team – North Carolina. The Tar Heels weren’t supposed to be there as an eight seed under coach Bill Guthridge, who had replaced legendary Dean Smith.
Florida’s depth was too much in the 71-59 win to advance to the national title game.
- 2006 – Now, this was the ultimate Cinderella. The third-seeded Gators faced 11th-seeded George Mason coached by now-retired Jim Larranaga.
The Gators were too much for the Patriots in Indy, winning 73-58 on their way to their first national title.
- 2007 – Florida wasn’t just a one seed, the Gators were the overall No. 1.
They faced a UCLA team in Atlanta that was similar to the team Florida had beaten the previous year for the national title.
Chris Richard, who had told the Bruins to expect a beatdown at a Final Four dinner earlier in the week, went 7-for-7 as Florida won 76-66 on its way to back-to-back titles.
- 2014 – Florida had won 30 straight games heading to the Final Four and were a one seed going up against UConn.
Florida’s offense looked tired and the Gators lost to the eventual champions 63-53 in Arlington, Texas.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
