Florida Gators Basketball 10-year Review

College Sports Fans reviews the Florida Gators, one of the top NCAA college basketball programs

Florida Gators Basketball

It only took Billy Donovan until his third season to hit his stride as a coach at Florida. After posting back-to-back losing seasons Donovan has reeled off nine straight 20-win seasons, the last two of which have resulted in national championships. The Gators have grown into an absolute powerhouse of a program. They are one of the few schools that can truly say that can consistently recruit players from anywhere in the country with success, and that is a true testament to Donovan and his coaching staff. Year after year the Gators march out talented teams, having had 11 players drafted by an NBA team since the 1998 season.

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Florida Gators Basketball Records

• 1996-97: 13-17 overall: 5-11 SEC (5th East Division)

• 1997-98: 14-15 overall; 6-10 SEC (6th East Division)

• 1998-99: 22-9 overall; 10-6 SEC (3rd East Division)

• 1999-00: 29-8 overall; 12-4 SEC (T-1st East Division)

• 2000-01: 24-7 overall; 12-4 SEC (T-1st East Division)

• 2001-02: 22-9 overall; 10-6 SEC (T-1st East Division)

• 2002-03: 25-8 overall; 12-4 SEC (2nd East Division)

• 2003-04: 20-11 overall; 9-7 SEC (2nd East Division)

• 2004-05: 24-8 overall; 12-4 SEC (2nd East Division)

• 2005-06: 33-6 overall; 10-6 SEC (2nd East Division)

• 2006-07: 35-5 overall; 13-3 SEC (1st East Division)

Florida Basketball SEC Titles

• 2004-05: 24-8 overall; 12-4 SEC (2nd East Division)

• 2005-06: 33-6 overall; 10-6 SEC (2nd East Division)

• 2006-07: 35-5 overall; 13-3 SEC (1st East Division)

Florida Basketball Coaching Records

• Billy Donovan: 1996-Present (226-98)

Florida Gators Basketball 1st Team All-Americans

• none

Florida Basketball Players Who Went Pro

• 1998: Jason Williams

• 2000: Donnell Harvey, Mike Miller

• 2003: Matt Bonner

• 2004: Christian Drejer

• 2005: David Lee

• 2007: Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Chris Richard, Taurean Green

Florida Gators Basketball Future Outlook

If ever there was an excuse to label a season a rebuilding year, this is the year for Florida. The Gators saw five of their players drafted this summer by the NBA, and now return a roster with no seniors, one junior, three sophomores and seven freshmen. Junior guard Walter Hodge is the only returning player that saw more than 10 minutes of playing time per game last season. So while the Gators will be inexperienced to say the least, they can take solace in the fact that five of their newcomers this season were ranked in the Rivals 150 for the class of 2007, including #14 guard Nick Calathes and #19 forward Chandler Parsons. Donovan can get even more excited about the fact that he’s received commitments from five more Rivals 150 recruits for the class of 2008. So while the Gators may not make another run for a national championship this season, they certainly appear to be on their way to challenging once again in just a couple of years.

Don't miss the Florida football 10-year review exclusively on College Sports Fans, and be sure to check out all of the college basketball 10-year reviews.

By Joey Whelan, CollegeSports-fans.com Staff Writer
Published October 2007