GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida is set to welcome back a Gators legend on Saturday.
Billy Donovan will be on hand to see the UF men's basketball team play host to Vanderbilt, as he watches Florida name the court after him.
"I think it will be great for him being honored," said current Gators head coach Mike White. "I think it will be great for our fans, for all of the people that worked with Billy, that played for Billy. All the people that come back just for the event, I think, will be awesome. It’s exciting."
The 19-year Florida coach is not expected to be alone on Saturday. Donovan is expected to bring a number of former players along for the court-naming event.
"All those guys coming back...to have a chance to play in front of them and kinda lead on the Gator Standard as far as the basketball team goes, of what he left here, all those guys coming back [is exciting]," said freshman Scottie Lewis. "So we‘re excited about the opportunity, dedication and things like that"
It is no surprise that the team is buzzing to be part of an event like this.
"Great coach, winning coach, just the knowledge of the game," added guard Noah Locke. "He just -- overall just great coach I feel, I mean, he's shown it. Two national championships, back-to-back, it's pretty self explanatory, you see it."
Donovan has done a lot to elevate the Gators program to national prominence. As Locke said, two back-to-back national championships is self explanatory.
Donovan just consistently won.
"Winning. Developing young men on and off the court," White said. "I visited with Jeremy Foley this morning briefly and we talked about the fact that when him and I were having conversations through the quick courting process, what was that, five years ago or whatever it was, he brought up the fact that whoever took this job had enormous shoes to fill, obviously, right? And he wanted to make sure that I was OK with that, and my answer to him was obviously, and I've said this on a number of occasions, coach Donovan made this an incredible job. That's what he did.
"We had pockets of success here in the past. I don't want to slight any other coach that's been through here. I'm fond of what coach (Lon) Kruger did here and the success he's had beyond here, but what coach Donovan did here is off the charts."
White is grateful for Donovan. The Gators program still houses several people that helped Donovan achieve success.
The two head coaches are expected to meet Friday afternoon.
"The Final Fours, the national championships, the pros, you could go on and on. That's unbelievable what he accomplished," White said. "But what's more -- and I don't know him that well, we live two different lives, obviously he's a busy guy; I felt like my first year here I probably bugged him too much with too many questions -- but the way that people revere him as a human being is equally, if not more impressive.
"I think it will be great for our fans, for all of the people that worked with Billy, that played for Billy. All the people that come back just for the event, I think, will be awesome. It’s exciting."
Lewis admits that since he only started playing basketball in sixth or seventh grade, coach White is the only Florida coach he knew before he arrived in Gainesville.
But Donovan's legacy is hard to miss. You just have to look at the trophy case as you enter the practice facility to see how he changed the program.
"We see it every day, we have no choice but to notice it," Locke said. "We've talked about it sometimes, with the whole thing with his name being on the floor and coming and stuff like that. I mean it's great, it's great to give back to him. There's so much he's done for the basketball program here and just a great coach."
"It puts a lot of weight on our shoulders as a team," added Lewis. "I think it’s going to lift us up more than anything [against Vanderbilt] to prove that Coach White’s a great coach and that he can accomplish a lot of things that Billy Donovan did, and I know he aspires to do so and we aspire as a team to do some of the things his teams did.”
Florida is set to tip off against Vandy at 8 p.m. ET.
